Hi, this is Michael from Sunny Energy. We believe the best consumer is an educated consumer. So I’ll be doing an Ask Me Anything series to help you better understand solar. So let’s get started!
Question: How Many Solar Panels Do I Need?
We often hear homeowners asking us how many panels do they really need?
In Arizona, our average solar system is about 30 solar panels. We find these systems offset all or most of an average Arizona home. Of course, every homeowner is different. Everyone’s needs are different. Our consultants are very good at designing a system based on your energy habits, making sure it’s working with a usable part of your roof, and that it complies with the city and utility regulations. So how do we decide how many panels you need?
Well, we ask you a lot of questions.
- How much energy do you use?
- How much energy do you want to offset? Pro tip: Maximizing savings doesn’t always mean more panels.
- What is your utility in your rate structure?
- What’s the usable space of your roof?
These are all questions that we can work through with you. Most customers want to make sure that their utility bill is completely eliminated and we can get close by offsetting 100% or more of your energy usage. There are fees the utility company typically has that can’t be eliminated, but what we can do is offset by 100 to 110% of your usage, if it fits on your usable roof space. From there, we tweak it based on your projected use.
What I mean is maybe you need to consider that you’re about to buy an electric vehicle that you’ll need to charge. You may want to be accommodating for a new pool that you want to have or a new second room that would increase energy usage. All that needs to be taken into account to ensure your system is built for your needs and your future needs.
The Result:
A system size, with the number of panels that fits on your usable roof, that will give you your desired return on investment and meet your budget.
I hope this helps. It may sound complicated, but our team has helped thousands of homeowners go solar. Once you meet with us, I think you’ll find that we can make solar not feel so complicated.
Now, if you do have a question that we can answer for you, or you would like a free consultation, give us a call 480-536 -8700 or visit our website at sunnyenergy.solar.
