How Many Panels For A 5KW Solar System?

We may earn commissions for purchases made through links on our site. Learn more on our about us page.

It isn’t always easy to determine how many solar panels you need for a system. While a lot of it depends on how much sun you get and the size of your solar panels, you can still get an idea.

For example, for a 5kW solar system, you can expect to use at least 12 solar panels. This assumes you get full sun, and the panels you use are 450 watts. If you are using smaller solar panels, you will need many more.

For example, solar panels in the 100-watt range are common ones you can buy yourself, so you would have to use a lot more of these. Assuming your solar panels are 150 watts, you would need a whole 36 solar panels.

How Can You Know? 

The basic way to get an idea of how many solar panels you would need is to take the wattage you want and divide the size of the solar panels you are planning on getting.

Take our 5kW system, for example. 5kW is the same as 5000 watts, So if you are using 450-watt solar panels, you get 11.1. Since you can’t get only partial solar panels, you can round up to 12 or sacrifice a few watts and go down to 11.

This is the simplest way to get an estimate. You can expect to get around this amount of wattage if you get full sun where your panels are.

 

What if You Lack Panels for a 5kw

You aren’t completely out of luck if you don’t have the solar panels required for a 5kW system. While you still may not get 5kW, you can try setting up your system in parallel or talk to your installer about setting up your solar systems in parallel.

Weirdly enough, though the panels are the same, setting up panels in parallel can increase your output. The voltage remains the same, so no voltage converter is needed, but the power comes out a little higher per solar panel than it would on its own.

You can do this by connecting one solar panel’s positive terminal to a different panel’s negative terminal. This also makes your solar panels more stable when there is partial shade.

 

Should You Have Extra Panels?

Unless you live in an area where damage occurs, like places where it hails a lot, there is no need for extra backup panels. Solar panels can last about 25 to 30 years.

With solar panels rapidly changing and growing more efficient and cheaper, it makes sense to just buy new solar panels in 30 years rather than using old ones.

You may only want extra panels for a little power boost when you need them. If you get extra solar panels that can be made mobile, such as suitcase panels, then you can pull them out and use them to get extra sun when needed, such as if it is cloudy or you need a little boost.

 

How to Calculate the Exact Amount for Your Home?

Calculating the exact amount of power you need for your home can be relatively easy. If it is a home you already live in, you must look at previous utility bills.

If you look at previous bills over the year, you can get an average amount of power that you use monthly to determine the size of the system you need for your home.

If you are in a new house or moving out to a new one, the wattage you need can be a little harder to calculate.

You would have to calculate the wattage of everything you use based on the wattage it requires and the length of time you use it throughout the day. We recommend paying close attention to the power you need at night, as that will determine your battery size.

 

Do Places with More Suns Need Fewer Panels?

Full sun is full sun. So while there are slight differences in solar output based on location and areas that get more sun, it isn’t big enough to worry about.

As long as you get full sun, you get the most use out of your solar panels. You can’t produce more energy than solar panels can handle. It doesn’t matter if the sun is stronger or weaker in your area. You are still only getting the max wattage.

Now, if you are talking about places with full sun compared to shade or partial sun, you could go with fewer panels.

While solar panels work in the shade, they are much less effective, so it is best to get more panels if you live in an area where you wouldn’t get full sun very often.

 

Final Thoughts on How Many Panels For A 5Kw Solar System

If you are simply planning to put solar panels onto your current home, it is easy enough to determine how much power you need.

Your utility company bills you based on your usage per month, so by taking a couple of those and getting the average, you can get your average usage.

Otherwise, it can be a bit more complicated, as you have to calculate how much energy you use based on all of your lights and devices.

If you decide a 5kW system is for you, you will need at least 12 solar panels based on what kind of solar panels you get. However, the number can easily climb to 36 solar panels if you work with smaller ones.

Leave a comment