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How many solar cells are required to run my
house? |
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How many solar cells are required to run my house is a common
questions for people who are interested in solar power. There
are several things you need to consider when you look at the
scope of system you need to power your home via residential solar panels.
You need to weigh all of these factors before you decide how
many panels to install.
You first need to understand what your power requirements are.
A good first step would be to see what your usage was in the
last 24 hours. You can do this by reviewing your meter settings
and then checking them 24 hours later. The difference would be
the electricity usage over the last 24 hours. You can also get
a good estimate by reviewing old bills to see monthly usage.
Divide by the number of days in a month to get a daily average.
You should use a month where you had the greatest amount of
usage. Then add 10% to give yourself some cushion when
estimating the usage. You may also add some cushion if you are
planning to expand your home or appliance usage. The fact is,
most people are increasing their usage of electronic equipment
so that may factor in as well. Of course, if you are using
solar power, you are probably looking for ways to cut
consumption as well.
Once you have a good number, take it and divide by 4. This will
give you an estimate of the number of panels you need. You also
need to factor in daylight hours as well.
For example, one standard larger panel is 120W. Let's say you
require 12000kw/day and you get 10 hours of sun light. You
would need to generate 1200kw per hour of sunlight, and thus
would need 10 panels. 80 homemade panel cells will equal about
100W of generating power. Of course, this assumes consistent
sun exposure, so seasonal and climate adjustments would need to
be made.
You should consult a professional for a complete estimate.
Visit our vendors for more information.
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