How to Find the Best Solar Rating House
Is your house ready for solar?
Screenshot by Martin LaMonica/CNETSaving coin and the planet though solar energy has a lot of entreatment. Not every home is the ideal candidate, though. Here are some tips to help you decide if solar energy is a viable pick for your habitation.
Check with Google's tool
According to the California Free energy Commission, a solar organisation needs unobstructed access to the sun'southward rays for near or all of the twenty-four hour period.
The easiest way to check your home for solar viability is by typing your address into Google's Project Sunroof. I typed in one of Google's suggested abode addresses and the tool told me the particular domicile gets 1,830 hours of usable sunlight per year and has 1,425 square feet available for solar panels. Using 3D modeling, information technology took notation of the dwelling'southward roof and nearby trees and it estimated that this home could save $8,000 when calculated with a twenty-year charter.
Practise the legwork yourself
Google'due south Sunroof is only available in some locations. If y'all live in an area it doesn't cover, you tin still decide how much sun your home gets with just a few steps.
Nearby copse or buildings may cake the sunday. This could mean substantial loss in energy output. To observe out if your roof gets full sunday, simply go exterior and cheque a few times throughout the day and take note.
Next, discover out how many days of sunday your area of the country gets per yr. An like shooting fish in a barrel fashion to go a proficient estimate is by finding your location on solar maps provided past the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). If your home is in an expanse of the country that receives very little sun, yous may not be able to go solar.
A solar map past the NREL, a national laboratory of the US Department of Energy.
Screenshot by Alina Bradford/CNETThe platonic location for a solar unit is on south-facing roof that'south flat and doesn't have obstructions such as a chimney, vents or antennas. East- and w-facing roofs are also a skilful option because they get a lot of sun. If your merely available roof area for solar panels are north-facing or you don't have much unobstructed room for panels, then your home may not be a good candidate.
Exist sure you lot accept room on your roof for solar panels.
Stephen Shankland/CNETCheck to see if yous take plenty room
Now that you know the all-time places for panels, you lot need to meet if you have enough infinite for them. Here's how to go a rough estimate:
- Take a look at your electricity bill to see how many kilowatts on average your abode uses each month.
- Measure your bachelor roof infinite. The average solar panel is effectually 17.six square feet and produces 265 watts under direct sunlight per day, equaling out to 15 watts per foursquare foot.
- Figure out how many panels will fit in your available roof space by dividing your square footage past 17.6.
- Then, multiply the number of panels by 265 watts and and then multiply that number by 30 days.
Does the number match upwards with corporeality of electricity you employ per month? If not, you tin can however utilize solar panels to supplement your energy usage.
Get an adept opinion
If y'all feel confident that your dwelling house is a good candidate, information technology is time to contact a professional. Though you tin can notice a rough estimate of the size of solar system you need with the equation to a higher place, an verbal number depends on a lot of different factors that most people won't exist able to figure out on their own. A professional solar installer tin also make up one's mind what kind of organization would piece of work all-time for your needs.
CNET's affiliate listing of solar companies and resource can exist institute here.
Editors' note: This article was originally published on December. viii, 2022 and has been updated.
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Source: https://www.cnet.com/home/smart-home/find-out-if-your-house-is-good-candidate-for-solar-energy/
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