The average cost of a rooftop solar panel can range from $200 to $350.
The cost of a solar panel is dependent on a number of factors. These factors include the solar panel output along with its size and efficiency. High-quality, efficient solar panels will naturally cost more than less efficient models.
This is why it’s so important to find the right kind of solar panel for your home. Once you have the perfect panel, you can determine how many panels you need to power your home. Understanding solar panel output is essential to figuring this out.
Want to learn more about solar panels and how many you need for your home? Here’s everything you need to know.
In this article
Solar Panels
Solar panels can effectively convert solar energy into an electrical current. This is done using the photoelectric effect. The metals inside the panel themselves convert solar energy into electricity.
This electricity can then be used to power your lights, appliances, or your entire home. The best solar installations are connected to a backup battery. This means that your solar panels are actively charging the batteries during the day.
These batteries can connect to your home and supplement your reliance on the grid. This ensures that you can use solar energy even when the sun isn’t out. In this way, you can drastically reduce your energy bill.
Benefits of Going Solar
There are a few major benefits that come with switching to solar at home. Solar panels can help save you money, making them a great investment for all homeowners. Here’s a quick look at the benefits of solar panels.
1. Increased Property Value
Homes that have solar panels are valued higher than homes without them. This is because potential buyers understand the benefits of solar panels and prefer homes with solar already installed. The added demand is what drives up home prices.
2. Environmental Benefits
When you install solar panels at home, you are supplementing your reliance on the traditional grid. This means that you’re not relying on traditional forms of generating electricity. In this way, you can reduce your carbon footprint by switching to solar.
3. Reduced Energy Bills
Solar panels may not be enough to go completely off the grid. However, even a few panels can have a major impact on your monthly utility bill. Homeowners in the US can save over a thousand dollars a year just by having solar panels installed.
This means that your solar panels can effectively pay for themselves over time. If you take the added home value into account, they can pay for themselves in just a few years.
4. Energy Independence
Having your own solar panels means that you can generate your own electricity at home. This means that you’re less reliant on the traditional grid for power. This generation can come in handy if the grid ever shuts down.
This generally happens during bad weather when you need electricity the most. In this way, having solar panels can be a lifesaver.
Solar Panel Output
When it comes to choosing solar panels, the output of your panels is important to take note of. This metric basically tells you how much energy the panel can produce. Solar manufacturers make this easy by assigning each panel a solar panel output rating.
Different Kinds of Solar Panels
There are a few different kinds of solar panels that you can get for your home. These various panels are made in unique ways, making them more or less efficient. In this way, you can spend more and get a more efficient solar panel for your home.
Average Solar Panel Wattage
The average solar panel can generate around 300 watts of energy. These panels are large and measure around 65 inches wide and 39 inches high. This kind of solar panel attaches to your roof and can generate electricity for around 10 hours a day when the sun is up.
In most cases, these panels are joined with other panels. When two panels are joined in parallel, the combined output grows to 600 watts. This enables you to power even more devices and appliances in your home.
Figuring out how many solar panels you need is an important part of the installation process. This is where professional solar installers come in to help. Finding the right solar company is vital as they will inspect your home and determine how many panels you need to power everything.
How Much Power Do You Need?
As mentioned above, the average solar panel can produce around 300 watts. However, it’s not entirely clear what 300 watts actually is. To help you understand solar panel output, we’ve broken everything down in a more simple way.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average home uses 29 kWh per day. This means that each home uses around 1,208 watts. However, it’s important to remember that this is the average usage and not the peak usage for the home.
This is why having a 1,208-watt solar panel system won’t always mean that you can power your entire home. It simply means that you can generate that amount of power per hour when the sun is up.
This is why you need much more solar panel output to generate and store energy that can be used later on in the evening. Here’s a quick breakdown of what each kind of solar panel setup can comfortably power at home.
1 Panel – 300 Watts
A single-panel setup is ideal for powering small devices and appliances at home. Here’s what a single-panel setup can comfortably power when in use.
- LED light bulb (10 watts) – 30 bulbs
- Laptop computer (45 watts) – 6.6 hours
- Desktop computer (100 watts) – 3 hours
- Television (150 watts) – 2 hours
- Air conditioner (1,200 watts) – 15 minutes
- Refrigerator (120 watts) – 2.5 hours
5 Panels – 1,500 Watts
If you were to connect more solar panels together, you can generate even more energy. Here’s a quick look at what five solar panels can comfortably power at home.
- LED light bulb (10 watts) – 150 bulbs
- Laptop computer (45 watts) – 33 hours
- Desktop computer (100 watts) – 15 hours
- Television (150 watts) – 10 hours
- Air conditioner (1,200 watts) – 1.25 hours
- Refrigerator (120 watts) – 12.5 hours
20 Panels – 6,000 Watts
Some experts say that 20 solar panels are what’s needed to go fully off the grid. Here’s a quick breakdown of what 20 panels can power.
- LED light bulb (10 watts) – 600 bulbs
- Laptop computer (45 watts) – 133 hours
- Desktop computer (100 watts) – 60 hours
- Television (150 watts) – 40 hours
- Air conditioner (1,200 watts) – 5 hours
- Refrigerator (120 watts) – 50 hours
As you can see, 20 panels can generate enough to power lights and appliances for over a day. If you assume that the panel generates power for 10 hours a day, this may be enough to supply your home with energy throughout the evening.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have a few more questions about solar panels, you’re in the right place. Here’s a quick look at the most popular questions on solar panels.
1. How Do Solar Panels Work?
Solar panels harness energy from the sun and generate an electrical current. This electrical current can be used to power your home or to charge up batteries. The batteries can then supplement your energy consumption at home to reduce your energy bill.
2. How Much Energy Does 1 Solar Panel Produce?
The amount of energy a solar panel can produce depends on a few factors. This includes the kind of solar panel it is along with how big it is. With this being said, the average rooftop solar panel can produce around 300 watts.
3. How Many Solar Panels Does My Home Need?
The number of solar panels you need depends on how big your home is. Larger homes will naturally require more solar panels than smaller homes. This is why it’s so important to find a reliable solar installer to guide you through the process and determine how many panels you need.
In most cases, you will need around 10 – 20 panels to go completely off the grid. However, most homes will install 4 – 6 panels to reduce their energy consumption every month.
4. Why Switch to Solar?
Switching to solar comes with a ton of benefits for homeowners. Solar panels can have a positive impact on your property value. Additionally, having solar panels will actively reduce your reliance on the grid and reduce your energy bills every month.
5. Are There Solar Tax Credits?
If you want to switch to solar, there are a few tax credits that you should know about. Solar tax credits are funded by the federal and state government to encourage people to get solar. This program helped over 2 million households install solar panels in their homes.
These programs won’t last forever, so it’s important to make use of them while they are still around.
Switch to Solar Energy Today
Solar panels are a great way to reduce your carbon footprint at home. Better yet, solar can reduce your monthly utility bill and increase your property value. This makes it a no-brainer to make the switch to solar.
When it comes to finding solar panels for your home, it’s important to take note of the solar panel output. This will help you find the ideal solar panels for your home’s size and energy usage.
If you want to learn more about switching to solar power, visit our website for more interesting articles.
