by How Many Solar Panels Will You Really Need? A Guide for Homeowners
Solar energy is the next frontier when it comes to home energy. People are looking for new ways to power their homes, and installing some panels is an amazing development.
There are more than 2 million solar installations in the United States today. Learning about solar tech will help you out when you’re considering getting some work done.
How many solar panels do you need? What should you know about this technology? Read these tips to learn more.
How Many Solar Panels Do You Need?
Solar panels trap light particles from the sun and convert them into electricity that you can use in your household or any other building. These panels are installed on top of your roof so that they get direct sunlight each day.
Deciding on how many solar panels you need will help you facilitate the work and make sure that your home is powered as efficiently as possible.
On average, you’ll need 18 to 24 panels to properly power your home. This depends on a lot of factors, such as:
- The peak sun hours your household gets and the amount of direct sunshine
- How much electricity your home consumes by the kWh
- Your solar panel’s outdoor power rating
- The design of your roof and how many panels you can fit on it
- The types of appliances and fixtures you use in your home, and how often
These kinds of factors will come into play when figuring out how many panels your home needs. It’s also important that you grasp the benefits of solar power and how to get your money’s worth out of the installation.
Know the Benefits of Solar Panels
The benefits of solar energy are prompting a lot of people to explore it and get installations each year. With a bit of research, you can find the help of solar installers in your area that will give their professional opinion on how many panels you will need.
Here are some of the advantages that homeowners can experience:
It’s a Clean Form of Energy
Companies and homeowners are starting to take a lot of measures to reduce pollution. Solar is one of the most sustainable forms of energy, and it’s clear that it’s the future of clean power.
With fossil fuel-based electricity, you’re always going to deal with greenhouse gas emissions. Solar power has zero emissions when the electricity is being generated, so you’re getting a pollution-free experience while still powering your home.
The ability to power your home without polluting the environment lets you lower your carbon footprint. If you’re trying to make your home greener and pollution-free, solar energy is arguably the best way to go about it.
You Aren’t Dependent on Companies
With home solar panels, you don’t have to worry about signing up for a contract or account with your local power company. This means you won’t be subject to price hikes or changes in policy when companies merge or buy each other out.
You’ll appreciate not having to check your bill and deal with customer service inquiries. When you have solar energy, you won’t have to worry about municipal taxes or keeping track of your account.
Solar Panels Save You Money
The solar panel savings will continue to add up when you make this change. When you don’t have a monthly bill, you can repurpose that money toward other parts of your budget.
We can all use a little financial relief from time to time, and removing a utility bill from your monthly to-do’s can remove stress and help you manage your expenses. This is particularly helpful in the summertime and wintertime, when people run their air conditioner and heating system throughout the day and night more often.
They Make Your Home Look Great
Solar panels also have pleasing aesthetic qualities. They look modern and futuristic and will give your home an appearance that you’ll be proud of.
People that are looking to improve their curb appeal and home quality will like how sleek these panels are. Today’s solar panels can be styled in different ways, and they also come in shades that can match your home’s siding, paneling, and roof appearance.
You Can Receive Tax Incentives
The ability to get Federal tax credits will make these panels even more worth your time and money. It is one of the biggest selling points for people that are trying to improve their homes, and the government sweetens the pot and makes it worth your time.
There are two ways to take advantage of this tax credit. You can either get the rebate instantly at the time of the purchase or receive a discount on your taxes. Talk to your solar panel installer about it so that you can make whichever decision works best for you.
Power Outages Won’t Disrupt Your Living Situation
One of the best reasons to go solar is that you no longer have to worry about the power going out. Power outages have become such a reality for most people when it storms outside that this might be hard to believe.
However, since solar energy constantly stores electrical power, you are protected from outages that would happen with traditional electrical power. This is something that you will appreciate during storm season.
Losing food and perishables in your refrigerator and freezer can cost you plenty of money. Keeping everything fresh will prevent disruptions in your life.
About 58% of people today are able to work from home, at least partially. If you work from home, you’ll appreciate not having to miss out on work opportunities due to power outages, thanks to solar energy.
