If you’ve decided to go solar then chances are there is still a lot about the process that you don’t understand. Eventually, a solar consultant will visit you and design a system to meet your specific needs. But in the meantime, you’re probably wondering how big of a solar energy system you will need and how many solar panels are going to be installed on your roof.
Your Solar Energy System Needs Sun
There are a number of factors that go into determining the size of your system. One will be how much sun exposure your home gets throughout the year. Part of that depends on where you live. Here in California, we see the sun on a lot more days than a home in Maine. You should see up to six hours of peak sunlight most every day. That is enough to cover all energy costs for most families.
After that, the physical landscape of your property will be examined. If you have a lot of trees that cast shade on your home then there’s a chance that a few of them may have to be trimmed back or cut down. To take full advantage of your system, your panels will need exposure to as much direct sunlight as possible.
How Much Power Do You Use?
The goal is for your solar energy system to generate enough power to eliminate your electricity cost entirely. In order to determine your needs, a consultant will look at a year’s worth of your home’s electricity usage. Usage varies wildly, from small homes with frugal families to large homes with lots of extra power consumption, such as pool pumps, hot tub heaters, and more. We’ve also found that once families aren’t shelling out money to the power company, their consumption tends to go up. So, guesstimate high instead of low. The average home uses about 11,000 kilowatts of electricity every year, so you’re going to want your panels to generate at least that much. A system built to make that much power will have somewhere between 25-35 panels.
When Aurora Energy sends a solar consultant to your home, they will take measurements and let you know exactly what you need. We will do our very best to give you a system that will help you get your power costs to net-zero over the next year. If you haven’t made an appointment yet, contact us right now so that we can get the ball rolling! Check out our Facebook page to find out more about our company and see some pictures of the homes that we’ve converted already.
We look forward to helping you move toward energy independence so call us today!
