Average US House Costs to Install Solar

We frequently get questioned how many dollars would be required to install enough solar panels on a house or business building to produce one’s own energy. There are resources around the web to help with this, and Solar Power Authority also has a free solar calculator and quote tool, but they can be confusing unless you’re a tech nerd. So, I’ve developed some manageable guidelines (below) that will help put the expense in perspective.

US Power Rates

In the USA, the average house utilizes electricity at the rate of 1 kW per hour (kWh). There are approximately 730 hours each Earth month, and the average cost of a kWh of electricity is $0.10. So an average monthly bill would be around $73 for 730 kWh of power.

This can alter quite a bit if you have non-standard items such as an arcade, or some a 10,000-watt stereo running non-stop. Your energy usage will rise significantly in months when you run an air conditioning unit. Lastly, the expense of electricity ranges widely across the USA, from as inexpensive as $0.07/kWh in West Virginia to as much as $0.24/kWh in Hawaii. You’ll have to modify my guidelines accordingly because they ask to an average home with average consumption and average electricity expenses.

A traditional value to use as a solar panel’s producing capacity is 10 watts/sq. ft. This depicts a panel conversion efficiency of approximately 12%, which is common. This suggests that for every kW you produce, you require about 100 sq. ft. of solar panels. If the sun shone 24 hours a day on this planet we call Earth, you could put up 100 sq. ft. of solar panels and have enough power to energize the average home.

Net Metering

If your utility corporation enables you to use a special meter that will spin backward when you produce more electricity than you use (net metering), then your annual bill can equalize out at zero. Because of shorter days in the winter, you’ll likely be a net buyer of electricity in that season and a net generator in the summer months. A grid-tied system like this is distinct than off-grid systems used in remote locations with no electrical service; those require batteries, which can significantly improve overall system expenses.

At the time of this writing, the installed expense of solar panels was within $7-$9 per watt: A 5 kW system would fetch around $25,000-$35,000. Many utility corporations offer incentives, and some subsidize as substantial as 50% of system expenses. Even at half the price, though, a system that produces an average $75 of electricity per month could take a long time to cover its cost.

This information lends insight into the all-time low prices witnessed in the solar industry. There is no better time than now for you to go solar. HahaSmart can help you get the deals on solar you have been looking for. Have a start with our price checker tool to see how much money you can save over the next decade by making the switch to clean renewable energy for your home!