Solar Panels Build Home Equity
Homeowners need to always use strategies for improving their property values. Solar energy is an upgrade that will immediately build equity, which is helpful for such an important asset.
When your home has more equity, it also means that you are more likely to get some profits when you decide to sell.
The Installation Is Straightforward
Once you know how many solar panels you need to have installed, you’ll find the process easy. The professionals will install panels, wires, and inverters, and will mount the components to your home neatly and efficiently.
You can typically get a set of solar panels installed within a day. If the installation work is complex, it can take as many as 2 or 3 days. However, the solar panel company that you reach out to will have trained professionals on staff that can handle any work that you need.
It Supports Jobs and the Economy
Solar panels are also helpful because they can create new jobs and economic opportunities. It’s one of the hottest growing fields, largely because the price of solar panels has dropped by 60% in recent years.
If you’re trying to support local economies, this is a great way to help provide new jobs and grow this segment of clean energy.
Solar Energy Makes Your House More Modern
When you install solar panels on your house, you’ll appreciate how modern it makes your home. New improvements are always appreciated in the real estate market, and you’ll love how well your home stands up to the others in your neighborhood.
Many new construction homes today feature solar panels, and it’s becoming par for the course.
Consider the Type of Solar Panels
There are several solar panel options you can turn to when you’re trying to make improvements to your house. Learning about the different kinds of panels will help you make sure you’re getting the performance that you need.
Examples of solar panel choices that you can seek include thin film, monocrystalline, and polycrystalline. From there, you can consider different types of brands to see which will be best for your house.
The types of panels that you choose will also give you some insight into how many panels it will take to get the job done.
Consult With a Professional on the Solar Project
Your next order of business is to find the assistance of solar power professionals that can handle whatever kind of work you’re in the market for. You can DIY your solar project if you’d like, but the work is significant and complex enough that you should leave it in the hands of trained professionals.
Here’s how you should handle this:
Get an Inspection
If you’d like to know how many panels your project will take, it begins with getting a professional inspection. During the inspection, a solar panel expert will take measurements of your roof square footage, compare these measurements with the dimensions of the solar panels, and let you know all about the layout and wiring options.
It is after this initial inspection that you will get a better idea about your project’s outcome and needs.
Ask for Price Quotes
Solar panel installation work may cost you $15,000-$25,000 most of the time. Learning how many solar panels you need and what types will help you out more than anything else.
To get the most accurate understanding of how much you will pay, check with at least three different solar experts. This will give you the most accurate understanding of the project, while also teaching you how much you’ll need to invest in the work.
It will also help you to have an understanding of your options, since deciding on different types and brands of panels can give you some control over the amount of money that you will end up paying in total.
You can also ask the different solar panel professionals about their labor costs and the level of difficulty of the work that you are getting.
Learn the Timetable of the Project
As you check with different solar contractor professionals, they will also let you know when they can fit you into their schedule and how long the solar panel installation work will take.
This is a big factor in deciding which solar panel estimate you’d like to go with and which professionals you would prefer to have to the work for you. In the meantime, you can also make plans for what you’re going to do with your living situation while professionals are handling the work.
The installation may get noisy and can create some mess, so do your best to schedule it in a way that you can work around.
Cover the Work With Some Protections
Since you are investing good money into your new solar panel service, you have to give it the protection that it needs. Many companies that do solar panel work will let you match a warranty with the project at the time of service. While this is optional, it’s always worth looking into, so that you don’t have to worry about whether your project is protected.
Now that you know the good and the bad of solar panels, you’re ready to get help from a professional in your city. With some research, you shouldn’t have much of a problem finding some solar contractors that you can entrust this work to.
Hire Professionals for Your Solar Panel Work
How many solar panels does it take to power your home? Answer this question ASAP so that you can move forward with your solar panel work.
Using the advice in this article will help your household have electricity thanks to the power of the sun. When you’re ready to get some concrete answers, talk to the solar panel professionals near you that can do the job.
Bookmark our website and use us as a resource for more information on solar energy and other interesting topics!
