70 million metric tons of carbon dioxide are offset in the U.S. every year through the power of solar panels. This is equivalent to planting 1.2 billion trees. Yet, solar power only accounts for 1.6 percent of U.S. electricity generation.
You can change that.
If you’re wondering: can a house run on solar power alone? The answer is: absolutely. The next question is: how many solar panels do I need?
We are ready to outline this for you. Keep reading to learn the right amount of solar panels to run a house.
The Math of Solar Power
To figure out the amount of energy you generally use in a month, refer to your electric bills. What you’ll be looking for is kilowatt-hours (kWh). A kWh is a unit of measurement for energy; it measures how much energy your appliances use per hour.
The average U.S. household uses 909 kWh per month.
This accounts for all appliances, lights, chargers—anything that uses energy. Now we need to calculate how many solar panels would be required to provide about 1000 kWh of energy to your home each month (rounded up, just to be safe).
This is about 33.3 kWh per day.
The number of panels your home requires is all dependent on the size of your home and the amount of sunshine you generally get in a day. Colorado generally receives 5-6.5 hours of peak sunlight a day.
There are many different sizes of solar panels, meaning that some generate more energy than others. Let us assume one panel is 300 watts. 5 hours of sunlight times 300 watts equals 1,500 watts-hours. Therefore, one panel would produce 1.5 kWh per day.
It would take between 22 and 23 panels of 300 watts to produce 33.3 kWh per day. These numbers are based on average households, but you can plug in your own numbers to find out what you need.
If math isn’t your thing, Blue Raven Solar Company can help estimate your needs for you!
Benefits of Solar Panels to Run a House
Installing 20+ solar panels can be an intimidating upfront cost. But in the long run, this will help you save money.
In Colorado, the average electricity rate is $0.1236/kWh. If your household uses up to 1000 kWh per month, you’re paying $123.60 per month in electricity fees. You’d save that much per month with solar panels.
That means that each year you’d save $1,483.20 on electricity. Not to mention the inflation that continues on energy pricing each year.
Saving money isn’t the only benefit. You’d also be lowering your carbon footprint significantly. The system outlined above is a 6,600-watt system. Rounding up, you’d save 7.4 metric tons of carbon emissions each year.
Be the Change
We threw a lot of numbers at you, we know. But it’s worth understanding the numbers and benefits of solar panels to run a house. Now you’re one step closer to taking the leap into a solar powered world.
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