How Many Solar Panels To Power the US & Every State? See Full Breakdown

The U.S. consumes a lot of energy, second only to China, but even though the U.S. has clean energy standards that China does not have in place, bringing down emissions from fossil fuels could be assisted by solar energy.

Certainly, building solar grids in places like China and other countries that burn dirty fuel to generate power without regulation would be an excellent solution to a massive amount of carbon emissions.

But, how many solar panels to power the US, and how would replacing current energy structures impact the environment compared to existing ones?

Knowing how much land (eco-cost) and production would be needed to set up solar grids would be the first step. You can also focus on the household energy needs of each state in comparison with the amount of sunlight hours it receives.

This guide breaks down the energy estimations for each state, and explains how many solar panels would be required to replace fossil fuels in the U.S.

How Many Solar Panels Would It Take To Power the US?

The best way to determine how many solar panels to power the US is to account for the daily power consumption of each household.

The EIA states that the country needed about 4 trillion kWh last year; on average, each house uses almost 11,000 kWh annually.

About 20% of this power comes from renewable energy sources like the sun and wind, but according to experts, this rate could rise to 56% by 2050.⁷ Therefore, everyone uses about 33 kWh daily.⁸

Another critical consideration is how much energy the panels produce daily.

Since the country uses about 4,000 billion kWh to sustain its entire population for a year, dividing it by the number of days gives 2,750 million kW.

Therefore, panels must produce the same hourly rate to power the country.

The calculations show that the US will run on 7.85 billion solar panels, emitting 350W an hour. Suppose you consider the considerations when determining how many solar panels you need.

In that case, the country will need more if the massive farm is located in low-sunlight regions or the panels are low quality.

How Many Solar Panels To Power the U.S. By State

Each state has its own specific energy needs. When using household numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of solar panels per state varies as well.

Keep in mind, these number of panels are for households and do not account for business electricity, production and other infrastructure.

State	Number of Households	kWh Electricity	How Many Solar Panels?
Alabama	1,902,983	20,932,813,000	47,574,575
Alaska	260,561	2,866,171,000	6,514,025
Arizona	2,683,557	29,519,127,000	67,088,925
Arkansas	1,158,460	12,743,060,000	28,961,500
California	13,217,586	145,393,446,000	330,439,650
Colorado	2,227,932	24,507,252,000	55,698,300
Connecticut	1,397,324	15,370,564,000	34,933,100
Delaware	381,097	4,192,067,000	9,527,425
Florida	8,157,420	89,731,620,000	203,935,500
Georgia	3,885,371	42,739,081,000	97,134,275

State	Number of Households	kWh Electricity	How Many Solar Panels?
Hawaii	478,413	5,262,543,000	11,960,325
Idaho	657,101	7,228,111,000	16,427,525
Illinois	4,930,255	54,232,805,000	123,256,375
Indiana	2,622,601	28,848,611,000	65,565,025
Iowa	1,275,893	14,034,823,000	31,897,325
Kansas	1,139,738	12,537,118,000	28,493,450
Kentucky	1,748,475	19,233,225,000	43,711,875
Louisiana	1,748,688	19,235,568,000	43,717,200
Maine	571,064	6,281,704,000	14,276,600
Maryland	2,294,270	25,236,970,000	57,356,750

State	Number of Households	kWh Electricity	How Many Solar Panels?
Massachusetts	271,448	2,985,928,000	6,786,200
Michigan	3,976,729	43,744,019,000	99,418,225
Minnesota	2,229,100	24,520,100,000	55,727,500
Mississippi	1,108,670	12,195,370,000	27,716,750
Missouri	2,433,819	26,772,009,000	60,845,475
Montana	436,481	4,801,291,000	10,912,025
Nebraska	766,887	8,435,757,000	19,172,175
Nevada	1,141,952	12,561,472,000	28,548,800
New Hampshire	540,498	5,945,478,000	13,512,450
New Jersey	3,397,156	37,368,716,000	84,928,900

