The Definitive Look at Deciding on the Power rating and Number of Adequate Solar Panels for Your Home

Solar panels for your home will only be sufficient if you consider a variety of factors, among them the power rating of individual panels and the total number that will prove sufficient for your purposes. Of the two methods commonly used to arrive at the correct figures, using bills to approximate the total system requirements is a more accurate approach than trying to total up consumption of devices and appliances.

As you embark on the project, you need to factor in the possibility that it might take you pretty long before you manage to transition fully to solar. As such, you can choose which equipment to purchase first and then go on adding to this list as the years pass by. As there is every likelihood that the cost of panels and related equipment will go on plummeting, this approach might actually be more cost effective than an all out acquisition.

Begin by collecting the bills you have received from the utility company over the last one year or a couple of years. You can use a notepad table or a spreadsheet program to note down your consumption over the period. If you are using a paper table, do not forget to have a calculator handy. Remember, the metric you are interested in is the kWh (Kilowatt hours) and not the dollar cost. Create a column to the right of the month names and label it 'Monthly Consumption'. Fill this column with the kWh readings from your monthly bills.

If you are using pen and paper, you need a pocket calculator ready. Whichever method you use, you need to total up the consumption for the year at the bottom of the column. After this, note the number of days in each month in the next column. Divide the total kWh consumption for each month by the number of days in order to arrive at the right figure for average daily consumption in each month. At the bottom you will also get the average daily consumption for the year.

It is important to take note that the data you now have is expressed in kWh, the units used by the utility provider. Solar panels for your home are rated in watts and therefore you need to change these figures accordingly. Multiply the average consumption data by a 1,000 and note these in the adjacent column.

To have a robust solar system, you need one that can match up to the needs on the lowest consumption month. It would be good to have a system that matches up to the average consumption in the month with the largest figures but this will probably cost far more than you can afford to spend right away. However, you may only need to gradually replace grid sourced power.

The next step involves determining the average insolation in your area. You can access a comprehensive guide to this information from the SolarSystemsUSA.net website. The integrated solar needs calculator will factor in the needs you have with the average hours of sun's insolation. The costs will be given in terms of solar panel wattage, the number of modules needed as well as the total cost. This is the best approach in getting the most accurate estimate of the cost of solar panels for your home improvement project.


Solar Systems USA has had a lot of years of cordial relationship with the most well established solar manufacturers around the globe. We only offer the highest quality solar panels at the most affordable prices you can get on the Internet.