How many solar panels for a 2,150 sq ft (200 m²) home?

A 2,150 sq ft (200 m²) home is a larger 4-5 bedroom house, usually with central AC, sometimes a pool and possibly an EV. Consumption ranges 12-25 kWh/day depending on appliances. This article targets the highest-consumption residential segment.

Typical consumption breakdown

• Lighting + electronics: 1.5-2 kWh/day
• Kitchen (stove + oven + microwave + dishwasher): 2-3.5 kWh/day
• Laundry (washer + dryer): 1-2 kWh/day
• Central AC or multi-split: 4-8 kWh/day (summer)
• Pool pump (in season): 3-6 kWh/day
• EV (25 mi/day): 5-7 kWh/day

Recommended kit: 6 kW DC

For 15 kWh/day average at 4.5 PSH: 15,000 ÷ 4.5 × 1.3 = 4,333 W minimum. We recommend oversizing to 6-7 kW to handle summer peaks (AC + pool simultaneously). That's 14-16 × 410-450 W panels. With net metering you save $1,700-2,800/year.

Adding storage

For this home, 15-20 kWh of battery is ideal: covers a full night of AC + fridge with margin. 6-8 kW hybrid inverter. Turnkey cost: $16,000-25,000.

Special case: EV at home

Charging an EV nearly doubles solar ROI. A smart solar wallbox tops up the car only when there's surplus. It's the fastest-paying investment of all.

To understand why charging mode matters, read how to charge an EV with home solar. For pool optimisation, see solar panels for pools.