From reducing to eliminating your electric bill, energy dependence, and carbon footprint, investing in a more sustainable future is as good as reason as any to get started with solar energy. However, with different solar panels dimensions, compositions, and factors to weigh, it can be challenging to figure out how many solar panels are needed to maximize your ROI.
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This leads us to wonder, do you know how many solar panels you need?
In this article, we&#;ll cover:
How big is a solar panel?
There are three main sizes of solar panels to know: 60-cell, 72-cell, and 96-cell. For commercial and residential solar panels, the 60-cell and 72-cell solar panels size are most commonly used as the 96-cell measures 17.5 square feet &#; which can make for a challenging fit on your roof.
60-Cell Solar Panels
The standard solar panel size, the 60-cell is structured as a 6×10 grid and measures 3.25 feet by 5.5 feet.
72-Cell Solar Panels
The average 72-cell solar panel size measures 3.25 feet by 6.42 feet and is laid out as a 6 x 12 grid, making them almost a foot taller than the 60-cell standard size panels. Given their large physical size, 72-cell solar panels may be awkward to carry, which is why two people are often required for installation.
96-Cell Solar Panels
The 96-cell panel possesses an 8 x 12 grid structure that measures 41.5 inches by 62.6 inches.
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Most solar panels produce an output between 250 watts to 400 watts, although some panels have been known to exceed 400 watts. Based on that, you can use the solar system calculation formula to assess how big your solar system needs to be.
With the average American&#;s energy consumption of 867 kWh per month, it takes 6.5 kW of solar array to completely offset the usage. In other words, it takes between 20 to 25 solar panels to completely cover the average American&#;s electrical usage.
Now in order for you to find out how many panels are required, you need to check your utility bills to see your average monthly and annual energy usage. From there, you can base your calculations on accurate estimations relevant to the solar panel dimensions you&#;re browsing.
To help you calculate your demands, we&#;ve included an example chart below based on an average of 320 watts per solar panel:
Solar Panel Examples &#; (Calculated 320 watts per solar panel) System Size Panels Required Average Annual Production 6 kW 19 9,600 kWh 8 kW 25 12,800 kWh 10 kW 32 16,000 kWh 12 kW 38 19,200 kWh 14 kW 44 22,400 kWh
Depending on the following factors below, the average solar system contains between 18 to 23 panels and averages a system size between 375 square feet to 429 square feet.
Regardless of a solar panels size, there are factors that can significantly influence your solar panel&#;s energy capabilities, such as:
Figuring out how many solar panels you really need requires crunching several variables at once to determine feasibility, cost savings, and ROI. To simplify the process, consider using an experienced solar provider.
At Airis Energy, we possess over 25 years in business and will streamline your solar experience from start to finish. With us in your corner, you can reduce your lighting energy consumption by up to 90% and receive quotes in as little as 24 hours.
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Speak with one of our solar installation experts today and get the answers you need without the hassle.
Solar Panel FAQs
There are three solar panel sizes, including 60-cell, 72-cell, and 96-cell solar panels.
The weight of the panel, depending on the solar cell structure, materials, and required mounting accessories, can be between 40 and 60 pounds. They add about 2.8 pounds per square foot on a pitched roof and about 5 pounds per square foot on a flat roof.
The average size of a solar panel cell measures 6&#; by 6&#; square.
The average home requires around 20 solar panels to completely offset its utility costs.
The average solar panel measurement (dimensions) are:
Solar panels can be a rewarding investment depending on your electricity prices, energy demands, location, and desire to be eco-friendly. To find out if solar panels are a smart choice for you, consider taking our Free Solar Energy Audit today.
On average, solar panels will produce about 2 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity daily. That&#;s worth an average of $0.36. Most homes install around 15 solar panels, producing an average of 30 kWh of solar energy daily. That&#;s enough to cover most, if not all, of a typical home&#;s energy consumption.
There are a few factors that will impact how much energy a solar panel can generate, including available sunlight, the panel&#;s characteristics, where it&#;s installed, and its age. You can watch solar expert Ben Zientara break down how much electricity solar panels produce in this video:
Calculate how quickly solar panels on your home would pay for themselves
Most solar panels installed today have an output of 370 to 400 watts of power per hour in ideal conditions. Commercial and utility-scale solar installations use more powerful 500-watt solar panels. The output of a solar panel is often referred to as the solar panel&#;s size.
Here are the power ratings offered by the best solar panel brands on the market:
Brand
Model
Max. output
Qcells
Q.TRON BLK M-G2+ SERIES
430 W
Silfab Solar
SIL-430 QD
430 W
JA Solar
JAM54S30 LR
440 W
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Jinko Solar
Eagle 54 G6R
440 W
Unfortunately, your roof isn&#;t a lab, so the solar panels will likely produce less power than they&#;re rated for in the real world. But solar systems are designed with this in mind, so they will produce the amount of power your home needs!
Time
1 day
1 week
1 month
1 year
Energy produced
2 kWh
14 kWh
60 kWh
730 kWh
Energy is the amount of power a solar panel produces over time. On average, a solar panel will generate about 2 kWh of energy each day.
One solar panel produces enough energy to run a few small appliances. To put it in perspective, energy generated by one panel in one day could run your TV for 24 straight hours!
