If you’re looking to add solar panels to your home, it can be confusing and overwhelming to figure out what regulations there are, and how you can go about getting them installed. Once you’ve gotten deep enough into the process, you’ll also have to determine how many solar panels you’ll need to power a house and how much it will cost you.

Hopping on the internet, there seems to be a crazy jungle of information. You land on a site that you think will answer some of your questions, but instead, you receive a bunch of technical information that ends up making you even more confused. Inside paragraphs upon paragraphs, you find promises of reduced energy costs and a great investment on your money, but you don’t know exactly how much these savings are. It is completely understandable if you are skeptical or confused, maybe a little of both. Let’s look into these questions and give you some easy to digest information that will help you determine if adding solar panels for your home is worth the investment.

How Many Solar Panels Supply Enough Energy for the Average Household?

The size of the average house equates to about 1500 square feet. So how much do solar panels cost for a 1500 square foot house? A house of this size usually comes along with an electric bill of around $150 per month, which would need 16 solar panels to generate 10 kw, the average amount of energy this home would consume. That 10kw system would cost about $28,000. 

If this sounds like a whole chunk of money to you, there’s good news. With the federal solar tax credit, which allows you to deduct 26% of the cost of installing solar panels to your home from your federal taxes offered through December of 2020), the system’s price would essentially drop down to $20,700 which can be financed over five, ten, fifteen or even twenty years. Depending on where you live, there may be other rewards or offers from your energy provider or city for taking the initiative and going solar.

Considering that electricity prices continue to rise, the decision to purchase a solar system makes sense. Even if, in a perfect world, the price for electricity remained around $150 a month over the next 20 years, you would still save about $16,000 in comparison by installing residential solar panels.

What Can Affect How Many Solar Panels Your House Needs?

Remember that the above is a scenario for the average 1500 square foot house. Depending on the actual size of your home and the location, your electricity needs vary and the situation might be different for you. To determine how many solar panels you need to power your home, you first have to factor in the size of your home and the amount of electricity you and your family actually use. Then you must consider the orientation of your roof, how much southern exposure your roof has, and the amount of shade cast on your roof. Even where you choose to install your solar panels on your property affects the number of solar panels needed and the cost involved. Do you want solar panels on your roof or would you prefer them on a car port, a pergola or a ground mount? All of these variables affect the design and cost of your solar system, and the experienced professionals at Solartime take each one into account during the design phase.

How Long Does it Take to Make a Return on Investment From Installing Solar Panels?

Since you’ve decided to make the decision to move in on such a big purchase, you probably want to know how long it will take before you finally make a return on your investment. The return on your investment starts early on. 

How?

It is our opinion that the biggest return on your investment is that you will be making a positive impact on the environment right away. Not only will you stop using electricity that was produced using burning fossil fuels which pollute our environment, you will also help by sending any extra electricity that you over produce back into the grid. Also, the moment you switch to solar, you are immediately independent from the inevitable rise of electricity prices. 

With solar panels for your home, there is no upfront cost. The payments for your panels are locked in at the same price each month. Many of our Solartime customers finance their solar panels for the monthly amount their average electric bill was – essentially swapping one bill for another, while taking a huge step to help save the planet. In addition, your solar panels have a 25 year warranty, but studies show that the average lifespan of a solar panel is about 30-35 years and require little to no maintenance.  

Solartime Can Install Your Panels and Help You Know How Many Your House Needs

At Solartime, our professional advisor who assesses your roof, electric needs, and installation location, is well informed of the local and government incentives for going solar. We pride ourselves on being honest and upfront, so if our advisor determines that solar panels are not a good option for you, he or she will let you know. We only work with professional installers and our professional design team ensures that the system is designed specifically for the needs of your home. We are truly your one-stop solar installer. We are a local Dallas/Ft Worth family owned and operated company, and can’t wait to make you part of our Solartime USA family. 

Solartime USA can take the guesswork out of how many panels you need, and how much it will cost. It’s time to gain your independence from high energy costs by going solar! Call us at (972) 675-7725 or contact us online and we will be in touch with you within 24hrs to schedule your completely free consultation.