Solar panels are not just for businesses anymore, these have become commonplace, and many people are using them residentially.
Many modern housed, cottages, and even urban apartments are integrating panels on the roofs to enjoy the clean energy and save on the electric bills.
But that is not the limit; you can have solar panels installed in your garage as well!
How Many Solar Panels for a Garage?
The benefits of having solar panels installed in your garage are tempting; since it’s an eco-friendly option, you can go ahead with it.
To start off, you have two options; the simpler one costs less than $100 while the complex one is a bit high priced and requires using power tools, batteries, and so on.
Ultimately, the option you choose and the time and effort you spend will depend on your vision for your garage and energy requirements.
For instance, if you want only some light in your garage for navigation, then installing a smaller solar panel should be enough. But if you want to use big tools that draw high power, machinery, or batteries and you have a completely detached garage, you need a more extensive solar panel.
Yes, initial costs may seem expensive initially, but consider it an investment in the long run.
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💁Creating DIY solar panel system
While you can create your own solar panel system, it eventually becomes quite demanding. It is not an ideal option for those with no prior knowledge about electricity, solar battery, or panels.
However, it’s possible to build a solar panel system from scratch, but you will have to match the collectors and understand the operations of charge controllers, batteries, and the functions of AC power.
Besides, your system needs to be fit for the climate in which it will operate. Though solar panels are meant for places with extreme heat or direct sunlight others can handle the cold or dampness. Thus, you need to adjust as per the temperature.
Benefits of Installing Solar Panels in The Garage
Though you should be installing solar panels in your garage, if you are wondering about the benefits, there are quite a few.
Aesthetically panels have a utilitarian style that gels with most garages very well, and the resulting combination is seamless.
Besides aesthetics, you will need more light and power if you want to use your garage for other purposes like a workshop. For such garages, installing a solar panel is ideal. panels are also suitable for garages located away from the main house.
By powering your garage with panels, you get the following benefits:
- Reduced energy costs/utility bills.
- Eliminate air pollution.
- Positive political impact.
- Standard maintenance requirement.
- Highly durable.
- Some states offer rebates for installing panels.
How do solar panels function?
As mentioned earlier, solar panels in garages are used to power lights, open the garage doors, power security cameras, and even charge your electric cars.
The solar power system has a few primary components:
- Solar panels: These absorb the sunlight
- Inverter: Converts the sunlight or direct current into electricity to alternating current.
- Racking: This is the mounting system that attaches the panels to the roof
- Energy storage batteries: These store the excessive energy to be used later
💁Electricity generation method
Sunlight has multiple tiny bits of energy called photons, which hit the panels that have solar cells.
The photons hit the top layer of the solar cells and let the electrons flow to the cell’s lower layers.
The electrons flow through the conductive wiring into the inverter, where it transforms from direct to alternating current.
The contemporary solar panels can generate around 350 watts of energy under full sun, with the sunlight spread over 3-7 hours per day.
Things to keep in mind before opting for a solar-powered garage or solar panel installation:
Though solar power is an eco-friendly option, it’s not ideal or recommended for everyone in every region. Thus, consider the following points below.
Energy usage
Before anything, know your energy consumption to determine how much energy you want your solar panel to generate. Only by understanding power requirements of your garage, you will be able to determine the number of panels you need to install.
Repairing
Second, you need to determine if your garage roof requires any repair work. This is crucial as a wobbly garage roof will not be able to withstand the weight of the panels.
Slope and sunlight
You also need to check the roof’s slope and determine how much sunlight it will get. Solar panels need to be explicitly placed to generate the maximum power. Ideally, it’s best to have the panels facing south or west, depending on where you live.
On-grid vs. Off-grid
The panels are connected to the public electricity system in the on-grid system. So if any excess electricity is generated, it’s sent back to the public. The utility company will pay for the excess energy and allow you to pull the energy from the grid if needed.
However, the system will not function in case of a power outage. You won’t need a battery, but it will be handy if you live in an area with unreliable power sources.
Off-grid: These solar panels are not connected to the public grid, which means they use battery storage to operate. Operating off-grid is quite flexible; however, the batteries can be expensive.
Cost consideration
The cost of setting up a solar unit will depend on the number of solar panels. However, thankfully in the US states, the total solar systems budget is less than buying electricity from the grid. Check out this page for solar panel cost calculator,
💁Getting a solar kit for your garage
Solar technology has gone ahead, making installing solar kits and panels a simple do-it-yourself task.
With the growth of solar energy, manufacturers or solar company are now coming up with solar panel kits for easy solar installation. These kits are available pre-assembled or tailored to suit the need of individual homeowners.
What to consider when buying a solar panel kit:
- As a rule of thumb, most solar panel systems are heavy. Thus save yourself the cost of shipping by finding a local vendor.
- Indeed lower, price kits are tempting, but it is advisable not to be lured by only the price. Cheap kits are not always long-lasting and will only do the work for a short time, but once they give up, you will have to pay a higher price.
- It’s crucial to check the warranty and replacement options before buying a kit.
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Wrapping up:
A solar-powered garage is loaded with benefits and is a greener way of life. In this article, we have covered all that you need to know regarding how many solar panels for a garage? So get going.
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