Due to high electricity bills and load shedding that doesn’t seem to have an end in sight, after months of inconvenience and loss for many, solar power has become a top choice for homeowners looking to escape these major problems with Eskom.
One of the most commonly asked questions by homeowners is; can a house run on solar power alone? However, in addition to this question, there are others that relate to how many solar panels would be needed, what kind of backup power would be required, among others, that also need to be looked at.
Every home is different, which means that there has to be a different solution for each, leading to the reality that we need trusted people like the team at Renaissance Solar, to guide us to an understanding of what it would really take to run a house on solar power alone, and whether it would be worth it.
Can a house run on solar power alone?
If you install enough PV solar panels and batteries, it’s entirely possible to run a house on solar power alone, as is done in many homes in remote areas that don’t have access to the grid.
However, there are factors to take into account if you want to consider running your home on solar power alone, and the first is that it will come at a substantial cost.
Its these factors that make it well worth consulting the team at Renaissance Solar in Cape Town, with their local experience in supplying and installing solar PV systems since 2009 with great success.
Some of the factors you’ll need to take into account include:
The size of your roof
Solar panels do their best work when installed on the roof, and, your roof needs to be able to support the amount of solar panels you’re going to need. In addition to this, the team at Renaissance Solar will look at whether your roof is in a good enough condition to support the panels for as many years as it will have to, considering that solar panels have a lifespan of at least 25 years.
Location of your property
The location of your property is going to have a major impact on the feasibility of your solar power capacity, because although South Africa benefits from a phenomenal amount of sun exposure, if your roof is in the shade because of buildings or trees, it may not be possible to use solar panels on the roof, although there are alternatives that can be found elsewhere on your property to place the solar panels, where they could receive direct sunlight.
How many solar panels can run a house on solar power alone?
As mentioned above, different homes will require different solar solutions to run the house on solar power alone, however, if we work on a rough estimate that an average household consumes 8 400kWh per year and you install 455-watt solar panels, you could be looking at having to install between 15 solar panels to run the house on solar power alone. However, this may not even cover some peaks in usage so actually Eskom currently is your cheapest back-up.
This will give you a very rough idea of the space you’ll need on the roof when it comes to how many solar panels you’ll need to achieve your goal.
Consider starting small?
Considering the high cost and the physical factors involved in running your house on solar power alone, why not contact the friendly team at Renaissance Solar today to find out more about how to start on a smaller scale and still reduce your electricity bill.
You’ll find that starting with what your budget can handle, and building up your scalable solar PV system as and when you can, is going to be a much better way to start your journey to moving off the grid at a later stage!
