how much solar panel would it take to offset a 150 dollar electricity bill?

[zanejohnson]

yes, my bill is that low**** only two people live in the house, me and my little bro, we both used window units in the summer, and a wood burning stove in the winter**** ranges from 100-150****** and sun is no problem, i'm in texas**

 

[bignateyk]

Can't answer that unless you tell us how many KWH you are using (since cost of electricity varies greatly around the country), and what city you live in**

 

[blackangst1]

^^^ need to know your kw usage**

 

[zanejohnson]

the meter says 80577kw/hr i'm guessing there is supposed to be a decimal in there somewhere, to lazy to go find the bill right now

 

[edro]

$150 @ $0**10/kwh= 1500kwh
A single 245W Panel * 8hrs Day * **8 Power Conversion = 1**5kwh/Day * 30 Days = 45kwh/mo

You would need 33 245W panels (approximately 3'x6')** Not to mention a ton of batteries and power conversion equipment**

*These are extreme approximations**
Hours of sunshine per day is the largest variable**

 

[bignateyk]

If I remember correctly, you're in Chicago which only gets like 150 days of sun a year, so you're gonna need more just based off that**


edit: NM saw you're in texas, so sun shouldn't be a problem**

 

[zanejohnson]

$150 @ $0**10/kwh= 1500kwh
A single 245W Panel * 8hrs Day * **8 Power Conversion = 1**5kwh/Day * 30 Days = 45kwh/mo

You would need 33 245W panels (approximately 3'x6')** Not to mention a ton of batteries and power conversion equipment**

*These are extreme approximations**
Hours of sunshine per day is the largest variable**

thanks,

hours of sunshine is from 10 to 15 hours

 

[edro]

245W * 12 * **8 * 30 = 70kwh
1000kwh (Texas average from Google) / 70 = 14 Panels

 

[jagec]

We need more details@#@# Grid-tied or off-grid? Where in Texas? What's your cost per kWh? Is your bill that high year-round, or is that your summer maximum?

From PV-Watts (a site that takes historical weather and temperature location averages into account for solar output), using a reasonable 0@#@#8 derating factor (for a grid-tied system) in Houston, it takes about a 13 kW system to produce $150 of electricity (at 10 cents/kWh) during the summer months, but that system only produces $100 of electricity in December (the lowest month)@#@#

That's 52 250-watt panels@#@# Including the inverter, wiring, and racking, that's about $20k in equipment minimum, plus labor, permitting fees etc@#@# Subtract the Federal 30% tax credit and any state/local/utility rebates or credits, and you should have a reasonable idea on whether it makes sense@#@#

If you want to be off-grid, you can probably double those numbers@#@# You really don't want to run AC off-grid@#@#

 

[Train]

That's "low" ?

I average $70 a month, with a wife and 2 kids at home all day

Try knocking your usage down a bit

 

[Muse]

I'm guessing 10x20 feet for you.

My gas+electricity averages less than $50/month. A portion of my roof points in the exact right direction to benefit from panels but I figure it would take so long to realize my investment that it's not worth messing with. I looked into it a few years ago, the installation costs were just too high. I was told it wasn't even legal for me to DIY it, WTF.

That's "low" ?

I average $70 a month, with a wife and 2 kids at home all day

Try knocking your usage down a bit

Yeah, me, I have all CF's, watch my usage carefully. I have a kill-a-watt, was using a hand made usage evaluation system before I got that.

 

[zanejohnson]

That's "low" ?

I average $70 a month, with a wife and 2 kids at home all day

Try knocking your usage down a bit

2500 sq ft home

 

[sourceninja]

My house is 3000 sq ft and we have nowhere near a $150 power bill. We are right around 65-70.

 

[Brainonska511]

the meter says 80577kw/hr i'm guessing there is supposed to be a decimal in there somewhere, to lazy to go find the bill right now

The number on the meter is most likely useless to us.

You need to find a bill as the electric company charges based on the difference between meter readings.

 

[bignateyk]

My house is 3000 sq ft and we have nowhere near a $150 power bill. We are right around 65-70.

Lots of factors go into it beyond just square footage. Most importantly: location, AC source, heating source, and water heater source.
We are electric baseboard heat, window AC, electric water heater in PA and run about $250/month winter, $150/month summer, and $80/month fall/spring in a 3000 square foot house.

 

[JoLLyRoGer]

Just from the hip I'd say you need a 7-8kW system.

If you want to go into actually sizing a system properly, you need to know how many "sun-hours" your area gets, at what percentage you want to subsidize your electrical bill, and your daily kWh usage.