Chances are you&#;re not going to install just one solar panel. Most homeowners install between 15 and 19 solar panels to cover their electricity needs. An average 6 kW solar installation will generate 915 kWh of electricity per month.
How much energy will solar panels generate on your roof?
We want to be totally honest with you: most of the time, solar panels won&#;t produce the maximum amount of energy possible. Solar panel specifications, like power output ratings, are determined by testing the panels in a laboratory under Standard Test Conditions.
Four main things will impact how much energy your solar panels will produce:
The amount of sunlight
Panel and system characteristics
Your roof
The panel&#;s age
The amount of sunlight that hits a solar panel is one of the biggest factors in how much electricity it will generate. The more sunlight available to the panel, the more electricity it can produce.
Solar panels installed in sunnier states will generate more electricity than those in more overcast areas. But, solar panels do still generate electricity in cloudy weather, just not as much!
We use peak sun hours to measure how much direct sunlight a location gets per day. Arizona, for example, receives 7.5 peak sun hours each day, while Alaska only gets 2.5. So, a 400-watt panel in Arizona can generate 3 kWh in a day versus just 1 kWh in Alaska.
The panel itself also affects how much energy it can produce. Solar panels are made up of solar cells, which are what actually turn sunlight into electricity.
There are different types of solar panels: monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and thin-film. Monocrystalline are the most popular because they can generate electricity more efficiently than other types.
The physical size of the solar panel can impact its power generation, too. Solar panels are made up of solar cells. Most residential solar panels have between 60 and 66 cells, while most commercial panels have at least 72 cells. 72-cell panels have more cells, so there is more surface area to turn sunlight into electricity.
How the solar cell is constructed will make a difference, too. Solar panel efficiency has changed over time as new technologies have become commercially viable. Solar cells using PERC technology can generate more energy than traditional cells. There are also half-cut solar cells, where the solar cell is cut in half using a high-precision laser to decrease resistive losses, which increases how much energy the panel can make.
The characteristics of your roof are a major player in how much energy solar panels can produce for your home. The truth is not all roofs are good for solar. Solar panels should be installed on unshaded roofs and cleared of debris to maximize solar production.
The number one thing you need to consider is the direction of your roof. Solar panels produce the most energy installed on south-facing roofs.
Don&#;t worry; solar panels can be installed on roofs facing any direction. The panels will just generate less electricity because they get less sunlight.
The following table outlines how much electricity a solar panel will generate facing different directions if all other factors are the same:
Solar panel direction
Estimated output*
South
2 kWh
East
1.7 kWh
West
1.7 kWh
North
1.4 kWh
*Assumes 400-watt solar panel and 5 peak sun hours
The panel&#;s age is often forgotten, but it&#;s important to remember that your solar panels won&#;t produce the same amount of energy for their whole life. As solar panels age, they lose a bit of their ability to generate power. You can think of it as any other electronic you have - your laptop probably doesn&#;t work as well as it did the day you bought it.
Solar panels, on average, degrade at a rate of about 0.5% per year. So, by the end of a panel&#;s typical 25-year warranty period, they usually operate at about 85% of what it was initially. Don&#;t worry &#; your solar panels will still generate enough electricity to help lower your utility bills.
See how much it would cost to power your home with solar panels
So, now that we&#;ve covered what impacts a solar panel&#;s ability to produce electricity, we can get into the good stuff - figuring out how much power solar panels will produce for your home.
We&#;ve already established that there are a number of factors that are going to impact how your solar panels generate electricity. So, for the sake of simplicity, we&#;re only going to take a couple of things into account for the below example, including:
The wattage of the panel
The peak sun hours in your area
All you need to do is multiply the wattage of your panel by the number of daily peak sun hours.
A homeowner installs a 400-watt solar panel and expects about four peak sun hours in a day. That means this panel would produce 1,600 watt-hours of electricity per day. Electricity is usually measured in kilowatt-hours, so you simply divide your 1,600 watt-hours by 1,000 to get 1.6 kilowatt-hours.
400 watts x 4 peak sun hours = 1,600 watt-hours per day 1,600 watt-hours /1,000 = 1.6 kWh per day 1.6 kWh x 30 days = 48 kWh per month 1.3 kWh x 365 days = 584 kWh per year
Bear in mind this is a simplified way of calculating how much electricity a solar panel produces. The actual amount will fluctuate daily, even hour by hour, based on all the factors mentioned earlier.
Get an accurate estimate of how much energy solar panels will produce on your roof
Now you know how much solar electricity you can expect one solar panel to produce and how much a whole system can, too.
But the best part is that installing solar does way more than just let you power your home with renewable energy - it helps you save money. By using the electricity generated by solar panels on your roof, you don&#;t have to take electricity from your utility, which means they don&#;t have to charge you.
Most of the time, you can install enough solar panels to cover all of your electricity costs. In fact, that 6 kW solar system we discussed earlier could save the average American homeowner around $130 a month!
But of course, this is just an estimate. Just like with how much electricity a panel produces, how much solar panels can save you depends on many factors. The easiest way to determine how much solar panels can save you is by using our solar panel savings calculator below. Not only will you get a free solar savings estimate, but you can also choose to get in contact with vetted local solar installers to start getting real solar quotes for your specific home.
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