How Much Will Solar Cost for a 2000 Square Foot House?
A: This is a trick question! There is no direct correlation between square footage and watts of solar to power the home.
Unfortunately there is no per square foot “average” since the cost of a system actually depends on your daily energy usage and how many full sun hours you receive per day; and if you have other sources of electricity. To accurately size a system to meet your needs, you need to know how much energy (kilowatt-hours, kWh) you use per day. If your home is connected to the utility grid, simply look at your monthly electric bill. If not, you can fill out our load evaluation form. Using this information, we can design a system to meet your needs.
Examples of PV Power Needed to Power Different Sized Homes
(All figures are in monthly averages)
| Square Footage | Electrical Usage (kWh) | Average kWh / Square Foot | PV Watts Needed to Cover 100% of kWh Usage | PV Watts / Square Foot | Main Heating Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 377 | .377 | 2200 | 2.2 | Oil |
| 1270 | 250 | .197 | 1500 | 1.1 | Gas |
| 1800 | 250 | .139 | 1500 | 1.1 | Propane |
| 2000 | 295 | .148 | 1700 | 0.9 | Oil |
| 2650 | 1175 | .44 | 6900 | 2.9 | Oil |
| 2800 | 1010 | .36 | 5900 | 2.1 | Oil/wood |
| 3000 | 1555 | .518 | 9100 | 3 | Gas/wood |
Here is a chart showing the above information. Although these examples represent only a small sample of possible combinations of electricity usage for households, hopefully we have demonstrated that the amount of PV it will take to power your needs depends upon your electricity use and NOT the square footage of your home.
So, as you can see, there is no direct calculation between square footage and PV watts. If you still don’t believe us- watch our video below!
Need help with your system?
Get one hour of personalized help with equipment selection, system questions, commissioning, or troubleshooting. Purchase your session, then use the scheduling link provided after checkout to choose an appointment.