We live in a world today where being self-sustainable and environmentally friendly are very important ideas for a lot of people. Our world is changing rapidly and knowing that you can rely on yourself to meet your own needs is valuable.
Having a complete solar power kit for your home can be a great way to make sure your needs are met in an environmentally friendly way.
Top Picks Solar Power Kits for Homes
The Upgrade Option
ECO-WORTHY 400W 24V Solar Panel Kit
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The Eco-Worthy 400W 24V Complete Solar Panel kit is great for those looking for a more advanced kit. This kit would be great for those looking to use it on a house, shed, farm, RV, or boat.
The Value Option
Renogy 100 Watts 12 Volts Monocrystalline Solar Starter Kit
The Renogy 100 Watts 12 Volts Monocrystalline Solar Starter Kit is great for those new to solar energy. This solar starter kit would be great for small projects, like an RV or boat, or for people interested in learning more about solar energy
Can Solar Panels Fully Power a House?
If you are interested in powering your home 100% with solar energy it is very much possible. Many people already use solar panels as their main source of electricity. In 2019 it was reported that an estimated U.S. solar installation 62.5 million gigawatts.
How Many Solar Panels Are Needed To Power a House?
The number of solar panels you will need to power your specific home will vary depending on its size. For a typical American home, you can expect to need anywhere between 14 and 36 solar panels in order to fully power your home.
You can also expect to need at least 227 square feet of rooftop space if not more in order to accommodate those solar panels. You also have the option to place your solar panels somewhere other than your rooftop if you want to.
How Many Solar Panels Do I Need for a 2000 Square Foot House?
The average house between 2,000 and 2,499 square feet in the United States uses roughly 967 kWh of electricity per month. This means you would need around 16 to 25 high efficiency solar panels to completely cover your energy uses each month.
If your solar panels are not high efficiency, then you may need closer to 35 solar panels to get the job done.
How Many Solar Panels Do I Need To Power a 3000 Square Foot House?
The average 3,000 square foot home will need between 17 and 26 high efficiency solar panels in order to cover 100% of its electricity needs. The average 3,000 square foot home in the united states uses around 1185 kWh per month, slightly higher than the average 2000 square foot home.
The number of solar panels you will need for your specific situation could vary depending on how much electricity you use each month.
Do I Need a Battery for My Solar Panels?
Depending on your situation it may be a good idea for you to get one of the best solar power generators or a battery with your solar panels. For example, if you are using solar panels to power your shed or an RV you would only have electricity when it was sunny.
So, at night you would be unable to turn on lights or use heat. A battery allows you to store any excess energy for use at times when your solar panels aren’t getting any sunlight.
Best Solar Power Kits for Homes Reviews
Best Overall Option
WindyNation 400 Watt Solar Panel Kit
The simple and well-made design will help you to effortlessly set up this product, even if you are brand new to solar energy. There are not any instructions bundled with the kit so you will need to rely on the WindyNation website in order to see how to set it up.
Best Upgrade Option
ECO-WORTHY 400W 24V Solar Panel Kit
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If you are looking to rely 100% off solar for your energy needs this kit would be a great place to start. While this kit might not come with everything you need for off the grid living it will come very close. This kit is easily expandable from 400W to 2160W or 1080W.
Best Value Option
Renogy 100 Watts 12 Volts Monocrystalline Solar Starter Kit
This kit would be great for anyone with a small project or those newly interested in working with solar energy. If you are more experienced with solar energy or are looking at doing something larger like powering your home with solar energy this kit is probably not a good choice for you
Best Alternative Option
GVSHINE Solar Panel Lighting Kit
The GVSHINE Solar Panel Lighting Kit is a great solar kit at a great price. This kit is ideal for those needing a little bit of power in their, RV, cabin, or at their home when the power is out. This kit includes 1 10V 30W Flexible Solar Panel, + 1 Solar DC System, 2 2W LED, 2 3W LED, 2 IPhone adapters.
Best Overall Option
WindyNation Complete 400 Watt Solar Panel Kit
This 400-watt solar panel kit by WindyNation is great for those looking for a middle of the road home solar panel kit. This kit is perfect for use on an RV, Boat, Home, cabin, or other off the grid living.
With this kit you will receive 4 solar panels, a 30-amp p30L solar charge controller, 40 feet of solar cable, connectors for wiring, solar mounting hardware, power inverter, and a 12v battery. You receive pretty much everything you need to get started with solar energy when buying this kit.
The simple and well-made design will help you to effortlessly set up this product, even if you are brand new to solar energy. There are not any instructions bundled with the kit so you will need to rely on the WindyNation website in order to see how to set it up.
This kit is great for those wanting a serious solar energy set up but are new to the overall process. With cheaper kits you typically don’t get everything that you need and with more expensive kits you may get a little overwhelmed as a beginner.
This kit offers a perfect middle ground and gives you the best tools to enter the world of solar energy.
Pros
- You can very easily add additional solar panels if you need to.
- This Kit is fairly easy and quick to set up. Even someone who isn’t an expert should be able to figure out what they need to do.
- Includes a 12-volt battery so that you can store your energy for use when there isn’t any sunlight.
- WindyNation offers great customer support if you are having any issues with your kit.
Cons
- The inverter that comes in this kit isn’t of the highest quality. You can expect to buy a new one within a year or two of purchasing this kit.
- You may need to buy longer wire runs if your solar panels are over 15ft away from your battery station
- This kit does not come with step by step instructions. It isn’t necessarily hard to set up, but you will be left on your own to figure out what you need to do.
- You may need to buy fuses and additional panel mounts in order to complete this kit.
