Everybody wants to go solar, but the logistics of it are intimidating to say the least. So, how much DOES it cost to put solar panels on a 3 bedroom house? Annoyingly, the answer is: It depends.
That’s because the size of your house isn’t really relevant here. While the energy usage of a larger house is, of course, typically more than a smaller one – it really depends on your individual energy use.
On average, the typical American household uses 10,649kwh of energy per year. That means you can expect to pay anywhere from $9,255 – $28,000 for a professionally installed solar system. So, what’s with the price discrepancy?
Here’s how to get a more accurate number.
Figure Out How Much Energy YOUR House Uses
It’s easy enough to figure out your energy usage. Your power bill will tell you what your home’s KWH usage is every month, BUT makes sure to get the year average. This is because during some months you’ll use less and others you’ll use more, so take the average to get a more accurate picture of your needs.
Getting this number not only helps you to accurately price a system, but you can also use this info and ideas about how you can reduce your dependency. Making your home more energy efficient will reduce the number of panels you need and in many cases, it’s affordable and easy to make adjustments that really lower your power needs.
Find Out How Much Sunlight Your Area Gets
Some areas just get more light than others and this means you may need more or less panels depending on your location. More panels obviously means higher costs and if you live in the South West, for example, you’ll be on the lower end cost-wise because you get lots of sun and can use less panels.
If you’re not sure about your “zone” when it comes to solar efficiency, then I’d refer you to this past article. It goes into a bit more about this and gives some examples of zones and the number of panels you’ll need for different states.
How Powerful Are Your Panels Going To Be?
If you’re planning to install the solar panels yourself, you should know that not all solar panels are equal. Every panel has a “wattage” rating and this is essentially how powerful the panel is. Many of the panels for sale on places like Amazon and eBay are lower rated and won’t produce nearly as much energy.
It’s recommended that you look at 400 watt panels in order to get good energy efficiency. On the other hand, if you find out your power consumption is rather low – you may be able to get a decent deal on lower wattage panels.
In closing, while adopting solar power can be a bit confusing, it doesn’t have to be! Armed with knowledge on these things you can easily begin shopping around for prices from solar companies. Or, even embark on a DIY venture which could save you a bit of money.
Bob learned about farming from his grand dad. So, the decision to leave the city and start homesteading was not a difficult transition. He now lives with his wife and two kids on their 30 acre property in Ohio.
