How much does a solar panel produce per square meter ?
How much energy does a solar panel produce for each m 2 ? How many kWh of electricity does a solar panel produce? How many solar panels do I need for a house? These types of questions, among others, are quite common when assessing the installation of photovoltaic panels in our home.
How much does a solar panel produce per square meter ?
Making an investment in solar panels is an operation of a certain magnitude and we want to be sure of both the service they are going to provide us and their profitability. To do this, we have prepared below a brief guide of what your home may require depending on your needs.
How many kWh does a solar panel produce?
When talking about how much a solar panel produces per m2, the kilowatt hours thatproducesa platesolarIt is one of the main factors to be able to calculate the electrical power you need in your home. Only then can you know if it is profitable to install solar panels in your case.
The maximum (theoretical) capacity of a solar panel to generate energy is usually between 250 and 300 W. However, there are modern panels that can reach 500 W, in the same way that there are other smaller ones, over 150 W.
As we have pointed out, it is about maximum generation for each hour of sunshine, since there are other factors that have a great influence here. An hour of sunshine in Seville is not the same as in Vigo. Solar panels generate electricity through radiation , and this can vary greatly depending on the geographical area in which they are installed.
Today, the quality of solar panels is such that they can generate power even on cloudy days. Let’s remember that perhaps the light does not go completely through the clouds, but the radiation can do it more. That is the reason why you can burn your skin perfectly even though it seems that the sun is hidden.
On the other hand, the number of hours of light that the panels can receive each day also modifies the amount of solar energy generated. And, finally, the orientation (the ideal in Spain is towards the south) and the inclination of the panels also influence the possibility of taking advantage of their maximum potential.
How many solar panels do I need for a house?
Of course, in addition to the factors above, to know how many solar panels you need in your home , you’ll need to know how much electricity you currently consume.
Obviously, at this point there is a lot of difference between some homes and others, depending on the size of the house, the number of inhabitants, the number of connected appliances…
In general, it is estimated that an average home consumes about 8,000 kWh of electricity per year . In any case, if you want to know your exact consumption, you just have to add that data to all your bills for a full year.
The number of solar panels you need for a house can also be calculated roughly by the amount you pay for electricity. Keep in mind that this indicator is the least reliable, especially in recent times of price escalation. Still, it can serve as a guide:
- Up to €50 spent/month: between 4 and 8 solar panels.
- Between €50 and €100 spent/month: between 9 and 16 plates.
- Spending over €100/month: from 16 plates.
Another useful and more reliable reference than the invoice amount is your annual energy consumption . In this way, the references would be like this:
- Between 2,000 and 5,000 kWh of electricity consumption/year: from 6 to 10 plates.
- Between 5,000 and 10,000 kWh of electricity consumption/year: from 11 to 20 plates.
- More than 10,000 kWh of electricity consumption/year: from 20 panels.
In any case, and even if you already know how much a solar panel produces per m2 , in the end the best thing you can do is get advice from accredited professionals on which installation is most interesting for you. Keep in mind that you may not want to cover 100% of your consumption with solar energy. In addition, the quality of the converter can also influence, as well as the capacity of the batteries you use.
How many solar panels do I need for a 100m2 house ? And for a house of 200 m 2 ?
Using the size of your home is probably not the best measure of how many solar panels you need . Yes, it is true that the larger a house is, as a general rule it will consume more energy than a smaller one, but this does not necessarily have to be the case.
For example, a 100 m 2 flat could consume much more energy than a house twice the size. What is clear is that it may be worth installing solar panels on a flat , regardless of its useful meters.
How many solar panels do I need to be self-sufficient?
As in the previous cases, the answer to this question is very relative. As we have already seen, there are many variables that can define the energy needs of your home.
In any case, to become self-sufficient with solar energy , you must have a photovoltaic installation that exceeds your usual needs by a wide margin. A priori it is impossible to know exactly how many plates you would need to be self-sufficient, but only then can you be sure that you will never be left in the dark when faced with consumption peaks.
In the same way, you will need a very considerable storage capacity (batteries) . It is the only way to have some peace of mind if you are going to disconnect from the general electrical network. Think that you will have to face possible weeks of rain and other unforeseen events without the contribution of sunshine. Having 100% energy independence is very complicated.
Number of panels to generate 5 kW
To generate 5 kWh of electrical energy, you would need at least 10 solar panels of 500 W each. However, if these are of less capacity (the most common are 320 W), the number of plates would increase.
Despite all this, unless you live in an area with great exposure to solar radiation, you will hardly obtain 100% of the theoretical production of the plates . No one can tell you how much energy is going to be captured until the solar panels are up and running. So even if you know approximately how much a solar panel produces per m2, remember that it is ultimately an estimate.
