I’ve seen customers who were getting solar panels for their homes only to find out it wasn’t a good option.
This is because they failed to ask themselves key questions before deciding to go for solar panels. In this post, I will help you avoid that category by sharing 8 questions to ask yourself before going solar.
8 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Going Solar
Here are 8 questions to ask yourself before going solar
How much sunlight does my house get?
Solar panels convert the energy we get from the sun into electricity. If you live in an area that receives little to no sunlight, it is likely not practical to install solar panels.
To find out how much solar radiation your area receives, you can use online tools like the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) PVWatts calculator, which allows you to input your location to access estimated solar radiation data based on your latitude and weather patterns.
You can also use dedicated solar radiation maps or consult a local weather station if you need more precise measurements, which typically involve using a specialized instrument called a pyranometer to directly measure solar irradiance.
How much solar power do I need?
You need to know how much solar power you need; even if it is just a rough idea, this will give you an idea of how many solar panels you might need and what the installation cost is.
If your house is powered by an electricity grid, this is easy; you can get your utility bill and figure out how many KWH you consume per month.
If it is a new house, what you can do is for each electronic device you are planning to use in the house, find its power consumption (it comes on the unit or user guide, usually in Watts, so divide by 1000 to change it to Kilowatts), then multiply by the time you are planning to use it in hours.
For example, if I have a PC whose power consumption is 100W and I am planning to use that PC for 12 hours a day, the daily power consumption for that PC in KWH would be 0.1X12=1.2KWH.
You must do this tedious calculation for all your devices.
Thereafter, you can add the amount of solar energy you need daily, monthly, and yearly.
What solar panels will I use?
You need to decide the type of solar panels you will use. First, you need to decide the output power of the solar panels you want to use and the brand.
The power output will determine how many solar panels you will need; for example, if you are planning a 1 kW or 1000-watt solar panel system, you will need 10, 100-watt solar panels or 4, 250-watt solar panels.
The brand of solar panel manufacturer will depend on the warranty, the reputation of the manufacturer, and the availability in your area.
How much solar can I afford?
You might have many priorities that require financial commitment. You need to assess your financial situation and figure out how many solar panels you can afford.
You need to include the costs of solar panels, permits, installation, wiring, and any other expenses related to solar panel installation.
Do I need a standalone or grid-tied system?
Depending on your location, you might go with a grid-tied solar panel system or a standalone.
Each system has its pros and cons; while the grid-tied system is relatively cheaper, you will need permission from the utility company to connect your solar panel system to the grid, and you will need to meet some requirements.
The standalone system requires a backup because solar panels do not produce electricity at night; therefore, you will need a battery backup, which, based on my experience, can increase the installation cost by 40% to 50%.
You won’t need to contact the utility company because you won’t connect to their grid.
What is my utility solar requirement?
If you are going to connect your solar panel system to a utility grid, you need to know the requirements of the utility company.
Usually, they will require your system to be installed by certified solar installers and be within a certain power range, and they will specify the type of inverter you can use.
Do I have access to solar net metering?
To connect your solar panel system to the utility grid, you will need a net meter; this is a bidirectional meter.
It will measure the excess electricity you send to the utility grid during peak power production and the amount you use at night or when the power is low.
If you produce more electricity than you use, the utility company will send you a check, and if you use more electricity than you produce, you will send the utility company a check.
What is the condition of my roof?
You will install solar panels on your roof. You need to ask two questions:
- Can my roof support the weight of solar panels?
- Do I have enough space to fit all the solar panels?
Solar panel size varies from brand to brand, but you can expect your residential panels to measure around 5.5 feet by 3 feet and weigh about 40 to 50 pounds.
Commercial solar panels tend to be about a foot longer than residential solar panels at 6.5 feet by 3 feet and can weigh 50 pounds or more.
Takeaways
These are 8 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Going Solar; if there are more questions that I did not include, please feel free to add them in the comment section below.
