How Many Solar Panels Does My Home Need?

So What Are Solar Panels and Why Do We Need Them?

Up until recently being mindful of the way we live has taken a backfoot and as a result the environment has suffered significantly. Renewable energy is a forever growing industry where solar PV and battery storage are used to proactively reduce carbon emissions in both commercial and domestic sectors. As a company based around making environmental change on a large scale, we only choose products that we believe are the best on the market, so we can give you what you deserve.

Solar PV in particular, has blossomed in recent years with businesses and homeowners having solar installed for a range of reasons, whether its ROI, energy bill savings, an aesthetical upgrade or souly just to live a healthier lifestyle, solar panels adapt to fit the individual needs of all customers.

How Many Solar Panels Do I Need?

Whilst there are different concerns for everyone starting their solar PV journey one common thought homeowners share is how many solar panels do I need? To have an idea of what might suit your home you'll need to work out the amount of energy your household consumes on average. If you have a particularly high electricity usage you may need to consider using higher wattage panels or increasing the number of panels installed to accommodate this.

Typically, a 4kw detached household with around 4 people needs between 16 and 20 solar panels to provide a sufficient amount of energy production. If you live in a smaller home such as a bungalow with less people living there you may not need this many panels. Our energy specialists offer the perfect solutions for any home of any size, matching up your households' requirements with your personal ones to give you the ideal outcome. We often install Peimar 325W panels in black which tends to be a more subtle choice of colour for those who are interested in solar but looking for something that blends in with their home nicely.

What Does It mean To Have 4kwp Solar PV System?

kWp known as kilowatt peak, is the peak amount of electricity your system can generate. For instance if you have a 4 kWp solar PV system, in theory this would mean on a summers day with flawless weather conditions your systems maximum energy output would be 4kWp.

Inverter Size Vs Panel Size?

As a general rule for domestic installations, we use smaller sized inverters against the panels. 3.68kW inverters are typically installed with a 4kw + PV system for most families. By ensuring the size of the panels exceed the inverter size not only makes for a well-rounded system but it guarantees there aren't any permission issues that could prolong the install. Any inverter size of 3.68 kW and under is allowed without the need to apply for grid permission, which can take weeks to approve and end up delaying your installation considerably.

Do I Need Battery Storage With Solar Panels?

As good as solar is, on days when a lack of sunlight means your system doesn’t produce as much energy as you need, rather than panicking or resulting back to relying on the grid, having a seamless backup plan could save you more times than you think. We recommend the Tesla Powerwall 2, the perfect solution for any homeowner seeking ultimate protection. From rainy and wet weather conditions to the unexpected power cut, battery storage works hand in hand with solar PV utilising excess energy and storing it for instant use whenever you need it.