We have observed in our long journey of installing solar panel systems that whenever people plan to install solar panels at their homes, they often have two main reasons. The first and most important reason is to get rid of electricity bills, and the second reason is to somehow mitigate frequent power outages. However, some people are environmentally conscious and aim to generate green energy and preserve the environment. Nonetheless, most of the time, the primary motivation is to reduce electricity bills. In this article, we will demonstrate the easiest and most calculated way to determine how many solar panels each home needs.

How Many Solar Panels Do I Need?

People often get confused when they ask themselves, “How many solar panels do I need for my home?” This is not a hard nut to crack in order to know the exact number of solar panels you need. Here are some factors you will have to keep in mind: First, you need to consider your monthly energy needs and how many units you are consuming. The second factor is the size of the panel because solar panels come in different sizes, so it depends on the range you choose. Panel efficiency is another factor that affects the number of solar panels you need. Lastly, the location of your place where you want to install the solar panels is also important to consider.

In this article we will give you the estimated number of panels based on different factors.

Based on your Energy consumption or your electricity bills.

The best way to determine the exact number of solar panels you need is to assess your electricity bill. A good practice is to check your consumption over the past 12 months, as energy needs fluctuate during summer and winter seasons. Typically, we consume more units during summer due to the need for air conditioning. You can get an idea by looking at your electricity bill and checking the usage of a day in kWh to help determine the number of solar panels you need.

Here’s a detailed overview of your monthly energy consumption units and the number of solar panels you’ll need to meet your energy requirements.

The perfect system for your needs is right in front of you – take a look

Perfect solar system for your electricity needs - infographics

You can also use the solar panel formula to determine the number of panels you need based on your energy consumption.

Here is how:

To calculate your monthly energy consumption, tally the units used over the past 12 months and divide by 12. For daily usage, divide the resulting monthly units by 30.

Here’s an example:

Formula to calculate solar panels and system in KW required for your home - infographics alphasolar
  1. Annual unit consumption: 12000 units
  2. Monthly unit consumption: 12000 / 12 = 1000 units/month
  3. Daily unit consumption: 1000/ 30 = 34 units/ day

Based on your average consumption of 34 units per day, you’ll need approximately 9kW solar system, to meet your energy needs. This is because an average 1 kilowatt solar panels system produces around 4 units per day.

System size varies with wattage of panels. if you are using high wattage panel you will require less panels and if you are using low wattage panels, you will need higher system size.

right solar system size based on solar panels wattage - infographics alphasolar

Based on your home appliances

The number of electric appliances in each house varies. This means that each house has a different number of electric appliances, and there is no fixed number that applies to all houses. The usage of home appliances can be divided based on the time, but the calculation is based on the total simultaneous usage of all home appliances. If you have a greater number of appliances, you will require a larger solar system to run them. The table below shows the number of appliances and the corresponding solar system required to run them.

solar panel sizing based on your appliances - infographics Alphasolar

Capacity of your rooftop

You may have higher electricity consumption but may not have enough space on your roof to install the exact number of solar panels you need. This is where Alpha Solar comes in with solutions. That’s why we also recommend highly efficient solar panels to our valuable customers, which can produce enough energy to meet their needs. If you are unsure whether your rooftop can support the number of panels you need, don’t worry, we have you covered at every stage. Here are some details of roof sizes that can accommodate a certain size of solar panels.

install a solar system based on your rooftop capacity - infographics Alphasolar

Other Factors – How Many Solar Panels Do I Need?

There are various factors that can impact the number of solar panels needed for a particular home, including peak sunlight hours, panel output ratio, and the maximum power wattage of the panel. For instance, if you require an 8kw solar system, the number of panels required will depend on the wattage of each panel. Typically, for an 8kw system, you will need around 16-18 545-watt panels. However, if you opt for lower wattage panels, such as 400 watts, then you will need more panels to meet your energy needs. Specifically, if each panel is 400 watts, you will need 20 solar panels. Generally, the number of solar panels required may fluctuate by 1-2 panels based on the aforementioned factors.

What we suggest for your query of – How Many Solar Panels Do I Need?

If you have a house that’s 10-12 Marla (2800- 3360 sq. ft.) and consumes between 13,000 and 16,000 units of electricity annually, then we’ve got the perfect solution for you! The best fit for your house would be a 10-12 kW solar system. Say goodbye to hefty electricity bills and switch to solar power today.

Still Confused and need consultancy?

If you’re unsure about how many solar panels your home needs, don’t worry! Just send us a message and our solar consultants will help you out. You’ll get an estimate within an hour. We’re here to make going solar easy for you. Get started today and start saving on your energy bills while helping the environment.