There is a lot of debate these days about solar generators and whether or not they can be used to power an entire house.
The answer to that question is yes – but not all solar generators can do that. You need special off grid solar generators with big capacity and running wattage to do so.
In this blog post, we will discuss what size of generator you need in order to power your home, as well as how much money you can save by making the switch to solar power!
What Size Solar Generator Do You Need To Power A Whole Home?
The size of the generator you need will depend on 2 main factors:
1. How Many Appliances Your Run At The Same Time? (Max Load)
This will help you determine the required solar generator’s wattage.
The higher the generator wattage, the more and bigger the appliances you can run at the same time.
For instance, let’s say that you need to run:
- A Refrigerator: 800W
- An Oven: 2150W
- Five 10W LEDs: 50W
- TV Screen: 60W
- One Laptop Charger: 60W
- Two Phone Chargers: 10W
Adding all of these together, you get 3130W.
By dividing this number by the power factor (0.85), then you would need a solar generator that is at least 3600W.
Of course, these numbers are just for example – your specific needs can vary depending on the make and model of your appliances.
It is important to do your own research or do an energy audit in order to find out how much wattage you need.
Note: Some appliances like space heaters need a lot of power to start, so make sure your solar generator’s surge wattage is higher than the appliance you use or it won’t startup.
2. Your Daily Energy Usage
Another thing you need to take into account is your daily energy usage, as it will help you determine both the battery size of the solar power stations, as well as the size of the solar panels.
If you are not sure how to calculate your daily energy usage, there are a few ways to do that.
You can either look at your past energy bills or use an online calculator like this one: [Energy Usage Calculator]
Let’s assume the average household uses around 30kWh per day.
This means that your solar batteries system must have 36kWh of capacity (20% more than your daily usage) and your solar panel array must be able to produce at least 30kWh per day.
Assuming you get around 4 peak sun hours per day, this means that you need an 8kW solar system to recharge the generator’s lithium ion batteries.
How Much Can You Save Using A Solar Generator?
Assuming the average kWh cost in the US is $0.12, you can save around $1401 per year by using a solar generator!
A solar generator of this size or multiple solar generators can cost you around $20,000 (after tax credits), which means that the generator will pay for itself within 15 years.
Most solar generators can last for 25 years, leaving you with free energy for the next 10 years!
That’s almost $15,000 profit without even considering the rising cost of energy or the value they add to your house!
You can also lose the solar batteries and get a grid tied solar panels system and sell your generated electricity back to the grid during peak hours, maximizing your savings.
