If you’re considering installing solar power for your home, you’ll no doubt be wondering how effectively it can support your electricity needs. Just how many kilowatts can solar panels generate and is this enough to power your house?
Ensuring your solar installation can deliver the necessary power to run your home is key to making a return on this investment. Without proper planning, you could end up still relying heavily on the grid and paying hefty energy bills as a result.
So how do you know how much power you need? Let’s take a look.
Power And Your Home
The average power consumption for a typical Australian household is approximately 5,900 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year or 491 kWh per month.
To give an example of what energy usage actually looks like, it takes around 1 kWh to power a 100-watt light globe for 10 hours.
If you are planning to install solar panels, it is not recommended to use consumption averages when working out your home’s energy requirements. Why? There are too many variables.
Household power consumption can vary significantly depending on several factors, such as:
- The size of the house
- The number of occupants
- The types of appliances being used, and
- The energy efficiency of those appliances
For example, a family of two adults and two children living in a four-bedroom house are likely to consume much more power than a single person living in a studio apartment.
However, should that same single person run their air conditioner non-stop and use aged appliances with poor energy efficiency, their usage could exceed that of a larger household.
Where To Find Your Usage Information
Discovering your home’s averages for energy consumption is as easy as checking your most recent power bill. Many providers give insights into usage such as daily averages and peak usage times which can also support you in understanding your consumption habits.
How Your Usage Guides Your Solar Installation
To learn how many solar panels your home will need, you’ll need to determine your home’s hourly energy requirements. Once you know your hourly requirements, you multiply this by the peak sunlight hours in your area and then divide that figure by the wattage a panel offers.
Still confused? You’re not alone. Thankfully help is at hand. Our licensed electricians can help you to figure out the ideal number of panels needed for your home.
They can also walk you through the proper placement of your panels, professionally install them and guide you as to how to use your new solar system. Should you have queries about solar batteries, our team can help with that too.
Your Northern Beaches Solar Expert
At Curran T Electrical & Solar, we are both qualified electricians and specialists in solar installation and maintenance. Our local electricians are highly skilled and efficient, able to have your solar set up and operating in record time.
While solar power is undoubtedly a greener approach to energy, it is an investment that homeowners expect will deliver on several fronts, not just sustainability.
With this in mind, we take the time to understand your energy needs and devise a system that gives you the best outcomes both now and in the future.
As a trusted electrical and solar expert, that also offers emergency electrical services, we have years of experience serving the wider Northern Beaches community.
Whether you need a 24-hour electrician in Manly, an electrician in Collaroy to fix a broken light or a Mona Vale electrician to get you switched to solar, we can help.
Choose a leading Brookvale electrician dedicated to exceptional service and outcomes. Call Curran T Electrical & Solar today at 0439 646 823.
