With endless hours of sunlight most of the year, Arizona is an amazing location for solar energy generation. So, keep reading if you’ve been wondering, “How many solar panels can I fit on my roof?”
As the best provider of Arizona residential solar, Solar Solution AZ can answer these questions and more. Call us to learn what solar can do for you!
Determining Solar Panel Density
If you want to calculate how many panels you can fit on your roof, start with how many square feet you have available and the size of your solar panels. Most solar panels are three feet by five feet, for a total of 15 square feet. If you have 250 square feet of available space on your roof, dividing the 250 by 15 fits around 16 panels on your roof, with a little space left over.
However, it’s better to have a professional like Solar Solution AZ measure how much space your roof has available for solar panels so that you can avoid safety risks.
Establishing Power Output
How many solar panels can I fit on my roof? Does that figure reveal the amount of power available? The power a solar-paneled roof generates is not too challenging to calculate.
Each standard panel can generate two kilowatt-hours (kWh) per day. In the example above, the entire system (16 panels) would generate 32 kWh daily. However, the following factors can affect total output:
- South-facing panels provide the most consistent power because they face the sun.
- Cloudy days or stormy weather reduce output.
- Larger or smaller panels than the standard size will generate different power levels.
- Shady patches from trees or taller buildings could mean significantly less output.
This is the current situation. However, with the future of solar power, there’s no telling how effectively upcoming solar power generators will perform. It isn’t a stretch to assume that you’ll achieve a greater amount of energy with smaller panels as technology improves.
Increasing Solar Power
The average home in the United States uses about 30 kWh of power each day. If your solar panels produce that much, you can completely cut your reliance on the utility company. And if they produce more than your property needs, you can store the excess energy or, in some cases, sell it back to the power company to make money.
If the solar power system doesn’t produce enough energy to meet your needs, can you enhance its generation capabilities? Technically, the first step would always be to reduce your overall energy consumption rather than generate more energy. For example, upgrading your appliances and lighting to be more energy efficient is a great start.
Another option would be installing additional ground-mounted panels to increase your output. Unfortunately, there’s no other way (yet) to increase the output of individual panels.
Contact Solar Solution AZ for Solar Panel Installation
How many solar panels can I fit on my roof? Whether you’re wondering how long solar panels last on your roof or whether you can afford a solar system, Solar Solution AZ can help. Schedule a consultation at 520-858-0220 today!
