More and more homeowners are making the switch to solar panels in Ohio. This comes as no surprise as solar energy is quickly becoming the best way to receive renewable energy for households and landlords alike.
A common query for prospective buyers would be figuring out how many panels they need. Depending on their needs, homeowners may be looking to partially or fully offset their energy consumption. While your standard Ohio solar company will help you arrive at an answer, we’ll offer useful information in this guide.
Read on to learn more about this all-important purchase.
Making the Calculations
Before calling any solar companies in Ohio to come manhandle your home’s roof, it would be wise to make sure you know how to calculate what you’re looking for. You’re going to make a formula with the following three figures:
- Annual electricity usage: Measured in kilowatts per hour (kW/h), this number will tell you how much energy your home’s appliances and electricity-powered devices utilize over the span of a year. Monthly figures can be easily found on your electricity bill.
- Solar panel wattage: This is the electrical output of a panel under ideal conditions, measured in watts (W). Most Cincinnati solar panels produce around 250 to 400 W of power.
- Production ratios: This is the ratio of estimated solar energy produced in a year by a set of solar panels (calculated in kW/h) divided by the wattage or energy output of the individual panels. Most ratios hover around the 1 to 2 range.
Put these three variables together, and you’re looking at this common formula:
Number of panels = annual electricity usage / production ratios / solar panel wattage
Aspects to Consider When Purchasing Panels
A peek behind the curtains of the formula we’ve just determined will tell you that there are other aspects which need to be considered when determining the size of your solar panel system.
Chief among these are home size. It goes without saying that owning a bigger home entails a greater number of electronic devices and appliances, and thus, increases annual kWh consumption. Further, having ownership of vampire appliancesthat drain great chunks of power will ultimately account for a big portion of your home’s overall consumption, even when not in use.
The geographical location of your home also matters. While states such as California and Arizona are bound to get sunlight year-round and hence greater annual production from solar panel systems, solar power in Ohio might be a little harder to come by.
To completely offset the amount of energy consumed, homes in colder regions are going to need overall systems that are either larger (meaning a greater number of individual panels) or purchase panels that can produce more wattage under non-ideal conditions.
Closing Thoughts
As the world continues to feel the impacts of climate change through harsher summer months, purchasing solar panels becomes an even wiser decision with every passing day.
Whether you’re looking to trim some dollars on your electricity bill or aspiring to go completely green, there are a number of factors and figures one needs to take into account before purchasing your next solar panel system.