Best Upgrade Option
ECO-WORTHY 400W 24V Complete Solar Panel Kit
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The Eco-Worthy 400W 24V Complete Solar Panel kit is great for those looking for a more advanced kit. This kit would be great for those looking to use it on a house, shed, farm, RV, or boat. Included with the kit are 4 solar panels, charge controller, 2 12V batteries, inverter, z mounting brackets, connectors, and solar cable.
If you are looking to rely 100% off solar for your energy needs this kit would be a great place to start. While this kit might not come with everything you need for off the grid living it will come very close.
This kit is easily expandable from 400W to 2160W or 1080W. You can also effortlessly add additional solar panels and batteries if you need to. This is definitely a solar panel kit for those who are a bit more serious about solar energy than the average consumer.
Not only does this kit come in at a higher price, but it also has more components than many other kits. If you are more experienced working with solar energy or have a larger project this may be a great choice for you. Otherwise, you may want to stick with a smaller kit initially.
Pros
- The solar panels are of a very high quality. You can expect to get a good charge even on a somewhat cloudy day.
- The battery is large and can hold a charge for a long period of time.
- Easy set-up, especially for those somewhat familiar with solar energy.
- Very easy to add additional solar panels to or add other components.
Cons
- You will receive instructions on how to set up your new solar kit, but they won’t be very thorough.
- While this is a very large kit with a lot of pieces you still may need to purchase a few small things in order to get everything running properly.
- Tech support isn’t the best so you may be left on your own trying to solve technical problems.
- The inverter that ships with this kit isn’t of the highest quality. You may end up needing to replace it at some point in the future.
Best Value Option
Renogy 100 Watts 12 Volts Monocrystalline Solar Starter Kit
The Renogy 100 Watts 12 Volts Monocrystalline Solar Starter Kit is great for those new to solar energy. This solar starter kit would be great for small projects, like an RV or boat, or for people interested in learning more about solar energy.
Included in this kit is a 100W solar panel, 30A PWM Negative ground Charge Controller, MC4 Connectors, 8Ft 10AWG Tray Cable, and Mounting Z Brackets. This kit would be great for anyone with a small project or those newly interested in working with solar energy.
If you are more experienced with solar energy or are looking at doing something larger like powering your home with solar energy this kit is probably not a good choice for you.
This kit can be expanded with more solar panels and batteries if needed, but this kit is very small so if you know that you will need them it is probably worth investing in a larger one.
If you are brand new to working with solar energy you couldn’t find a better place to start. If you already have experience with solar energy, you should skip this kit and look for something a little bigger or more complex.
This kit is very basic and after the initial setup many will find themselves wanting a kit that can do more.
Pros
- This kit is very simple and easy to set up. Great for beginners.
- This kit is very basic and should be great for anyone who is just getting into solar energy.
- The solar panels that come with this kit are of extremely high quality and are very durable. They are very hard to scratch and break.
- A very amazing value! This solar kit is very reasonably priced and comes with everything you need to get started.
Cons
- Renogy customer service isn’t the best. You may have trouble getting ahold of someone if you have any issues.
- The charge controller in this kit isn’t very high quality and may end up need replacing at some point.
- You may have to buy several other parts to complete this kit depending on what you are doing with it. This kit is very basic and comes with the bare minimum.
- Even though this kit is easy to set up it doesn’t include a user manual, so you won’t be walked through how to set it up.
Best Alternative Option
GVSHINE Solar Panel Lighting Kit
The GVSHINE Solar Panel Lighting Kit is a great solar kit at a great price. This kit is ideal for those needing a little bit of power in their, RV, cabin, or at their home when the power is out. This kit includes 1 10V 30W Flexible Solar Panel, + 1 Solar DC System, 2 2W LED, 2 3W LED, 2 IPhone adapters.
The ideal usage for this kit would be for those wanting a backup in case their main source of power is gone temporarily. This kit would offer an easy way for you to have some light and charge your phone, but don’t expect it to do a whole lot more than that.
You could also use this as an extra source of power in an RV or while you are out camping. I would not recommend this kit for anyone who is looking at making solar their primary source of energy.
This kit is very small and cannot do much more than power some lights and charge some phone. This kit also isn’t ideal for daily use. It is more meant for occasional usage in emergency situations or for a camping trip.
In situations where you need daily use I would look at the other kits mentioned.
Pros
- Well priced solar kit that is great for emergency situations.
- Product is water resistant so it can be used outside, but just don’t leave it somewhere where it will stay consistently soaked.
- The lights that come with this product are decent considering the price and work for an extended period of time.
- Extremely easy to set up. This product is made in a way that is very easy for anyone to set up. It also comes with detailed instructions for those who need them.
Cons
- The battery included with this kit struggles to hold a charge at the rate they suggest it can. You can also expect the battery to decrease in capacity over several years.
- Product is much smaller than it looks to be in the pictures.
- Does not include any hardware or mounting brackets. If you are wanting to mount it you will need to by the brackets separately.
Conclusion
Solar energy is the way of the future and home, solar kits offer a simple way for many people to start using solar at home today. While all of these complete home solar kits are great in their own way the one that will be the best for most people is the WindyNation Complete 400 Watt Solar Panel Kit.
This home solar kit offers the most middle ground and is great for beginners and experts alike. The WindyNation home solar kit is a great way to get started with solar energy. They offer great customer support, and the kit is easily expanded.
So, if you end up needing more power in the future you can easily make this kit fit that need. Overall if you are looking for a good home solar kit you can’t go wrong with the WindyNation Coomplete 400 Watt Solar kit.
