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How Your Energy Needs Determine Your Solar Opportunities
One of the first questions homeowners have as they embark on their journey into solar is how many solar panels will be necessary to power their property. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there simply is not a straightforward answer to this question. Your homeandrsquo;s electrical needs are determined by so much more than square footage.
Different Families Have Different Requirements
Even with house size and location exactly the same, two families can have radically different energy usage depending on their lifestyles. One family, for example, may be a couple who works long hours and travels often. Because they are not home very frequently, their energy usage is quite minimal. Another family in the same home, however, may have a radically different experience. If they have children, prefer to run their HVAC system continuously or have an electric vehicle to charge, the difference can be extraordinary.
Designing Your Solar Solution
As you go about determining the best option for your needs, it is important to seriously and honestly examine your usage to be certain that you are setting your system up for success.
There are several considerations that go into determining your ideal setup:
- What is your current average energy usage? Take a look at your electricity bills and find your average usage in kilowatt hours. It will usually be listed over a 30-day period. Using this information, you can determine your average daily usage. It is often recommended that you add a cushion of around 25% to ensure full coverage.
- How much sunlight can you reasonably expect? The sunnier an area is all year round, the better candidates they will be for solar panels – itandrsquo;s as simple as that. Someone in a clear, sunny climate will require fewer solar panels to generate the same amount of energy as someone in a cloudier climate.
- How efficient are the panels being installed? While solar technology as a whole is improving, different makes and models have different abilities. Determining the efficiency of the panel you will be installing will help indicate how many you are eventually going to need.
- What physical limitations impact the installation? If you have a roof with limited usable area, if it is partially shaded or is unusually shaped, it may be beneficial in the long run to utilize a greater number of smaller panels.
Valley Heating, Cooling, Electrical and Solar Can Help
With so many variables, having a team of experts behind you can make all the difference. Our knowledgeable technicians can help you determine exactly what your needs are and provide recommendations backed by years of experience.
Give us a call at (408) 868-5500 today to learn more about your options!