State	Number of Households	kWh Electricity	How Many Solar Panels?
New Mexico	797,596	8,773,556,000	19,939,900
New York	7,530,150	82,831,650,000	188,253,750
North Carolina	4,034,684	44,381,524,000	100,867,100
North Dakota	316,542	3,481,962,000	7,913,550
Ohio	4,754,161	52,295,771,000	118,854,025
Oklahoma	1,503,868	16,542,548,000	37,596,700
Oregon	1,658,091	18,239,001,000	41,452,275
Pennsylvania	5,147,783	56,625,613,000	128,694,575
Rhode Island	426,769	4,694,459,000	10,669,225
South Carolina	1,976,447	21,740,917,000	49,411,175

State	Number of Households	kWh Electricity	How Many Solar Panels?
South Dakota	345,779	3,803,569,000	8,644,475
Tennessee	2,664,791	29,312,701,000	66,619,775
Texas	10,239,341	112,632,751,000	255,983,525
Utah	1,033,651	11,370,161,000	25,841,275
Vermont	262,514	2,887,654,000	6,562,850
Virginia	3,248,528	35,733,808,000	81,213,200
Washington	2,931,841	32,250,251,000	73,296,025
West Virginia	711,352	7,824,872,000	17,783,800
Wisconsin	2,401,818	26,419,998,000	60,045,450
Wyoming	230,653	2,537,183,000	5,766,325

How Many Square Miles of Solar Panels To Power the US?

Estimating how many solar panels to power the US and the size of land they will occupy can be quite complex because there are several more factors to consider. Solar farm income per acre helps estimate earnings from panels based on the land size, but first, you must account for the wattage of each of the panels, the sunlight hours of the location, and other conditions.

Different answers emerge from these assumptions, but experts can estimate everything by comparing it with standard solar panels. First, the 2013 report by NREL (National Renewable Energy Labs) states that you need 3.4 acres of panels to produce one Gigawatt hour for a year.⁹

The US needs four petawatt hours annually, meaning 13,600,000 acres/ 21,250 square miles or panels (Nussey, 2018). It may seem excessive initially, but not when you consider it.

For instance, this is only 145 miles aside from the country’s 3,797,000 square miles, translating to half a percent of the country’s size. Besides, according to experts, the country may need less than that for solar panel installation.

If you take the high solar panel efficiency, maximum sunlight hours in various regions, and massive rooftop coverage, you will realize that the US will run on only 10,000 square miles of solar panels.

How Many Solar Panels To Power the US? Cost and Area Implications

Now that it is clear how many solar panels to power the US, the next automatic question is whether it is practical. Can you fit over 7 billion solar panels in one place and expect them to work effectively to run an entire country?

Unfortunately, it will take more time and expertise to realize this. For one, covering over 10,000 square miles of land can work, but considering the sunlight peak hours.

If in the same region, it will not maximize the full potential of the sunlight hours; the most effective solution would be to disperse the panels across various locations in the country.

Also, considering how much do solar panels cost, you may assume that they will be expensive to install. Luckily, their costs have plummeted over the last few years, making them more affordable.

This endeavor would cost the country about 23 billion dollars but save money in the long run, unlike non-renewable energy sources.

Tesla Solar Roof: A Breakthrough in Solar Energy Tech

Thanks to the high demand and supply of solar power equipment, more and more homeowners opt for renewable energy. Besides, the federal tax credits are also viable, making panel installation more accessible.

Tesla is one of the companies that incorporated solar power into their charging systems. Depending on the car’s model and other factors, charging Tesla with solar panels requires about 10,300 W panels, and you don’t have to use electricity from your home or charging station.

The firm has also dived into the solar panel business and created a unique solar roof that doesn’t stick out like standard solar panels. Anyone can mistake it for a common roof, and the best part is that it comes with a solid 25-year warranty.

It’s a win-win if you want to replace your roof and switch to a clean and more affordable energy source. However, the high price tag is the deal breaker with the Tesla solar roof, and some users argue that it is more expensive than buying a new roof and fitting new solar panels.

The main advantage is that the roof is very effective, producing 95% of its power after five years and more than 85% after 25 years. It makes it highly competitive, unlike warranties from other manufacturers considering how long do solar panels last.

Elon Musk Solar Panels Math

According to Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, the United States can entirely rely on solar power without using massive land. He stated that 20% efficient solar panels could help reduce land use to only 10,000 square miles, almost Lake Erie’s size.⁵

He reiterates that the country can run on solar panels covering a relatively small portion of Texas or Nevada, translating to 100 by 100 miles of land space covered in solar panels. It is equivalent to a small square on the country’s map, and to put it in perspective, it refers to 10% of Rhode Island, the country’s smallest state.

