How to find out how much solar panels cost and if they re worth it where you live.
Solar panel savings per year.
Solar panels can create big savings.
According to our calculations the average home could save up to 2 783 per year.
Solar savings payback calculator.
See how long it will take for a solar system to pay for itself.
Let s say you want to buy 200 watt solar panels it s easy enough to work out that you will need 13 panels to cover your 2 500 watts per hour.
And the average solar photovoltaic system americans normally install in their homes is about 5 kw 5000 watts.
If you have a 12 year loan after year 12 the loan is paid off and you ll have no electricity costs.
How much energy does a solar panel produce.
As the first data table illustrates 20 year electricity savings from solar can be significant ranging from the low end of 10k to almost 30k.
In 2016 the average cost to install a solar panel was 3 to 4 per watt.
Thus the output for each solar panel in your array would.
Savings depend on system size electricity use whether you re at home during the day to use the energy you re producing and other factors.
At these rates most individuals can install a solar system in their homes for about 12 500.
An average sized residential solar system about 400 square feet of solar panels costs 18 000 according to the solar energy industries association an industry group.
Find out more about the potential savings of solar panels and an electric vehicle in our article electric vehicles solar panels.
For the sake of example if you are getting 5 hours of direct sunlight per day in a sunny state like california you can calculate your solar panel output this way.
5 hours x 290 watts an example wattage of a premium solar panel 1 450 watts hours or roughly 1 5 kilowatt hours kwh.
The calculator also allows you to compare a high quality photovoltaic pv system with a lower priced solar system and see the difference in payback time.
200 watt panels x 13 2 600 watts per hour.
Ultimately regardless of whether you re looking at finances or carbon emissions a solar panel system will generate big savings for homeowners.
The solar system is purchased in cash and owned so the full value of avoided utility payments is held by the homeowner as opposed to a solar lease.
25 year savings forecast includes an expected inflation in the cost of utility power of 3 per year.