August 11, 2021
How much solar do you need?
Find out how many solar panels you need to buy and what size solar energy system is best for reducing your energy costs and saving you money.
Some solar panels are more efficient than others and generate more solar energy.
One of the trickiest parts of researching your switch to solar energy is figuring out exactly how much solar energy you and your family will consume.
In order to get the optimal solar system for your home and your household’s needs, you must be 100 percent certain of what size solar system will sufficiently power your home.
It’s important to understand that the number of solar panels doesn’t determine the overall output your solar system is capable of.
Some solar panels are more efficient than others and generate more solar energy. At the end of the day, a solar system’s capacity is determined by the total sum of every panels’ wattage.
For example, a solar system with 10 x 500-watt panels resulting in a 5,000kW system is more powerful than a solar system with 20 x 200-watt panels for a total of 4,000kW.
How much energy does your household currently use?
You might already have a rough idea of your household’s average energy consumption.
But to get a clear figure, you can add up your last few electricity bills and divide the total sum by the number of days that the total bill period spans.
This will give you an average daily usage in kilowatt-hours (kWh). You’ll have a clearer understanding of whether you need a 6.6kW solar system which is the standard for most Australian homes or a 10kW system to cater for a larger family.
When you’re crunching usage numbers, be sure to cater for the fact that you might use more energy with air-conditioning in peak summer and winter months, especially on the weekends.
How much solar energy will you need during the day and night, summer and winter?
You’ll need to consider your lifestyle in regards to how much solar energy your household will typically consume.
Is the house empty all day from Monday to Friday with most of your energy consumption taking place in the evening? Or do you work from home with a full workstation and numerous appliances running from 9am-5pm, and then go out for dinner of an evening?
If the house is empty all day you’ll need to invest in a high quality storage battery to ensure that the solar energy captured during the sunlight hours isn’t wasted.
A system that slightly over-caters for your household will export any excess energy to the grid, and you’ll be paid for it via the feed-in tariff.
More affordable solar
With solar panels drastically reducing in price over the last decade, as well as various rebates, feed-in tariffs, financing and other incentives being available, switching to solar energy has never been easier or more affordable.
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About B.Solar
“Most homeowners worry about rising electricity bills so we create custom solar plans to ensure you never face outrageous bills ever again.”