It’s understandable that solar panels can help maximize your house’s energy efficiency, but you might not know exactly what you need to run certain appliances. Learning about the 350-watt solar panel can help you decide if it produces enough solar energy for you.
A 350-watt solar panel is the average wattage for panels and can be a great benefit for your house. Though 350 watts refers to how much power the panel can produce, it will vary depending on your location, the tilt of the panels, and more.
In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about solar panels, including:
- How much electricity a solar panel produces
- What appliances a 350-watt solar panel can run
- How many solar panels you’ll need for your home
- 350-watt solar panel specifications
What is a 350 Watt Solar Panel?
A 350-watt solar panel is the average wattage of panels on the market today. They’re a great middle-ground for residential usage. How much power you get from the panels can vary depending on your house’s location, especially if you have trees providing shade nearby.
How Much Electricity Does a 350 Watt Solar Panel Produce?
One 350-watt solar panel produces 2,100 watts a day. This figure comes from a calculation based on six hours of sunlight per day, which can vary during summer and winter. You can customize the calculations knowing that the panel will produce 350 watts per hour of sunlight.
Depending on clouds, weather, and other variables, you might average 320 watts per hour or less. It’s best to try and calculate your overall power by using 85% to 95% of the possible capacity to play it safe.
See also: Solar Panel Sizes and Wattage: A Comprehensive Guide to Making the Right Choice
Can a 350 Watt Solar Panel Run a Refrigerator?
Each appliance needs a certain amount of power to run properly, and having that much solar power is how you’ll make a difference in your energy use and utility bills. Refrigerators are one of the largest appliances in your home and use different amounts of power to run.
The Energy Guide label on your refrigerator will tell you the power requirements. If you’ve peeled off that bright yellow sticker, you can check the instruction manual or the manufacturer’s website. It will tell you the annual kilowatt-hours (kWh) of usage your refrigerator requires.
Power Per Hour
Divide the annual rating by 365 to get the daily kilowatt usage. For example, if your fridge uses 365kWh annually, it uses 1kWh per day. You can divide that by 24 hours to see how much power it uses per hour, then make sure you have enough solar power to cover it.
Keep in mind that your refrigerator runs 24 hours a day, so you need to ensure you don’t lack power for it. Most refrigerators use an average of 350kWh per year, so a 350-watt solar panel would power it. But in that case, the panel can’t supply power to anything else.
If you’re hoping to power most of your appliances with solar power, you’ll want to get more than one solar panel. That way you can always have enough power to run your fridge and other items, even in case of clouds or inclement weather.
How Many 350 Watt Solar Panels Do I Need?
The number of 350-watt solar panels you need depends on what you want to power. The average residence uses about 10,700 kWh a year, or just under 900kWh a month. They would need anywhere from 19 to 23 solar panels to completely offset this power usage.
The number of solar panels you’ll need can vary because you might not use that many kWh, or you might use more. You also need to factor in how much sunlight you get and where you could position the panels for optimal light.
You can calculate your specific power needs by dividing your kWh usage by the production ratio of the solar panels and how much wattage they can produce. That will tell you how many panels you need.
Example Calculation
For example, if you use 10,000kWh, divided by a panel with a 1.6 production ratio and 350 watts, you’d get 10,000kWh / 1.6 / 350. The answer is 17.8, which you should round up to 18 panels so you don’t have too little power.
You can also figure out the space requirements for these panels. The average panel is about 17.5 feet. If you need 18 panels, you’ll need 315 square feet of solar panels.
Many sites break down the number of solar panels by the size of the house, but this isn’t reliable. You can have a small house with a lot of appliances, computers, and streaming devices that might use more power than a larger house. Whenever possible, find your kWh usage.
Square Feet
If you’re worried about roof space, you might want to change how many solar panels you install. An entire system of solar panels can take up to 300 to 400 square feet of roof space to power a residential house.
You could install six panels to produce about 3,000kWh. It’s not the 10,000kWh your house might use, but it helps. It would take less than 100 square feet of space, which is easier to manage than 300 or more square feet.
If you don’t have room for as many panels as you’d prefer, you can upgrade your system for high-efficiency models. This option lets you install fewer panels while still getting the same amount of power. It’s a way of maximizing your roof space and production output.
How Many Solar Panels Do I Need for 500kWh per Month?
Calculating your energy usage is the first step in deciding how many solar panels you’ll need. If your appliances use 500kWh per month, you’ll need more solar panels than if you used 300kWh per month.
Knowing you use 500kWh per month can give you a rough estimate of how many solar panels you’ll need. If you calculate that a 350-watt solar panel can reliably provide 320kWh, then you can assess what you need without ending up overestimating the power the panel provides.
