How Big Should My Solar Panel Be?

The amount of electricity you consume determines the number and size of solar panels you need.

Know How Much Electricity You Need

The amount of electricity you need to generate by solar power is closely tied to the question of how much electricity you normally use. Look at your electric bills over the past year to see your average kilowatt-hour (kWh) use and also check to see your highest use on a monthly basis, since energy use for heating and cooling fluctuates with the weather.

Know How Many kWh of Energy You Can Produce

Solar panels can only produce energy when there is sunshine. Check to see how many hours of sunshine you get on a daily basis. One square meter of sunlight produces 5 kWh per day, but a one square meter solar panel can only capture 1 kWh of that energy.

Bottom Line

Divide your energy needs (the total watts you use per day) by the hours of sunlight you get per day. The resulting number is the number of watts you need to generate per hour, and will tell you how many solar panels you need. If you need to produce 30 kWh per day, the average energy consumption of a house in the U.S., you will need panels capable of producing 30 kWh. You can then choose your configuration of panels accordingly.

References

• Solar Q&A: How Many Solar Panels Do I Need?
• Alt E Store: How Many Solar Panels Do You Need in Your Solar Array?
• Solar Quotes: How Many Solar Panels Do I Need?
• Solar Power Manual: How Big Can a Solar Panel Get?