Therefore, a 2,000-square-foot home would be allowed a 4,000-watt solar array. Depending on the type of panel you choose, a system of this size would have between 12 and 18 solar panels. One of the first questions a homeowner interested in solar energy could ask himself is “How many solar panels do I need? People often wonder if they need a certain number of panels depending on the size of their home. There's no reason to beat around the bush, so let's get straight to it.
To bring the average amount of energy used by a household in the United States to 2,000 square meters. The home would need between 16 and 21 solar panels. That's assuming the house has a good south-facing roof that gets all the amount of sunlight every day. On average, a 2000 square foot home would need a 4 kW system, which means 10 400-watt panels.
As the power of the panels decreases, the number of panels used must increase. Instead, you can estimate your solar needs by looking at their usage and determining the amount of electricity each solar panel can produce over the course of a year. But did you know that your roof space can also play a role in deciding what type of solar panels you can use? With a large usable roof area, you have the option of purchasing a large number of large, low-efficiency panels to save some costs while meeting your energy production goal. Therefore, the solar panels you choose for your system will have a big impact on the number of solar panels you need, as well as on their maintenance and longevity.
In reality, you'll most likely need more than 20 panels because they're unlikely to get a consistent amount of 6 hours of sunlight every day. Remember that you probably need more panels than this number, as they most likely won't get sunlight every day of the month. The size and number of solar panels are crucial factors if you have a small or irregularly shaped roof. Knowing that your energy consumption fluctuates considerably from month to month as the seasons change, it wouldn't be wise to calculate the size of your solar panel system based on a month's energy consumption value.
Due to enormous variations in the efficiency and quality of solar panels, determining which solar panels are ideal for you or how many you'll need for your home can be a challenge. Assuming that a single panel generates 45 kWh per month and that the average American household uses about 900 kWh per month, you would need approximately a minimum of 20 solar panels to cover all your electricity needs. All of these factors play an important role in deciding how many solar panels you might need for your property. Solar panel technology has advanced rapidly in recent years, resulting in several consumer-friendly panels that are highly efficient.
In addition, the number of daily or monthly peak hours of sunshine also indicates the amount of kWh of solar energy that 1 kilowatt (kW) of solar panels will produce in a day in your area.