Elon’s calculations also factor in battery storage, making solar power more sustainable and increasing market demand. However, this solar power trend doesn’t account for whether the battery can provide 24/7 power to the entire country and doesn’t consider the maintenance needs and other essentials that will keep the system running.⁶

How Many Solar Panels To Power a House?

You may ask how many solar panels you need to power your house.

The most convenient way is to seek professionals to tell you how many panels you need or use solar panel calculator software online.

Feeding the necessary information will help the systems decide how many panels you need within less than a minute. Alternatively, you can calculate it using a few details.

• Annual Electricity Usage: This rate refers to how much power the house consumes per year, in kilowatt-hours. It is the contribution of all household appliances, and according to the Energy Information Administration,¹ each house uses around 11,000 kWh a year.²
• Panel Wattage: Knowing how much power your panels emit, you can approximate how many of them you need. There are various types of solar panels, and most produce 250-400W or an average of 300W.
• Production Ratios: Another factor to consider is the production ratio regarding the power output and the system’s size.

Multiplying the system size by the production ratio and the panel wattage gives you the approximate number you need. The result is approximately 20-25 panels for each home.

How Many Solar Panels Do I Need?

The most common question from first-time solar panel users is how many solar panels do I need?

The number usually varies based on each user because every household has specific electricity usage.

How much you should buy depends on the factors below.

• Your current electricity bill: If high, you have more electrical appliances or more people at home, meaning you will need more panels.
• Annual power usage: Similarly, if you have a high power usage, you will likely use more solar panels to cater to the high demand.
• Daily sunlight hours: If you have more sunlight in your region, you don’t need as many solar panels as another user receiving fewer hours.
• Roof size: A small roof limits you from installing more solar panels; however, if you have a massive roof, there is more room to set up as many panels as you need.
• Panel efficiency: Dealing with high-quality solar equipment is more convenient since you are certain of a high power output even with fewer panels.

Factors Affecting How Many Solar Panels Are Needed To Power an Average House

The number of solar panels necessary to run your household depends on several factors.

Below are the considerations to make when deciding how many panels to buy.

• Panel Efficiency: Experts recommend having an extra 25% panels on your roof to prepare for fewer sunlight hours or poor weather. You will need more if your region experiences heavy rainfall, snowfall, and cloud cover.
• Panel Wattage: Most panels range between 150-300W, implying that you will need more if you go for the low-quality versions, but you won’t need as much if you have very efficient, high-power options.
• Panel Size: Before buying a solar panel kit, it is crucial to understand the size of standard solar panel because it will help calculate how many will fit on your roof. When consulting with solar power companies, the staff must first measure your roof to determine how many it can accommodate.
• Panel Cost: Your budget is another factor to consider when choosing how many solar panels to use;³ if you want to invest more in the setup, you can buy as many as you want.

What Is the Solar Panel Industry Demand in the USA?

The demand for solar energy globally has increased in the last decade, all thanks to favorable government policies and manufacturing practices. It is a go-to for many homeowners who want to be immune from power outages.

The buying price of solar panels has reduced to 70% over the last few years, leading to increased demand.⁴

Experts also estimate that there will be more installations in the next few years due to government intervention and increased supply: one in seven homes will have a PV system on the roof.

Another advantage of the high demand for solar energy is that it will provide more jobs in the US. Although the sector is yet to reach its potential, there is currently a record high level of solar energy consumption in the country.

Year	Solar Energy Consumption (Trillion Btu)
2006	61
2007	66
2008	74
2009	78
2010	91
2011	112
2012	159
2013	225
2014	337
2015	427
2016	570
2017	777
2018	915
2019	1,017
2020	1,212
2021	1,501

The figures above show that the demand for solar energy has increased over the last decade, with the highest rate recorded in 2021.

How Many Solar Panels To Power the US Vs Grid System

Electricity usually travels through the grid system from power plants to people’s homes. However, in recent years, rolling blackouts are becoming more common.

But, to replace the current system with solar panels would be a massive undertaking. Just to power the residential households is a lot.

