Solar Power Forecasting: Photovoltaic Energy Production Estimates
> Articles> Solar Power Forecasting: Photovoltaic Energy Production Estimates
Solar energy represents a vast, renewable resource that can be tapped to meet societys growing demand for electrical energy. Everyone knows that solar can help the planet many know it can also save money in the long run, but in either case, the question that often comes up is: how much? The amount of PV energy a solar array produces can help to answer this question. Solar power forecasting involves knowledge of the sun´s path, the atmospheres condition, the scattering processes and the characteristics of a solar energy plant which utilizes the suns energy to create solar power.
How Big Of A System Do I Need
One way to determine the size of your solar energy system is by calculating how many watts you use per day. You can find this number on your electric bill or by using an online kWh calculator that will take into account everything you plug in, like appliances and electronics. Be aware that the number calculated is an estimate.
The size of your solar system will also depend on how many hours per day the sun shines in your area and where you live geographically . But a good rule of thumb for most places in North America is to calculate about 30 watts per square foot or 100-150 kWh/m² per year.
Different Solar Panel Cost For A 3000 Square Foot House
We have three major types of solar panels based on manufacturing technology: monocrystalline solar panel, polycrystalline solar panel, and thin-film panels.
Polycrystalline panels have efficiency lesser than monocrystalline by a figure of 20% but they are also 20% cheaper so price range for installing polycrystalline solar panel is:
* 400W per panel * = $18240
* 400W per panel * = $40320
Considering that thin film panels are 50% less efficient than and cost between $0.75 and $1 per kW.
* 400W per panel * = $8550
* 400W per panel * = $18000
Read my guide on best 2000 watt inverter here.
Also Check: What Kind Of Battery Is Used For Solar Panels
The Climate Of Your Area
Well, as you might imagine, a home in a temperate climate uses less energy than somewhere colder or hotter.
In hot climates, fans do not suffice, and people turn to A/C to have a comfortable temperature around.
So, having the A/C on for most of the day will consume more energy than with a fan, right? So, having A/C at home means that you will need to install more solar power.
A small home in a mild climate area uses around 200 kWh per month. But if you go south where the A/C power demand occupies a large share of the energy consumption, that figure could go up to 1700 Kwh.
Same story goes to heating.
Factors That Determine How Many Solar Panels You Need
You may think that the size of your house determines how many solar panels you need, but it doesnt! To really understand how many solar panels your solar energy system needs, you need to determine the following:
- Your energy usage: The more electricity you use, the more solar panels you need to cover your electricity costs
- Sunlight in your area: Homes in areas that receive less sunlight will need more solar panels to eliminate their electricity bills than those in sunnier states. As a rule of thumb, the southwestern United States gets the most sun in the country, while the northeast gets the least
- Panel wattage: The wattage of the solar panels you choose, also called the power rating, determines how much energy the panels will produce and most solar panels installed today have a power rating of about 320 watts per panel fewer panels are needed when you install panels with high wattage ratings
Below, solar expert Will White breaks down everything you need to know to figure out how many solar panels you need to power your home.
Recommended Reading: How Much Does It Cost To Go Solar In Illinois
How Many Solar Panels Do I Need For A 6kw Inverter
In general, the solar system size should be the same as the inverter size, so 6kW of solar output. This is because inverters are most efficient when they are fully loaded.
A 6kW solar system will need:
- 6000/300 = 20 solar panels, each rated at 300 watts each
- 6000/200 = 30 solar panels, each rated at 200 watts each
- 6000/100 = 60 solar panels, each rated at 100 watts each
Is Solar Power Worth It For A 3000 Square Foot House
Here, calculations are made to justify cost of solar panel installation for a 3000 square feet house while taking average values of electricity bills in different cities of Texas is:
| Sq Footage |
|---|
Best solar panel tilt calculator here.
Average for monthly household electricity bill in USA comes out to be $210.76. We have calculated the average cost of solar panel installation as $30,500. We are ignoring cost of other components in the system as well as incentives assuming that both will compensate for each other. This way, cost of solar system will be recovered in 30,500 / = 12.06 years.
Having been said that a solar system will last for around 20 to 25 years in case of regular use. But it can be made to work for 40 to 45 years if maintained well. So you will have opportunity to recover the cost and then make profit from solar panel installations.
Read Also: How Much Is A 4kw Solar System
Other Ways To Measure Your Roof
If you have a proper safety harness, you could go up on the roof and take a direct measurement with a tape measure. Thatâs risky for personal safety, and walking with a heavy foot on your roof can damage your shingles. So I donât recommend that.
