Cost | Total Solar Panels

Your Questions About Solar Panels For Homes Cost

Donna asks…

How much does 1-2Kw solar panels cost?

Hi,

I want to install solar panels at home with 1-2 KW capacity. We get plenty of sunlight for 9 hours a day and have ample space for the panels. How much would it cost?

Would that be sufficient to five 500 KW per month? Our monthly consumption is around 1500 KW so to start with 500 is good enough.

Thanks in advance.

I live in India, and we get good amount of sun light from 9am to 6pm in summers and 10am to 5pm in winters.

Can you people also tell me how efficient are these solar panels? I mean if we put a 1KW panel in full sunlight for 5 hours, will it give 5KW energy or like if its 80% efficient will it give 4KW…

Thanks

Henry Dover answers:

If you average 9 hours per day of peak equivalent sunlight, and we assume that there are 30 days in a month,

9 h/day x 30 days x 1 kW = 270 kWh for a 1 kW array

and double that for a 2 kW array.

If you are in the US, do be aware that there is no state in the country that even comes close to 9 hours peak sunlight per day.

In Honolulu, due to high rebates and cost of electricity, you can get such a system put on at basically no cost, but you then pay the solar company for the electricity generated, at a rate that is generally lower than your normal bill. Or you can buy the system outright, and it will pay back in an average of 4 years.

As a reference, our house is in San Jose, California, and it takes 3 kW of panels to produce 500 kWh per month, about equal to our electricity usage.

With recent drops in panel prices, the cost of a system is now heavily influenced by installation cost. The best thing is to check with some local installers and get free quotes.

Charles asks…

What is the average cost to add solar panels for home electricity?

I live in a tri-level home approximately 1400 square feet. I use around 3000 kwh a month and spend 400-500 a month on my electric (only) bill. I figure If Im going to be spending that much anyway, I might as well help the environment and get the tax credit. If you can give me the average cost to add the panels to my home, how many panels I may need, and the average cost savings on an electric bill I would truly appreciate it.

Henry Dover answers:

Go here first:

http://www.dsireusa.org/

They have state by state listings for renewable energy. Then contact your local electric provider and ask them who is licensed by them to do solar installs. You cannot legally do a solar grid-tie yourself.

It’s a long term investment, but thin-film solar has come down to $ 1 a watt, so it’s much quicker to get a payback than it was 2 years ago.

You cannot run a/c on solar, it takes too much power. Your 400-500/month bill it probably from heating/cooling cost.
Going direct solar water heating will save you money very quick. Most places encourage it now.

Your utility should also have state sponsored energy conservation programs like energy audits and free or cheap added insulation that would help you cut your bill.

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