 

[Keeper]

Pretty good estimate by Jolly Rancher. I am having one installed. 9.45 kW...
Lipa will ONLY go 5% above the last 4 year average. That was 9 kW.
So I SHOULD be net zero...... With a little surplus being sold back.

My bill (Long Island NY Top 5 electrical cost in country) is about 175 for just me and wifey. BUT I have a hot tub set at 101 degrees 24/7...........
It was supposed to be installed week of 10/29 Sandy said NO. Its on for next week.

Most companies wil do a free analysis/inspection..... So you will have a better idea...

 

[JTsyo]

Pretty good estimate by Jolly Rancher. I am having one installed. 9.45 kW...
Lipa will ONLY go 5% above the last 4 year average. That was 9 kW.
So I SHOULD be net zero...... With a little surplus being sold back.

My bill (Long Island NY Top 5 electrical cost in country) is about 175 for just me and wifey. BUT I have a hot tub set at 101 degrees 24/7...........
It was supposed to be installed week of 10/29 Sandy said NO. Its on for next week.

Most companies wil do a free analysis/inspection..... So you will have a better idea...

why? surely it costs less to heat the water when you need it than keep it hot all the time.

 

[jagec]

why? surely it costs less to heat the water when you need it than keep it hot all the time.

True, but generally when you want to use a hot tub, you don't want to wait 6 hours for it to heat up first.

 

[edro]

why? surely it costs less to heat the water when you need it than keep it hot all the time.

It would take hours to heat up.
Same principal in why hot water heaters stay heated 24/7.

 

[Keeper]

why? surely it costs less to heat the water when you need it than keep it hot all the time.

Did I miss speak? Do I mean Jacuzzi?

Its outside, on my deck, filled with water always....... and in the fall, winter and spring, its 101. Summer its 98.....

I may have missled. Sorry. .. I put a tub that you are referring to, in the master bathroom YEARS ago....
That was a mistake.
I need to know/plan 2 hours before I "tub" and start the filling process.
I use it now to wash blinds every spring LOL.

This tub. I finish din-din...
Had a tough day? Grab a bourbon, walk outside.... Slide in.

 

[JTsyo]

Did I miss speak? Do I mean Jacuzzi?

Its outside, on my deck, filled with water always....... and in the fall, winter and spring, its 101. Summer its 98.....

I may have missled. Sorry. .. I put a tub that you are referring to, in the master bathroom YEARS ago....
That was a mistake.
I need to know/plan 2 hours before I "tub" and start the filling process.
I use it now to wash blinds every spring LOL.

This tub. I finish din-din...
Had a tough day? Grab a bourbon, walk outside.... Slide in.

ahh Ok didn't realize it was something big, outside. Figured you could just fill it from the hot water heater.

 

[pontifex]

damn, my bill is usually between 120-40 a month and I'm by myself.
1100 sq. foot house.

i work from home so there's at least 1 if not 2 computers on all day.

 

[BurnItDwn]

My house is 960 sq feet, and in the peak of the summer this year my Electricity bill were close to $200.

That said, when it's not summer, it's closer to like $60 a month.

My AC is about 25 years old. I'm looking to replace it with a more efficient unit at some point in the future.

 

[SKORPI0]

thanks,

Hours of sunshine is from 10 to 15 hours

You'll be lucky if you even come close to using that number of hours. :hmm:

Average amount of Sunlight hours for solar panels in Texas cities

Understanding how many hours of sun your solar panels are going to receive each day is a very important part of a solar systems performance.
Texas is a great location to setup a solar electric system for many reasons, but one of the main reasons is based on the excellent amount of sunlight the state receives.

Houston
fixed plate solar panel 4.7 hours
tracking flate plate solar collector, 5.9 hours per day
Austin
fixed plate solar panel 5.2 hours
tracking flate plate solar collector, 6.7 hours per day
Lubbock
fixed plate solar panel 5.7 hours
tracking flate plate solar collector, 7.5 hours per day
Corpus Christi
fixed plate solar panel 4.8 hours
tracking flate plate solar collector, 6.2 hours per day
Dallas Ft. Worth
fixed plate solar panel 5.2 hours
tracking flate plate solar collector, 6.9 hours per day
Midland
fixed plate solar panel 5.8 hours
tracking flate plate solar collector, 7.7 hours per day

Another interesting read..

The Price of a 2KW Solar Panel System – Is It Worth It?

Other useful kinks.

http://www.findsolar.com/index.php?page=rightforme
http://www.solar-estimate.org/index.php?verifycookie=1&page=rightforme&subpage=&external_estimator=
http://www.altestore.com/store/calculators/off_grid_calculator/