Mindzle

One of the first things homeowners need to consider when deciding whether to install a solar power system for the home is just how many solar panels they need Even a small number of panels will make a big difference when it comes to your monthly electricity bills. Those who would like to forget about their electricity bills completely, though, will want to be precise in terms of how many solar panels they install.

First, you’ll need to determine how much electricity you use in your home per day on average. This can be done by referring to your monthly electricity bills from the recent past. (In some cases, you can find these records online if necessary.) Look at the monthly kilowatt-hour (kWh) electricity use line items, and find the typical monthly total. Your average daily usage can then be determined by dividing this figure by 30.

Another factor to consider is insolation. Insolation is a measurement of the quantity of sunlight which makes contact with a given surface area over time. Solar panels only produce electricity when they come in direct contact with sunlight. Different solar panels have different requirements in terms of sunlight intensity in order to generate power. The intensity and angle at which solar panels are exposed to sunlight on a given surface will vary throughout the year. Even throughout a single day, the amount of sunlight present at any given time can differ. The average exposure for a given location is reflected by its insolation value. Maps displaying insolation values can be found online. Then, divide the daily kWh of electricity from the first step by the insolation value to get the power capacity you’ll need from your system.

The last factor you’ll need to take into consideration is the amount of loss from your solar power system. Although the most recent systems are much more efficient than earlier ones, with any power system, there is always a certain amount of power lost in conversion. This can be difficult to measure accurately, but it’s generally safe to use the figure of 25%, so if you multiply the figure from the previous step (kWh/insolation) by 1.25, you’ll get the amount of power (including loss) that you need. Now you can see how many kWh of energy you need, adjusted for insolation and efficiency.

So, to find out how many solar panels you’ll need, divide that last figure by the kWh output of your solar panel of choice.

One of the initial questions a homeowner faces when choosing on whether to install a home solar power system is, “How many solar panels do I need?” If you want to know the answer to this question, head on to How Many Solar Panels Do I Need?

If you are interested in building your own solar panel, check this step by step by guide Build Solar Panel. A mini course on how to make your own solar power system may also sound appealing to you. Go to Solar Power Calculator to sign-up for a 6 part mini course.