solar panel installation
Solar Panel Installation Process
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Transitioning to power from solar panels is an exciting step for homeowners. There are several steps in the process which ensure the homeowner gets a safe and reliable installation.
The process outlined below begins from the point of having an installer chosen. We suggest looking around and gathering more than one quote to be sure you are getting a fair offer. Our solar marketplace allows you to do this easily by presenting three competitive quotes and providing guidance from a dedicated Energy Advisor. Once you have chosen your installer the excitement really begins!
The Site Evaluation
During the site evaluation the installer comes to your home to verify the planned system design. (For our process, if the scope of work has changed, the initial contract is void and amendments are made). The installer will check the roof and attic, the electrical setup, and battery placement (if applicable).
System Design Approval
At this point, results of the site evaluation have come back and any changes needed are now to be approved. If there were changes from the original design, the homeowner may now review those changes and give feedback, or approve the final design before it’s sent for permit approval. Not only the aesthetics of the design are checked, but also the electrical work and system production
Permit Approval
Permit approval is necessary so everyone installing a solar system is in accordance with safety codes (fire, electrical, and structural). The installer will send permitting documents, such as the design approved in the previous stage, to the city to be approved. There are fees attached to permit applications which vary based on city and state, however there are restrictions on how much the city can charge, for most states it will be under $500. At solar.com, all permitting fees are already included in the total system cost.
Installation
Installation just takes a few days, usually one to two. You don’t necessarily even need to be home during installation. This is when you let the professionals do their job and you can sit back and relax. Note that your power will likely need to be turned off for a few hours.
Final City Inspection
Once the installation is complete, the city inspector comes out to make sure that everything has been done in alignment with the scope of work that was permitted.
Utility Connection
The final step in turning your solar system on is for the utility company to approve the system for connection to their grid. The homeowner/installer applies for utility connection showing the contract and scope of work that has been installed. The utility representative will inspect the project to make sure it is in accordance with the utilities guidelines. They may also upgrade the meter if needed for Net-Metering. The fee for this inspection and application for some utilities is zero and others can be a couple hundred, this cost is built into the contract price for turnkey installations. After getting approval or Permission to Operate (PTO), the homeowner may turn on their system and begin producing their own energy!
This several step process has been created to regulate the solar industry and keep individuals as well as utility companies safe. Installing solar is an exciting process that not only improves your own home and provides grid-independence but also contributes to creating a more sustainable environment.
If you are interested in looking at your options for installing solar you can sign up and schedule a solar consultation to begin the design process. The Solar.com platform gathers bids from local installers. With the help of a dedicated Energy Advisor, you’ll be presented with three top bids and given guidance through the process.
How Many Solar Panels Do I Need To Power a House?
By Sam Baker | Sep 30, 2022
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While it varies from home to home, the average household needs around 17 400-Watt solar panels to entirely offset average annual electricity consumption.
The goal for any solar project should be 100% electricity offset and maximum savings — not necessarily to cram as many panels on a roof as possible. The number of panels you need to power a house varies based on three main factors:
Electricity Consumption
Location and environment
Solar panel power rating
In this article, we’ll show you how to manually calculate how many panels you’ll need to power your home. But at any time you can use our solar calculator, enter your zip code, or get in touch with an Energy Advisor at (800) 33-SOLAR to get a more precise answer.
How many solar panels do you need to power a house?
The goal of most solar projects is to offset your electric bill 100%, so your solar system is sized to fit your average electricity use. Here’s a basic equation you can use to get an estimate of how many solar panels you need to power your home:
Solar panel wattage x peak sun hours x number of panels = daily electricity use
Obviously, electricity use, peak sun hours, and panel wattage will be different for everyone. And since you didn’t come here to do algebra, we’ll go through how to figure out each variable and run through an example scenario based on national averages.
First, identify your average daily electricity usage
According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), the average US household in 2020 used 10,715 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per year. That’s equal to:
893 kWh per month
~30 kWh per day
It’s important to note that this usage varies quite a bit from state to state. For example, the average daily usage was ~18 kWh in Hawaii and 40 kWh in Louisiana, which is quite a spread. But we’ll use the national average 30 kWh per day as the figure for our example.
The easiest way to find your daily electricity usage is to dig up some recent utility bills. Your bill should show your usage for 30 days (or whatever your payment period is) and you can use this to get a sense of your daily electricity consumption. Just take the total usage during the period, and divide it by the number of days.
Electricity usage varies from month to month, so the more bills you can average together, the more accurate your calculation will be.
