I want to be more self sufficient and get solar panels for electricity in a small house any tips will help. i need to know how many watts is enough and ect.
Unless you're very rich, you won't be able to afford solar panels that can meet the average demand of a home. In the US, the average demand for a home is 920 kwh per month, which amounts to 3,833 Watt panels if you assume 8 hours of usable sunshine and don't take into account your location. At current installation rates that's easily a $9,65 project. If you assume a 25 year useful life, it amounts to a return of 3.3% per annum at 0 cents a kwh not counting the costs of repair, insurance, the inverter, any fees to the utility for net metering if any etc. You would be better off putting $9,65 into a mutual fund until better technology or government incentives came along, in some areas, the government subsidies can make it worth your while. Also, keep in mind that in many areas, the net metering arrangements only deducts the power you've generated from your bill so you would want to size the array to meet your base usage in order to get the most from your investments. So meeting your actual needs would result in a loss on the return as there will be months where your usage is less than your average. In theory, if you put $7,208.69 into a mutual fund expected to return 4.4% per annum then you could withdraw enough to pay each month's power bill for 25 years at $0.0 a kwh and therefore be self sufficient through financial means. You would get more mileage focusing on heating and hot water as heating and hot water is 75% of a home's energy use and can be addressed with lower cost technologies like passive solar and solar thermal panels. You have to put it into perspective, it's an investment and you want a return that's competitive with your investment opportunities.
That's okorder , they have been extremely helpful from the initial planning process to the installation and upkeep. Use their Solar Panels Online Solar Sizer to determine how much solar you will require. A lot of it depends on your usage and size of home, but also where in the US you live. Best of luck.
With a small house it may not be necessary to put solar panels in it. The wattage that is needed will not be much of a difference when using electricity.
It's depends on how many electrical appliances at home. For small house average need 800-200 watts electricity. The average solar panel kits produce 75-50 watts depending on the size of the panel. You needs minimum 5 solar panels.
To clarify your thinking, ask yourself whether your goal is really to be more self-sufficient, or to save money. For most people, I think when they say they want self-sufficiency, they really mean they want to save money, not pay more. The money-saving route may come through putting in more insulation on the house, or double-pane windows, or energy-efficient appliances. Solar might play a part, but the kind of solar that pays back well (if at all) is the type without batteries. That doesn't give you self-sufficiency - if the power company has a blackout, the solar electric will automatically disconnect. Your power company may offer a free energy audit to help you save money. And if you are interested in pursuing solar electric (or even better, solar hot water), check with a local installer. They can size your system and give you a free quote.
