Residential Solar Systems

If you are thinking about installing a Residential Solar Systems in your home there is a way you can
figure out how much solar power energy you can expect the Photovoltaic panels to absorb. Based on
your residential solar power average radiation in your area you will be able to calculate the benefits of
having a solar panel system installed.

Calculating the Potential of a Residential Solar Systems

An average of 4-5 kWh/m2/a day can be accomplished in most regions of the USA. In other areas it is
very possible to accomplish up to 8. Photovoltaic Solar Panels on average will work at around 7 – 17%
overall efficiency.

If your home is in an area that has a average radiation of 4.5 kWh/m2/ a day and there is a total area
surface of 1 m2 (1.55 square inches) of photovoltaic solar panels, you could expect on average to
produce 315 Watts per day that would be approximately on average of 7% efficiency with residential
solar power.

How to Calculate your Average Energy Use

When you have found out how much residential solar power you have gotten from the sun, it is time
now to figure out how much electrical energy you will need by calculating your current monthly
electrical use is. You can call up the utility company and get your monthly charges for the year. You can
also view the state averages that are published in the Energy Information Administration that will show,
for instance, an electrical consumer living in New Jersey will average approximately 730 kWh/month in
electrical use. One in Alabama uses on average 1300 kWh of electrical energy monthly.

Crunching the Numbers on Residential Solar Systems Panels Needed

Knowing how much residential solar systems power radiation is available and how much that can be
actually utilize by your photovoltaic panels, we can then figure out how many solar panels we will need
so that you can replace the present source of your electrical energy. You will need to know the exact
size of the solar cell in square meters which can be easily found in literature from the manufacturer.

For instance: when you live in an area that has residential solar systems power of 5 kWh/m2, the
formula would be: 5 (Solar Radiation) x 2 (Surface Area of Panel) x 0.07 (Solar Panel Efficiency) x 30.42
(Average number of Days per month) = 21.294 kWh manufactured per panel every month.

To take care of 100% of your Kw usage of 1000Kw just divide 1000/21.294 = 47. You would then need 47
m2 solar panels to eliminate your electrical bill entirely.

How do I sell Residential Solar Systems Power to a Utility Company?

Selling energy back to the utility companies is available in 42 states for grid tied residential solar systems
power panels. This energy efficient step is very cost effective and the money you make from the utility
company can be used to pay for the photovoltaic panels at a much faster rate. The rate the utility

company pays you varies from state to state.