Do I Get Enough Sun For Solar Panels

While 5 kilowatts of solar would generate about 16 5 less electricity in boston than in los angeles the value of that electricity is actually only 10 less because electricity.

Do i get enough sun for solar panels.

West facing solar panels get less sun than those that face south but it s not as little as you may think. If your only available roof area for solar panels are north facing or you don t have much unobstructed room for. By calculating the average daily solar insolation the map provides the solar production capacity of different locations in america i e. The peak sun hours.

Then set up an appointment for a solar consultation with an expert who will visit your home to inspect its orientation solar panels facing south capture more energy roof angle and tree shading to see if your roof will receive enough sunlight to meet your family s energy needs. But the amount of sunlight isn t the only thing that matters when it comes down to deciding whether going solar is a good decision or not. In fact some of the states with the most installed solar in the country including new york new jersey and massachusetts are in the northeastern u s. Solar power is created through the harnessing of energy from the sun.

However it s best to do your research and make sure solar panels are the right decision for your home. How much sun do solar panels need. Solar panels which are typically made of crystalline silicon and use a system of lenses or mirrors to maximize the light that reaches them create an electric current when exposed to sunlight which is then used to produce electricity. You need a sunny roof to benefit from solar panels but yours may be sunnier than you think.

The value of the electricity generated by the solar panels and the policies your state or municipality have in place are actually more important than how much sunlight there is. This nrel solar resource page provides an insolation map for the entire country. Sadly some companies will still sell solar panel systems to homeowners that will not produce enough sunlight to offset the cost of a system thus making the system extremely expensive and inefficient. More famous for their cold snowy winters than sunny summer days.

In most parts of the us there are enough peak sun hours to make getting solar panels a worthwhile investment. Solar panel efficiency typically ranges from 15 to 20 percent but high end solar panels like sunpower can offer efficiency levels as high as almost 23 percent and above. East and west facing roofs are also a good option because they get a lot of sun. While solar loves sunlight you might be surprised to learn that you don t have to live in the sunny southwest to achieve lots of solar savings.

According to the concord consortium makers of energy3d solar energy modeling software a home in boston ma with panels that face west would get 80 of the electricity that a house with south facing panels would.