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Everyday
I get at least one email from a customer that asks, "How much is a
solar panel system to power a {insert number of square feet here}
home?" It's quite impossible to quote you the size of system that will
meet your goals without understanding your individual project site and
needs.
People who ask this question to me have not done enough
research and typically indicate that they are just starting to explore
solar power. More than often I lead customers who ask that question to
the solar power calculator since it helps them realize all the variables required to figure out how many solar panels you really need.
The
following reasons are why I can't give you clear cut answer to, how
many solar panels you'll need for a 1,ooo square foot home:
#1 -
The size of your home is not as important as how many kWh
(kilowatt-hours) per year. This information can be found your last 12
months of electric bills
#2 - Typically grid tie solar panels
are used to offset your highest cost of electricity if your being
charged on a tiered rate structure by your utility company. Solar
panels are most cost effective if you use them to stay out of consuming
electricity in higher tiers. Therefore not always do people purchase a
system that "eliminates their entire bill".
#3 - Your location
matters, in particular if there is shading due to trees, vents,
chimneys, other buildings..etc. You'll need more solar panels to meet
your goals if you have to compensate for unavoidable shading. Different
places across the world have variances in the number of sun hours they
receive per day, which has an influence in the number of kWh you can
generate per year in your location. Also the orientation
#4 -
what's the intent of your solar electric system? Is it just to get
started? Some people are satisfied to get started with a small solar
electric system and then add more panels to their system later to keep
the upfront investment of the system as low as possible to get started.
The great aspect of a solar electric system it's completely
customizable to your requirements, particularly your budget.
I
hope this post highlights the most important key points that need to be
analyzed before you can figure out how many solar panel you'll need.
got any questions?