Once you have your daily electricity usage, the next step is to figure out how many peak sun hours your system will get per day!
Next, determine how many peak sun hours your location gets
A big factor in determining how many solar panels you need to power your home is the amount of sunlight you get, known as peak sun hours.
A peak sun hour is when the intensity of sunlight (known as solar irradiance) averages 1,000 watts per square meter or 1 kW/m2.
In the US, the average peak sun hours range from over 5.75 hours per day in the Southwest to less than 4 hours per day in the northernmost parts of the country.
Use the map above to estimate the average peak sun hours for your area, or use this peak sun hours calculator to get a precise figure for your location.
Here are some tips for using the peak sun hours calculator:
The average roof pitch is between 14 and 27 degrees
Use the compass on your phone to determine the Azimuth Angle of the roof face you’d put solar panels on (closest to 180 degrees is best)
Based on the map, about half the US gets less than 4.5 peak sun hours and half gets more, so we’ll use 4.5 peak sun hours as the figure for our example.
Finally, pick a solar panel power rating
The final variable is how much electricity each solar panel can produce per peak sun hour. This is called power rating and it’s measured in Watts.
Solar panel power ratings range from 250W to 450W. Based on solar.com sales data, 400W is by far the most popular power rating and provides a great balance of output and Price Per Watt (PPW).
If you have limited roof space, you may consider a higher power rating to use less panels. If you want to spend less per panel, you may consider a lower wattage. Everybody has different goals, and you should feel free to choose the panels that best suit your needs.
For the purposes of our example scenario, we’ll use 400W panels.
Calculate how many solar panels it takes to power a house
Now that we have our three variables, we can calculate how many panels it takes to power a house.
Daily electricity consumption: 30 kWh (30,000 Watt-hours)
Average peak sun hours: 4.5 hours per day
Average panel wattage: 400W
To solve for the number of solar panels, we can rewrite the equation above like this:
Daily electricity consumption / peak sun hours / panel wattage = number of solar panels
Now let’s plug in our example figures:
30,000 Watt-hours / 4.5 peak sun hours / 400W = 16.66 panels
If we round up, it takes 17 solar panels to power the average American household and meet the goal of 100% electricity offset.
Now since we’re talking national averages, the national average electricity price in the US was 16.7 cents per kilowatt-hour in August 2022. Meanwhile, the average price of electricity from solar systems purchased on solar.com is between 6 and 8 cents per kilowatt-hour.
I’ll let you do the math there.
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The easy way to find out how many solar panels you need
Now that we’ve gone through the manual calculations of finding out how many solar panels you need to power a house, we’ll show you the easy way. (I know, it’s middle school math class all over again).
Modern home solar projects are planned using satellite technology, and you can start planning your own project using our solar calculator. Simply punch in your address and set your average energy bill to calculate how big your solar system needs to be and how much you can save by switching to solar.
Under the average energy bill slider, the calculator will give you an estimated system size in kW. You can use this number to figure out how many panels you would need.
First, convert kW into Watts by multiplying by 1,000. So 5.2 kW would be 5,200 W.
Next divide the total system size in Watts by the power rating of the panels you’d prefer. If we use 400W, that would mean you need 13 solar panels.
System size (5,200 Watts) / Panel power rating (400 Watts) = 13 panels
Of course, the best way to determine how many solar panels you need – and address any questions about going solar – is to speak with an impartial Energy Advisor. You can do so by clicking “Get Customized Offers” in the calculator or by calling (800) 337-6527.
Frequently asked questions
How many solar panels does it take to power a house?
Based on average electricity consumption and peak sun hours, it takes around 17 400-Watt solar panels to power a home. However, this number will vary between 13-19 based on how much sun the panels get and how much electricity the home uses.
Use the equation below to get an estimate of how many solar panels you need to power a house.
Daily electricity consumption / peak sun hours / panel wattage = number of solar panels
Can I run my house on solar only?
Absolutely. By pairing solar panels with battery storage, it is very possible to run a house on solar power alone. And in many areas it’s cheaper than paying for electricity through a local utility.
Without battery storage, you can still offset your grid electricity use with solar panels through net metering and eliminate your electricity bill. You will still be using grid electricity when solar generation is down, but you will only pay for your solar equipment.
Is 10 kW enough to run a house?
Yes, in many cases a 10 kW solar system is more than enough to power a house. The average US household uses around 30 kWh of electricity per day, which would require 5 kW to 8.5 kW solar system (depending on sun exposure) to offset 100%.
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