With the rising cost of everything these days, including energy costs, it’s no wonder so many Americans are considering solar energy systems for their homes. A solar energy system can help you save thousands of dollars on your electricity bill each year, making it a no-brainer! But as attractive as going solar seems, you might still have questions about solar energy. For example, you might be wondering if your house can be powered by solar energy alone. Well, there are a variety of factors that will determine this, including how much energy you use and weather patterns in your area, amongst other things.
Factors To Consider
How Much Energy You Use
In order to know if you can fully meet your home energy needs with solar power, you first have to figure out how much energy you use in your home. The best way to do this is to look at your electricity usage in the past, which can be found on your electricity bill.
In most cases, you should be able to meet your needs, but the key to going solar exclusively is having the right number of panels for adequate energy production and storage. If you do consume a higher than average amount of energy, you can also look into solar batteries to make sure you have a steady power supply for your home. Solar batteries allow you to store the excess power your solar panels produce on longer, sunnier days for later use anytime you need it. You can also consider having a grid-tied system with net metering, which we will look at more below.
The Weather in Your Area
Another factor that should be taken into account is the weather in your area. Most people typically use less electricity in milder climates, since extreme heat means more AC use, and longer, colder winters mean more time spent indoors, so you’ll need more power.
In addition, for homeowners living in colder, cloudier regions, running a house entirely on solar during the winter months may be more problematic. Residents may not see direct sunlight for periods of weeks, while people living in southwestern states may not see a cloudy day for weeks. You might need a solar battery, or to use net metering, which again, we will discuss below.
The Space You Have
To get the most out of your solar energy system, you’ll need enough space: one solar panel typically takes around 19.5 square feet of roof space (but it’s important to note that panels can also be installed on the ground). So, if you are like most households with energy usage that ranges between 5 KW and 20 kW, you will need anywhere between 312 and 1100 89 sq ft of sunny space for your solar panels.
And in addition to needing enough space, you’ll also need the right space. A solar panel system generates the most electricity if it is installed in a bright, sunny spot. If your roof is north-facing, it will receive less sun throughout the day, which means you’ll have to install more solar panels to make up for the loss in production. And if there are trees on your property that make your roof shady, they will need to be trimmed or removed, because they will impact production, as well. Or you can opt for a ground-mounted system that can be positioned in the ideal direction and tilted if a roof mount is not possible.
Off-Grid or Grid-Tied?
Once you’ve thought about all of the above factors, you can then choose whether an off-grid or grid-tied solar energy system would be the right system to ensure your home can be 100% solar-powered. The difference between them lies in what happens to any excess electricity that you produce, and in how you access electricity when your solar panel system isn’t generating any power.
An off-grid system does not rely on your local electric utility service, meaning your home will not be able to draw any power from the utility company if needed. Your system will be 100% reliant on your solar energy system and the solar batteries that store excess electricity. So you will be powering your home completely with solar power, but you will have to spend extra money to purchase solar batteries.
If you need a little help powering your home completely with solar power, and you don’t want to purchase a solar battery to store excess energy, you can look into a grid-tied system. With this type of system, you can utilize a type of billing mechanism known as net metering. With net metering, you’ll get a credit for each kilowatt-hour you’ve transferred to the grid, which you can then use to pay for any electricity you use from the grid when your solar energy system isn’t producing any power.
This type of system is a great affordable way to power your home completely with solar power, but you’ll need to think about all of the above factors and decide if you’ll be able to produce enough excess energy to sell back to the grid.
For many homeowners, powering your home completely with solar energy is a reasonable goal. As long as your property is suitable for the size solar system you need, you should be able to completely offset your energy usage with solar power.
Need Help?
Have questions? Go Solar Energy can help! Our agents are highly trained and knowledgeable in the solar industry and can assist you with any questions you have. If you are interested in installing a solar energy system in your home or business, we can compare quotes from the top-rated companies in your area and find you the best plan with the most efficient solar panels – and we’ll save you money. Get started by entering your zip code in the bar on our homepage, or for free quotes and guidance from one of our licensed agents, call 888-290-3112.