Understanding your Home’s Consumption
At Solar First we are big advocates of educating before selling. Solar energy offers a plethora of advantages for homeowners, serving as an effective means to cut utility expenses, enhance property value, and promote sustainable living practices. Often, individuals initially explore solar due to exorbitant electricity costs and recurring high bills.
At Solar First, we like to pose this question: "How did you get there?" This question serves as a gateway to comprehensively assessing your home's energy usage. Identifying which appliances are the primary energy consumers marks the initial stride toward adopting a more efficient lifestyle. We firmly believe that conscientiousness regarding energy consumption, coupled with implementing energy-efficient adjustments prior to transitioning to solar, can yield significant benefits. By reducing your reliance on energy-intensive appliances, you'll not only optimize your energy consumption but also potentially lower your solar panel requirements, resulting in even greater cost savings.
The chart provided below offers insights into major energy-consuming appliances, empowering you to dissect your energy bill and gain a deeper understanding of your household's energy consumption patterns.
How Much Energy Does a 400 Watt Panel Produce?
A 400-watt solar panel can make different amounts of electricity throughout the day depending on weather, the tilt of the panel, and the direction it is facing (In Florida, South facing is the most efficient). If you put this panel on your roof, expect it to produce around 1.8 kWh to 3 kWh daily.
This power is enough for some things in your house like a fridge or computer. Sunlight hits the solar cells and they turn it into energy we can use in our homes. Think of a sunny day with about 5 and a half hours of direct sun; then the panel might produce up to 1,800 watt-hours or even reach its top amount of energy at nearly 3 kWh for that day.
Can One 400 Watt Panel Power a Fridge?
Before answering this question you’ll have to figure out how much energy your fridge consumes per day. Firstly, we’ll be using an example of a fridge with ratings of 120 volts and 0.9 Amps (Found on Energy Star Sticker). To get the average hourly wattage multiply the volts and amps. 120 x 0.9 =108W
Now the daily watts used would be 108x24(hrs)=2,592Wh per day
Then you’d multiply that by 365. 2,592x365(days)=946,080Wh per year
Divide that figure by 1,000 (1,000w=1kW). 946,080/1000=946.08kW consumed per year or 2.5kW per day!
In conclusion, since this is not the most efficient fridge you’d likely need more than one panel to comfortably power it. This test is a valuable way to begin understanding how solar works as well as what appliances in your home are using in terms of electricity. The goal here is to understand what common appliances like a fridge uses in the home, and how solar can help to power those appliances in a State of Emergency with battery backup storage.
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