How Many Solar Panels Do I Need For 1000 kWh? (Per Month & Day Explained)

The usage of eh solar panels is nowadays becoming very efficient and affordable. As the idea of going green is now the world’s biggest priority. installing solar panels will also save you money to pay the electricity bills. The need for energy in your house is different. this article will guide you to find how many solar panels you need for 1000 kWh. 

Key takeaways:

To find how many solar panels you need for 1000 kWh you can use this formula:

  • Monthly electricity usage ÷ monthly peak sun hours x 1000 ÷ power rating of solar panel= 1000kWh ÷ 160 hours x 1000 = 6250 ÷ 400W = 15,62 Solar panels are needed for 1000kWh.

To learn in more detail to need to study the following information.

How Many Solar Panels Do I Need For 1000 kWh per month? 

To calculate the number of solar panels you need 1000 kWh per month depending on your where you live and what sort of power rating. you cannot drive the number of panels needed without knowing the following information.

  • Monthly electric usage
  • Monthly peak sun hours
  • The power rating of solar panel

Monthly electric usage:

As this particular article is based on the electricity consumption of 1000 kWh a month there is no need to find how much electricity you need to consume as the average American consumption is 893 kWh.

Monthly peak sun hours:

You also need to find the monthly peak sun hours because if the solar panel more sum hits your solar panels the more electricity the solar panel will be able to produce.

The peak hour of the sun is considered to be 1 hour in which the sun’s solar sunlight produces an average of 1000 watts of energy per square meter.

Note: 1 peak sun hour = 1000 W/m² of sunlight per hour.

Need For 1000 kWh
Need For 1000 kWh

Let’s understand it by an example in California 5.2 is considered the peak sun hours daily and after that, you need to multiply it by 31 days= 5.2 * 31= 1612.

Divide it by 1000 kWh: 

1000kWh ÷ 1612 = 6,2 x 1000 = 6203.

The power rating of solar panels:

So the last step is to find out the power rating of solar panels such as 100W,400W,500W, etc. commonly used solar panels are 400 watts solar panels as they provide more power output per square footage. so to find the solar panels need 1000 kWh divide 6203 by the solar panel power output such as

6203 ÷ 400W = 1550

It is not possible that the need remains constant as it depends on the location where you live and the type of solar panel you are using for example if a person is living in London and want to install solar panels for 1000 kWh of electricity than

= 1000 kWh ÷ 868 = 11,52 x 1000 = 11520.

= 11520 ÷ 400W = 288 or 29.

Factors that affect the output efficiency of solar panels:

The following are some factors affecting the output efficiency of solar panels such as:

  • Temperature
  • Dirty Panels
  • Wiring and Inverters

Temperature:

The temperature where the solar panel’s photovoltaic cells perform better is 25C or 75F.

Need For 1000 kWh
Need For 1000 kWh

The geographical conditions do decrease the efficiency of solar panels such as hot summers and cold winters in that case you can minimize the effect by optimizing solar panel installation.

For warmer regions:

  • if you are living in the hotter places you can create a gap between the roof and panels so that the cooler air is allowed to flow. 
  • the other method is by installing fans to blow the air over the solar panels which are hot.
  • You can also circulate the cold water near the panels so that it absorbs some heat from the panels.

For colder regions:

  • To maintain the temperature in the cold regions you need to install a heating system.
  • You can also remove the snow manually after the snowfall.
  • You can also cover the panel to improve efficiency of the solar panels.

Dirty panels:

To improve the efficiency of the solar panels you need as much sunlight as possible to harness more power.if the panels are dirty and grime they will reduce the range of the sunlight to reach the photovoltaic cell. So you need to check and maintain the cleanliness of the panels and clean the dirt if you find any on the panels. I will advise you to clean or give full scrub once or twice a year to maintain the panel’s cleanness.

Need For 1000 kWh
Need For 1000 kWh

Wiring and Inverters:

The other reason for the inefficiency of solar panels is the wiring and inverters. as long-running cables can result in loss of power. In the case of wiring, you need to supply power in the direct current but there are many houses that use alternating current and to avoid this condition a DC to an AC inverter is used in many houses which does result in a slight loss of power.

Need For 1000 kWh
Need For 1000 kWh

Cost for installing solar panels for 1000 kWh:

SYSTEM SIZEAVERAGE SOLAR PANEL SYSTEM COST (BEFORE TAX CREDITS)AVERAGE SOLAR PANEL SYSTEM COST (AFTER TAX CREDITS)
2 kW$5,620$4,159
3 kW$8,430$6,238
4 kW$11,240$8,318
5 kW$14,050$10,397
6 kW$16,860$12,476
7 kW$19,670$14,556
8 kW$22,480$16,635
9 kW$25,290$18,715
10 kW$28,100$20,794
12 kW$33,720$24,953
15 kW$42,150$31,191
20 kW$56,200$41,588
25 kW$70,250$51,985

Conclusion: 

From the about article, you can easily calculate to find how many solar panels you need for 1000 kWh or for any kWh.to maintain the solar panel’s efficiency and performance you need to follow the mentioned steps.

Rick Costa

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