If you’re an eco-conscious homeowner looking to reduce energy costs, switching to solar power may be the perfect solution.
Generating electricity with photovoltaic (PV) panels is a smart way to save money while taking a step towards sustainability.
But harnessing the sun’s energy isn’t as simple as snapping on some panels and flipping the switch.
Many people are surprised by just how many solar panels they need for their A-frame house for it to run effectively and efficiently throughout the year.
This article will help guide you through the process of determining how many PV modules you need to purchase in order to power your unique home.
With enough research, time, and planning, going green has never been easier.
What Is An A-Frame?
An A-Frame is a type of structure, usually consisting of two sloping sides joined together at a peak. It's a simple yet effective design that provides a solid foundation and a great deal of stability.
A-Frames are typically constructed out of wood, metal, or concrete and can be used for various purposes.
They're often used as temporary shelters for construction sites, cabins, sheds, greenhouses, and garages.
They can also be used to support a variety of other structures, such as bridges and towers. The simplicity of the design makes an A-Frame a cost-effective choice for many projects.
More recently, A-frame homes have become extremely popular as holiday homes on platforms such a Airbnb and Vrbo.
How Much Electricity Does An A-Frame Home Use?
Just like regular homes, the amount of energy an A-frame home uses can vary depending on a multitude of factors, such as location, orientation, and the energy use habits of the occupants.
It's important to calculate the specific energy requirements of the A-frame home, including lighting, heating, cooling, appliances, and other electrical needs, to determine the appropriate solar panel size and number.
To do this we recommend making a list of all the appliances you wish to use in your A-frame home.
An A-frame home can have a wide range of appliances, similar to other types of homes. Some common appliances that might be found in an A-frame home include:
- Refrigerator
- Stove or cooktop
- Oven
- Microwave
- Toaster or toaster oven
- Coffee maker
- Blender
- Dishwasher
- Washer and dryer
- Heating and cooling systems (e.g. HVAC or wood stove)
- Lighting (e.g. ceiling lights or lamps)
- Entertainment systems (e.g. television, stereo)
By doing this, you will get a better idea of what your energy consumption might look like.
Ultimately, you want to work out how much kWh your A-frame will use (roughly) each month.
For some perspective, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), the average annual energy consumption for a US residential utility customer was about 10,632 kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2021.
That equates to 886 kWh a month.
Generally, A-frame homes use less electricity than normal residential homes largely due to the size differences.
How Many Solar Panels Does An A-Frame Home Need?
The best formula you can use to calculate the number of panels needed for your A-frame is the following:
As you can see, to use the formula you will need to know the amount of energy your A-frame uses and also the amount of peak sun hours you are receives.
For those who are not familiar with the term peak sun hours, it is simply a measure of the amount of solar energy that a location receives during a day.
It refers to the number of hours per day during which sunlight is strong enough to generate useful levels of electricity from a solar panel.
Peak sun hours are typically defined as the number of hours per day in which the intensity of sunlight exceeds 1,000 watts per square meter (W/m²).
If you don't know how many peak sun hours you area receives you can use a website called Global Solar Atlas to determine this.
Let's put the above formula to the test.
In our example we have an A-frame home located in Texas which uses roughly 15 kWh of electricity per day.
According to Global Solar Atlas, Texas receives on average 4.966 kWh/m2 per day.
- 15 x 30 = 450 kWh a month
- 4.96 x 30 = 148 peak sun hours a month
450 kWh / 148 = 3 x 1000 = 3000 watts.
Using the formula we can see that we need 3000 watts to power our A-frame home. This is taking into account how much sunlight our area recieves.
Simply divide 3000 watts by the power rating of your proposed solar panel to figure out how many you will need.
We will use 350 watt panels.
3000 / 350 = 8.5 panels needed. Just round that off to 9 panels.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to installing solar panels on an A-frame, there are many options that homeowners have when putting together a system of their own.
Understandably, each homeowner will have different needs and preferences when choosing the right solar panel design for their lifestyle.
With so many different companies and products available, it is essential that anyone considering installing a solar panel system research thoroughly before making a final decision.
Ultimately achieving the best option for one’s individual aspirations can save both time and money in the long run.
We hope this article gave you a better idea on how to calculate the number of panels you would need.
We really recommend you to check out our solar panel collection, we have portable solar panels ranging from 68 watts to 420 watts.