Instead, if you have a rectangular section of roof, you could take the measurement from the ground. This should be more accurate than using a tool based on satellite photos.
Take your measurements from the corners of the roof where they meet the ground: Vector art courtesy macrovector_official/Freepik.com
Once you have X and Y, multiply them to get the area on the ground. So, if your X = 25 feet and Y = 12 feet, your area on the ground would be 300 feet². But thatâs not the area of the roof, because it is sloping. We need to do a little trigonometry.
You need to measure the angle of the roof, and you can do that with a smartphone app like Measure for iOS or Bubble Level for Android. Measure comes pre-installed on iPhones, so you should have it already.
Of course, this isnât as accurate as going up on a ladder to take a measurement, but it sure is a lot easier, and good enough because weâre just doing this exercise to get a rough estimate of our panel count.
To take a measurement, stand underneath the roof section you want to measure, and hold up the edge of your phone so that itâs parallel with the roof. Hereâs what it looks like using Measure: Measuring your roof slope from the ground
How Many Solar Panels Does It Take To Power A House
Solar power is becoming a popular alternative for people who want to be energy independent and reduce their environmental impact from energy consumption.
According to the US governments Environmental Impact Assessment, the average American household uses approximately 877 kWh of electricity per month, which comes out to about 10,600 kWh per year. This figure is an average and can vary depending on the size of the home and individual energy consumption.
So those interested in switching to solar power might be wondering, how many solar panels does it take to power a house?
Read Also: How Many Kwh Can A Solar Panel Produce Per Day
How Much Does A Solar Installation Cost
This can vary depending on the company, but for an average installation, it can run you between $15,000 and $30,000.
Many solar companies offer incentives and financing. There are a ton of other financial benefits that come along with installing your home:
- Electricity rates have risen across the nation and are higher now than they have ever been
- You can save thousands on electricity bills and will only continue to save more over time
- The resale value of your home skyrockets. Many home buyers now are searching for homes that come with a solar system already installed
- The government offers a massive tax credit when it comes to solar systems. Some states also offer a rebate program
- The systems come with a warranty that secures your investment for at least 25 years
What Adds Up The Cost Of Solar Power System For A 3000 Square Foot House
Here cost is calculated for installation of solar panels only. Other components of solar panel system will add up the cost while making this system work.
Moreover, if you live in a region with less than normal sunshine, you will need more panels for same KWh of energy which will result in adding up the cost. Maintenance cost will also increase the estimated budget.
If you go on adding some extra electronic appliance in your house, you will require system with more power and energy increasing your previously calculated cost.
Read Inverter vs. Converter differences here.
Don’t Miss: How To Get Solar Energy Without Solar Panels
Tesla Solar Installation Cost
Tesla solar panels cost $2.74 a watt. This translates to $14,940 to $17,940 for a 6kW system fully installed. Several factors impact the installation costs. These include your location, how much shade your property gets, roof pitch, and the panel and inverter types. Tesla makes a wide range of different panels and, in recent years, has aggressively pushed the market to make panels more widely accessible. They also carry a full line of batteries for those wanting to go off-grid.
What Makes A Solar Panel Produce The Most Energy
To produce the energy needed to power your home or business, youll need to determine how much power you currently use and that will translate into the number and type of solar panels you will want to install in your photovoltaic solar system. To produce the maximum amount of power per square foot, a solar panel has to be well designed to handle temperature, spectrum, angle and amount of light.
Don’t Miss: How To Establish A Solo 401k
Size And Rating Of Your Solar Panels
Solar panels can vary in size and rating, leading to different sized systems for the same amount of energy output. Some panels might be smaller but have a higher watt rating, which means theyre more efficient than a larger panel with a lower rating. Thats why you must consider the efficiency of the panels when determining the total solar panel system size for your roof.
While the efficiency of solar panels might vary, solar panel sizes typically dont, as most companies have a standard solar panel square footage to make installation easier. The standard solar panel size dimensions are about 65 inches by 39 inches, which is roughly 17.5 square feet.
How Does My Home Size Affect The Amount Of Solar Panels I Need
While solar panel dimensions have more or less remained steady over the past several years, the power output with the same area has dramatically increased. In fact, many manufacturers like SunPower have reduced the size of gaps between panels and use invisible framing and mounting hardware to keep the panels tight, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing. Check out the table below for a ballpark estimate of how many solar panels your home would need based on its square footage.
