Can I Heat My Home With Solar Power?Sunrise SolarMon, 11/22/2021 – 8:00am

The idea of using solar power to power your appliances or lights makes sense to most people. But as the weather starts to cool off, you may find yourself wondering if solar power could help you heat your home, as well. The great news is that with the right setup, solar panels can do exactly that.

Powering All Electrical Systems

Solar panels (also called photovoltaic panels) are designed to generate electricity for your entire house. Most panel systems work in conjunction with the electrical grid so that you can get grid electricity at night. Depending on the size of your solar system and your household electrical consumption, you may generate more energy than you need during the day, helping zero out your total energy costs. If your home heating system is powered by electricity, it can also draw energy from your solar panels. If you have a gas furnace, however, you would need to replace it with an electric model.

How Big of a System Do You Need?

For many people, household energy consumption peaks during the summer (when you need your air conditioning) and during the winter (when you turn up the heat). Most residential solar panels produce anywhere from 250 to 400 watts per hour. As such, you will need to know the maximum wattage of your heating system (as well as other household appliances and systems) to determine how many solar panels you need. A solar contractor can help you by also accounting for factors like climate and how much sunlight your property gets.

If you need help determining if your property can capture enough solar energy to heat your home, contact Sunrise Solar. Our experienced team will help design a configuration to maximize your solar output so you can go green.