The idea of powering your home completely with solar panels might seem like a costly and unrealistic investment, but solar power is one of the best clean energy options to run your home. Using solar power works best in areas that get tons of sunlight each year, but as solar panels grow more efficient, fully powering a home in Massachusetts is just as possible. Read on to learn more about powering your home completely with solar panels.
Energize Your Home with Green Energy
Solar panels provide your home with free green energy, making it an environmentally friendly energy source. With climate change concerns on the rise, making a choice for your home that allows you to power it in a way that is completely free of pollution is a responsible action to take. Most large-scale solar projects are now less expensive than coal plants, and as the price of production continues to drop, so too will the price of buying solar panels.
How Many Solar Panels Do You Need?
The average solar panel is 250 watts, and the average U.S. Home uses about 10,400 kWh of electricity each year. So, if you want to power your home entirely on solar power, you would need to install between 28-34 solar panels to generate enough energy for your entire home. But because solar panel installation is a very individualized process, you should do a little bit of math to figure out exactly what your home needs.
First, look at your electricity bill to see your home’s consumption in kWh, then divide that number by the solar panel production estimate. This exact estimate will depend on your property and location – if your home is shaded by trees and how much sunlight your roof gets per year. Once you have that number, divide it by 250, which is the average solar panel wattage. This will determine how many solar panels you will need to generate 100% of your home’s electricity. This estimate shouldn’t replace a professional evaluation, but it can give you a rough idea of how feasible it would be to run your house completely on energy generated by solar panels.
How Much Do Solar Panels Cost?
One of the biggest downsides to installing solar panels is the high upfront cost. Even with a federal tax credit, the average solar panel outfit is $16,000. On top of that, installation can be up to $25,000. This cost alone prevents many people from considering powering their homes with solar panels.
However, outfitting your home to run completely off solar panels should be looked at as a long-term investment. Most of your costs will be upfront. Once you pay off the initial investment, you will be running your home on free energy with no monthly electric bill. The only costs to you will be regular maintenance on your solar panels. An added benefit is that if your solar panels produce more energy than your home needs, you can sell your extra power back to the grid.
Solar panels are an environmentally friendly way to produce energy and have plenty of benefits that more homeowners are realizing each year. Calculating the number of solar panels you need can be tricky and it’s best to rely on a professional installer to give you the best estimate, but once you know how much energy your home needs, it’s simple to see if solar panels are right for you. Solar power is free after the initial investment of installation and you can even make money off of them if your panels produce more energy than your home needs.