How many solar panels can I fit on my roof based on my homes square footage?
| Home Size |
|---|
| 44 panels |
Don’t Miss: How Does Solar Energy Work In A House
Calculate How Many Solar Panels You Can Fit On Your Roof
Once you have an estimate of your available roof area in square feet, enter that number in the calculator below. It will tell you how many average sized solar panels will fit in the space.
Warning: this calculator doesnât take into account fire code setbacks, because those vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. If you know what your setback codes are, you can simple subtract the area of the required pathway from the total roof square footage.
How Many Kwh Can Your Solar Panels Produce The Complexities Of Production Ratios
The amount of power your solar energy system can produce depends on how much sunlight exposure your roof receives, which in turn creates your production ratio. The amount of sunlight you get in a year depends on both where you are in the country, and what time of year it is. For instance, California has more sunny days annually than New England. But in either location, youll be able to produce enough power to cover your energy needs and say goodbye to your utility billsif you live in an area that gets less peak sunlight hours, youll just need to have a larger solar array system installed at your home. Thus, production ratios differ according to geographic location and a lower production ratio means youll need more solar panels to get the amount of energy production you need.
Don’t Miss: What Is The California Solar Initiative
How Many Solar Panels Does It Take To Make 2000 Kwh A Month
If your aim is to produce 2,000 kWh of energy a month, you’ll need to do a few quick calculations to determine how many solar panels you need. As a general rule of thumb, you can divide your annual kWh needs by 1,200 to calculate your ideal system size. In this case, 2,000 kWh per month x 12 months = 24,000 kWh per year. 24,000 kWh / 1,200 = a 20 kW system.
But how many solar panels are in a 20 kW system? The number of solar panels you’ll need will depend on the power output of the panels. The best solar panels have output ratings between 330W and 360W, and the lowest-producing panels typically have a 250W output.
Let’s say you purchase panels with an output of 340 watts. You’ll need to divide your total system wattage by your panel wattage to determine how many panels to order. So, 20,000W / 340W = 58.8 panels. If you purchased 250W panels, your formula would look like this: 20,000 / 250 = 80 panels.
Certainteed Solar Panels Cost
The cost of CertainTeed solar panels is $2.72 a watt. This translates to $15,360 to $17,280 for a 6kW system fully installed. Like all systems, installation costs vary tremendously. Factors like roof pitch, location, shade, and panel type all impact the final costs. CertainTeed focuses on integrating solar into the roof of the home. This means they also have solar , which can improve the look of your home and provide solar energy.
Also Check: Can I Have An Llc And A Sole Proprietorship
Is A 4kw Solar System Worth It
With the average U.S. irradiance of 5.3kWh/m2/day , a 4kW solar system generates about 21.2kWh of energy per day, or 7738kWh/year.
This is quite a lot less than the average energy consumption for a U.S. home is 11000kWh/year. A 4Kw solar system may or may not meet a homes energy requirement, as it depends on the location and how much the home uses.
Whether such a system is worth it or not also depends on the electricity cost, which varies from state to state. The cost of the solar system must also be known, and this assest cost may be reduced by government or state solar incentives.
How Many Solar Panels To Power A House
When estimating how many solar panels your home could need, its important to consider the size of your home. An average homeowner would need about 28 to 34 solar panels to fully offset their electricity usage. The chart below is an estimate of the number of panels you could potentially need based on the size of your home.
*Data from the Residential Energy Consumption Survey.
How many solar panels do I need for a specifically sized solar system?
To determine the number of panels you need to achieve a given solar system size, divide it by the wattage of each panel .
For example, if youre aiming for a 4 kW system, youll divide 4 kW by 320 watts to get 12.5. Round up the answer to 13, which is the number of panels you need.
How many solar panels do I need for common appliances?
You can also determine the number of panels you need on a per appliance basis. This approach is helpful if you want to add panels because of increased usage or when buying a new appliance.
To calculate this, divide the average annual wattage of the appliance by the panel wattage. For example, a 600 kWh refrigerator would need two solar panels
Read Also: How Much Does A Solar Panel Battery Cost
Local Installers Area Better Choice
While the national companies come with some brand recognition, they generally provide a much lower degree of customer service and finished product. When choosing a solar panel installer, make sure to check out their reviews and testimonials from their customers at www.solarreviews.com.
While national companies typically rate less than 2 out of 5 on average, companies like Longhorn Solar consistently rate in the high 4s.
This means that you can get a customized, affordable solution with no loss in quality by choosing to use a local or regional solar panel installer like Longhorn Solar.