Differences Between Solar and Grid Power

Before estimating how many solar panels to power the US, it is crucial to check the ups and downs of this renewable energy compared to grid power.¹⁰

• Ease of Access: While solar energy comes straight to your home by converting sun rays to power, energy from the grid must come from your service provider. Solar is more desirable for some homeowners because they don’t pay for the service and don’t rely on another party for power consumption.
• Installation Cost: The high initial cost is one of the hindrances to more people adopting solar power. You must first buy the full kit (panels, batteries, inverters, etc.) and then call experts to help with installation. Unlike obtaining power from the grid, you no longer have to worry about electricity bills, only invest once, and you can obtain power for decades. Besides, you can also connect solar power and the grid to help offset your other utility bills.
• Renewability: The traditional grid distributes some power from fossil fuels. Renewable energy sources like solar have the ability to continue, but do require more manufacturing.
• Reliability: Solar and grid power has one flaw, weather interruption. Since solar energy comes from the sun, bad weather, like heavy cloud cover and rainfall, can interfere with the panels’ energy output. Similarly, the grid system may also run into issues due to poor weather, leading to outages for hours or days. However, with enough storage in batteries, the solar system can be more reliable.
• Environmental Impact: Some grid power comes from burning fuel, hydro power, and a combination of solar and wind. Although the grid’s carbon footprint is high, regulations that aren’t present in other countries apply, reducing the environmental impact. Solar energy is a cleaner option, but on the downside, you must also consider the carbon footprint solar panels. Panel fabrication is energy-intensive, and the parts can be challenging to recycle.

What Percent of Homes Have Solar Panels?

There was a 0.9% increase in solar energy use by 2016.

According to the EIA, renewable energy accounted for 10% of the country’s total electricity use.

10 states also reported some of the highest rates of solar power usage and more home installations.

State	Solar Capacity (MW)	The Approximate Number of Home Installations
Arizona	5,247	810,751
California	31,873	8,548,370
Florida	7,074	842,897
Georgia	3,069	359,160
Massachusetts	3,263	545,258
Nevada	3,904	672,707
New Jersey	3,653	586,709
New York	2,840	474,848
North Carolina	7,132	859,707
Texas	9,311	1,082,407

As of 2020, the EIA reported that 3.7% of homes and 1.6% of commercial premises in the US had installed solar panels on rooftops.

This power came from solar arrays or small generators.

Here’s the data for both Residential and Commercial solar power distribution.

Region	Residential Solar Power Distribution	Commercial Solar Power Distribution
West	8.9%	3.8%
Northeast	4.7%	2.5%
South	1.7%	0.6%
Midwest	1.4%	0.8%

The number of solar panels an individual or household needs usually depends on how much electricity they use.

For instance, you will need more if you have a high utility bill and annual power usage because the panels will provide more power.

Additionally, you will need more panels if your region receives fewer sunlight hours or the kit or brand is low-quality and inefficient.

How Many Solar Panels To Power the World?

If you are wondering how many solar panels to power the world, the IEA estimated 23,696 TWh of power usage worldwide in 2017, equivalent to 64.92 TWh daily.

If there were 3.5 hours of sunlight daily, the world would need 18.54 TW of solar power.

Assuming the solar panels are rated at 350W, the world would need roughly 51.428 billion solar panels. Additionally, if 4 acres can accommodate a 1MW plant, 74.16 million acres of land would be required to power the planet.

How Much Power Does a Solar Panel Produce?

If you are wondering how much power does a solar panel produce, you need to know the power output of solar panels depends on the brand and quality.

However, most top manufacturers design theirs to emit 250-400 Watts an hour with a 1-4kW capacity.

Therefore, the higher the panel quality, the higher its power output. With the world gradually opting for cleaner and renewable energy, it is no wonder stakeholders are considering what it takes to power an entire country using solar energy.

The fossil fuel reserves will soon deplete, and switching to alternative energy sources is the best solution. Luckily, a country as massive as the US only has to spare less than 1% of its total land space to accommodate solar panels that will generate power for all the states.

This way, the pressure on the national grid system will reduce as more people access more affordable power. The best way to calculate how much the country needs is to consider household power usage.

This way, it will be easier to estimate how many solar panels to power the US according to the current population.

Frequently Asked Questions About How Many Solar Panels To Power the US