How Many Solar Panels Do I Need to Power My Home?

Dated: Aug 27, 2015
Here is a simple calculation method to identify the number of panels required to power your home.

Review your monthly electricity bill to find number of KWh (Kilo Watt hours) used.
Sum all the values to find KWh used for a year.
Divide this number by 365 (days / year)
Resultant value gives number of KWh units consumed per Day.
Remember this is an average, and give plenty of room for cloudy days and winter. So, add 50% to this value as buffer.

Next, Measuring the Sunlight:
Let's say your home receives a solid 6 hours of sunlight per day on an average.

The Calculation with Example:
Monthly units used: 700 KWh
Yearly = 700 * 12 = 8400 KWh
Per Day = 8400/365 = 23 KWh
Avg./Day (including buffer) = 35 KWh

35KWh/6 = 5.8 KW needed every hour

We now multiply this by 1,000 to make calculations simpler
5.8 * 1000 = 5800 Watts

So, Your solar panel needs to produce 5800 Watts of energy per hour to power your home. Simple, wasn't it ?

The decision
Solar panels are rated for the amount of watts they produce. Let's say you want to buy 200-watt solar panels, it's easy enough to work out, that you will need 29 panels to cover 5800 watts per hour.

The varied solar panels produce, 100, 150, 200, 250, 280, 350 Watts and the price for each varies appropriately.

Prices at the time of writing this article,
250 Watts - $550.00

Sources:
Finder
Grape Solar