Any home consuming 500kWh or more per month should have at least 14 solar panels installed for maximum efficiency. Installing 17 would guarantee that you’ll have enough power to keep everything running.
You can also choose to get the number of solar panels needed by the appliance. When you buy a new appliance, you can check the energy usage and buy a new solar panel or two to offset that power.
What Is the Size of a 350 Watt Solar Panel?
Solar panels vary in size, but a 350-watt solar panel is about 16.5 square feet. If you’re installing 14 to 17 350-watt solar panels, you’ll need 231 to 281 square feet of installation space. This is enough to power your entire house, so it’s worth the investment if you have the space.
In case your roof isn’t large enough to accommodate that many solar panels, you could look for different options. There are ground-mounted systems that are on your property. You’ll still need the same square footage, but you won’t have to install anything on your roof.
If you’re concerned about the appearance of solar panels, you can choose from more attractive options. Not all solar panels look boxy and obvious. There are panels that have black backing and trim to blend in with your roof. You can even get solar shingles installed.
What Should a 4kW Solar System Generate per Day?
A 4kW system will produce 9.4kWh a day. This adds up to 3,400kW per year. However, the average household uses around 10,000kWh per year, so this system isn’t enough to power your whole home at all times. Still, it generates a lot of free electricity throughout the year.
A 4kW system can power a lot of appliances on its own, even if it can’t provide free power to your entire house. This system is approximately enough to run:
- Washing machine: 4,800 hours
- Refrigerator: 97,000 hours
- Stovetop: 1,800 hours
- Oven: 1,400 hours
Remember that these are estimates and depend on how much sunlight your panels are truly getting. On cloudy days or in bad weather, you might not get enough to run the appliances as mentioned above.
Residential solar systems range from 2kW to 5kW sizes. If you want to upgrade your 4kW solar system to a 5kW system, you’ll get 4,500kW units per year.
How Much Power Does a 350 Watt Solar Panel Produce?
You can find out how much power a solar panel should produce based on its name. With that information in mind, a 350-watt solar panel should produce 350 watts of power. However, this is the maximum wattage it can produce in the best conditions.
When you factor in cloudy days and indirect sunlight, it’s best to assume that your solar panel will produce anywhere from 85% to 95% of the power advertised. A 350-watt solar panel can produce 350 watts, but it’s better to estimate you’ll get 320 watts from it.
Having realistic expectations about how much power your solar panels can produce will help you assess the installation. You can try to make room for more of the panels so you get more free electricity overall. Or you can change what appliances use solar power for maximum savings.
With each panel installed in a prime position, you can maximize the power you get from the panels. You can also opt for high-efficiency panels that deliver more electricity per square foot of paneling.
350 Watt Solar Panel Specifications
The specifications of 350-watt solar panels will vary according to the manufacturer. First, find out how much power you need and how much space you have. Then, you can check each product’s specifications to find out what panels are best for you.
350 Watt Solar Panel Dimensions
On average, a 350-watt solar panel will be about 64” tall by 44” wide and 1.5” thick. They weigh anywhere from 40 to 60 pounds. The exact measurements can vary.
350 Watt Solar Panel Kit
Buying a 350-watt solar panel kit is a great way to get everything you need in one package. They usually include a solar panel, charge controller, LCD display, and the hardware for installation.
350 Watt Solar Panel – How Many Amps?
You can calculate the amps of a 350-watt solar panel to increase the voltage drop. A 350-watt solar panel amp output is 2.9 at the traditional 120 volts.
350 Watt Solar Panel 12 Volt
Solar panels are useful for charging batteries so you have power even when the sun isn’t out. A 350-watt solar panel can recharge a 12-volt battery in about five hours.
350 Watt Solar Panel at Amazon
You don’t have to buy solar panels through a local company for installation. You can order 350-watt solar panels at Amazon. There are different brands so you can check the dimensions and reviews to find the best option for your home.
How Much Power Does a 375 Watt Solar Panel Produce?
After learning about 350-watt solar panels, you might find that they won’t produce enough power for your needs. You can upgrade to a 375-watt solar panel instead. They put out about 1.23kWh per day or 37.5kWh per month.
While one 375-watt panel provides more power than one 350-watt panel, you can benefit from this upgrade in other ways. You might choose to use 375-watt solar panels to install fewer on your roof.
They’re larger panels, though. Compared to the 16.5 square feet of a 350-watt panel, a 375-watt panel is 18.8 square feet. So you might end up using the same space on your roof, but you’ll have fewer individual panels with the same — or more — power output.
350 Watt Solar
Installing solar panels on your roof can help offset your utility bill and electricity usage. If you use 350-watt solar panels, you can calculate how much power you’ll produce each hour. Make sure you use the information above to find the right solar panels for your needs.
