Average Household Solar Panel Costs 

A solar system is the aggregate of all parts required to produce energy from the sun, and each solar system is different because each house is different. Some places have a perfectly pitched south-facing roof, ideal for solar power, and others do not. Some homes are strong and well insulated, while others have mediocre craftsmanship.

Energy Needs

Some people (me in my university days) keep their windows open and heat their living space by opening the door to their electric oven. Others (me in the modern day) only use the AC when a company comes over or when crayons start to melt. Because each home and the power consumption of those living in each house is different, the size and prices of a solar system for each home are likewise going to be different.  

Average Home

The average home in the U.S. uses 911 kilowatt hours per month at the cost of $114 or $1368 annually.   So what is a kilowatt hour (kWh)? A kilowatt-hour is merely the capacity to run one kilowatt (1000 watts) of power for 1 hour. Suppose, for instance, you have ten 100 watt light bulbs. If you leave these lights on for 1 hour, you’ll cook through 1kWh of electricity. If the average home is using 911 kWh of energy each day, this means they will likely need a 7.5kW (7,500W) solar system to zero out their energetic consumption.

Estimate Your Bill

So how did I estimate that the average home requires a 7.5kW system to zero out their electric bill? Well, I made some calculations. Let’s proceed back to the average home’s energy expenditure. If the typical household uses 911kWh/mo, this indicates that they are using 10,932kWh/yr (911kWh per month * 12 months = 10,932kWh/year).  This equals approximately 30kWh/day (10,932kWh per year / 365 days in a year = 29.95kWh/day).  

Considering the average home in the U.S. gets the approximate equivalent 4 hours of direct sunlight each day (keep in mind that sunlight is much less immediate in winter than in summer), then it would take one day for one, 250 watt solar panel to generate 1kWh of power each day (250kW * 4 hours sunlight = 1000Wh or 1kWh).  

If the average US family uses 30kWh of electricity per day, this means they need at least thirty 250W solar panels to zero out their power bill. Thirty 250W panels puts the average family’s solar system size at 7,500W or 7.5kW (30 panels * 250W per solar panel = 7,500W or 7.5kW).  

Curious about solar hard costs vs. soft costs near you, and how that might affect your own solar panel pricing? We here at HahaSmart you will have a look at what we can offer you on the cost of solar panels and cost of solar installations. We will strive to find you the best prices available. Follow the solar experts. Try our price checker tool. It tells you how much solar power you need and how much you can save on your energy bills each month. Please visit our solar blog to find out more about the benefits of going solar.