Estimate consumption
We combine a baseline for your home size with the appliances you select to estimate monthly kilowatt-hours.
Free appliance-aware solar panel calculator
How many solar panels do you actually need?
Choose your home and appliances. Get a useful estimate in seconds—then adjust the assumptions to match your roof and location.
1
Tell us about your home
Start with the closest size.
2
What do you power?
Select everyday and high-energy loads.
Fine-tune the estimate location, panel size & offset
What the number means
A useful estimate, built from the loads that matter.
Bedroom count is only a starting point. Electric heating, water heating, dryers, vehicles and pools can move the answer dramatically.
Account for real output
Panel wattage is adjusted for your peak sun hours and a 20% allowance for heat, wiring, inverter and other losses.
Round up to whole panels
Your annual energy target is divided by estimated output per panel, then rounded up so the system is not undersized.
Annual electricity target÷Annual output per panel=Panels needed
Quick guide
Typical planning ranges
These examples use 400-watt panels, five peak sun hours per day and 20% system losses. Your calculator choices are more useful than these broad ranges.
Small apartment / essential loads6–10 panels≈ 2.4–4.0 kW
2-bedroom home / washer + dryer + HVAC14–18 panels≈ 5.6–7.2 kW
Large all-electric home22–34 panels≈ 8.8–13.6 kW
Before you buy
Three things this calculator cannot see
Your actual electric bills
Twelve months of utility usage is the best starting point. Replace the estimate with your real average monthly kWh when speaking with an installer.
Your usable roof area and shade
Chimneys, vents, roof orientation, setbacks, trees and neighboring structures may limit how many panels physically fit.
Your utility’s interconnection rules
Net-metering, system-size caps, rate plans and permitting vary. Confirm current local requirements before relying on savings claims.
Solar sizing guides
Answers for the way people actually plan a system.
Go deeper by home size, appliance load or the math behind the estimate.
Home size
How many solar panels for a 2-bedroom home?
A worked example with a refrigerator, washer, electric dryer and central HVAC.
Read the guide →AppliancesHow many panels do common appliances add?
Why an electric dryer, water heater, EV or pool can change the answer.
Compare appliance loads →FormulaHow to calculate the number of solar panels
The transparent kWh, sun-hour, panel-wattage and system-loss formula.
See the calculation →Independent planning first. Future product recommendations may use affiliate links, clearly labeled when added. Calculator results are never changed to favor a product.