A 10kW solar power system is one of the largest residential solar power systems you can install in your home. You will need a big roof to fit all the solar panels and an even larger electricity bill to save.
A 10kW solar power system produces 40kWh of electricity per day on average and can run the appliances of a very large 5+ bedroom home, including all lights, televisions, laptops, refrigerators, washer, dryer, central air conditioning and a pool pump.
Below is a breakdown of the watt usage of each individual household appliance, its average daily usage in hours and total watts consumed. All of the below can be handled by a 10kW solar system.
What Can You Run With a 10kW Solar Power System?
With the 40kWh per day produced by this system, you can run many electrical appliances in a 4 to 6 bedroom house.
| Appliance | Watts per hour | Avg hours used daily | Total watts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lights for 5 bedroom home (10 x 7 watt LED lights [60W equivalent per globe]) | 70 | 6 | 420 |
| 2 x LCD televisions | 60 | 5 | 300 |
| 2 x Laptops | 200 | 6 | 1,200 |
| Microwave | 1500 | 0.3 | 450 |
| Dishwasher | 1800 | 1.5 | 2,700 |
| Freezer | 42 | 24 | 1,000 |
| Refrigerator | 35 | 24 | 900 |
| Central air conditioner | 3200 | 3 | 9,600 |
| Wifi | 6 | 24 | 144 |
| Pool pumps | 2000 | 8 | 16,000 |
| Washing machine | 500 | 0.5 | 250 |
| Clothes dryer | 4000 | 0.3 | 1,050 |
| Total | 34,000 |
Note: Daily hours are calculated by taking the average weekly usage and dividing by 7 days. For example with clothes dryer use, 71.8% of households own a clothes dryer, and 74.4% of people use the clothes dryer for every load. With the average house doing 2.5 loads per week and time per load being 1 hour each time, average 2 hours per week and 0.3 of an hour per day. Also, in the chart above, 1 hours is represented as “1”, where 30 minutes is represented as 0.5 hours. Daily watt figures sourced from energyusecalculator.com.
How Much Power Does a 10kW Solar Power System Produce?
A 10kW solar power system produces 40kWh of electricity per day, enough to power two average-sized homes or one large home. An average household in Australia consumes 20kWh to 22kWh of power per day. Therefore, a 10kW solar system is fit for a large house with numerous appliances or a small business of any kind.
If your home is connected to the grid, you will be able to take advantage of a feed-in tariff to send excess power to the grid during the day and draw on it at night. An oversized system will further reduce your power bill as the excess power produced may be more than you draw again at night.
How Much Roof Space Does a 10kW Solar Power System Require?
To install a 10kW solar power system on your roof, you need at least 51 square metres of north-facing roof space.
To produce 10,000 watts of power, you need 30 x 340 watt solar panels on your roof. The dimensions of a typical solar panel is 1m x 1.7m which is 1.7m².
Roof Space needed: 1.7m² x 30 panels = 51m²
Is a 10kW Solar Power System the Best Size for Me?
Choosing a solar system for your home depends on how much power you consume or are likely to consume in the future. For instance, if you are planning to buy an electric car, you will have a higher electricity consumption since you may install a charger for it at home.
If you have a large house with a pool and central air, then you may consume a large amount of power. In this case, the 10kW system may be right for you. If you have low power needs, or have children who will be leaving home in the next few years, 10kW might be overkill.
The best way to calculate the correct size system is to take your last quarterly power bill, divide by 3 to get your month's power usage in kiloWatts (which you can find on your power bill) and then divide by 30 days. This will give you your average daily usage. If this is around 35 - 40kWh, then a 10Kw solar system might be for you. If it is closer to 20kWh, then a 5kW system might be best.
Can You Go Off-Grid With a 10kW Solar Power System?
You can go off-grid with a 10kW solar system whether your daily electricity consumption is equal to or less than the power it produces, and you have enough battery power to store 3 - 5 days worth of power.
When choosing to go off-grid with this system, there are some factors you need to consider. First, location. Does the location of your house receive sufficient sunshine for your solar system to produce power effectively and efficiently?
Second, also related to location, is the placement of your solar panels. Are they shaded, or are they in the open to receive sunshine freely?
Invite your chosen solar panel installer to your home before any installation for a free inspection and solar quote. An inspection allows them to identify the layout of the house and available roof space. They can also identify where to place the solar panels for efficient production.
When going off-grid, the most expensive part is the battery storage. As battery technology is still developing, it will come down in cost, but at the moment, you will be paying a high price, and they only come with a ten-year warranty, at which point they will need to be replaced.
There are rebates on batteries in some states like Queensland and South Australia. Still, if you can stay grid-tied for a backup, you will save a lot of money as you will only need to purchase a battery backup to store 70% of your daily usage and draw on the grid if it rains for a week straight.
FAQ’s
How Much Does a 10kW Solar Power System Cost?
A 10kW solar system costs from $9,000 to $15,000 with the average Australian paying $10,750. How much you will pay will depend on the solar installer you use and the type of solar panels and accessories you buy. The higher the quality of the solar system, the more you will pay. The skill and installation price charged by your solar installer may also cause you to pay prices on the higher end of the price range of this system.
How Long Does It Take for a 10kW Solar Power System To Pay for Itself?
It normally takes 3 to 5 years to recover the amount spent purchasing and installing the system. Use this calculator to calculate the payback period of your system here quickly. This is a great ROI as most systems come with a 25-year warranty, so you can enjoy cheap power for years to come.
Is The Solar Rebate Reducing?
The solar rebate reduces by 1/15 every year until 2030, when it will be phased out. Similarly, the price of solar systems is also reducing. The price of the 10kW solar system provided is inclusive of the rebate.
Buy your solar system now to enjoy high rates of rebates and faster payback periods. The longer you wait, the lower the rebate goes. Additionally, the longer your payback period will become.
Does the Location of Your Home Determine How Much Power You Produce?
Yes, it does. Depending on where you live, a 10kW solar system may produce more or less than the expected power. In Perth, a 10kW solar system produces 44kWh, while in Melbourne, it produces 36kWh. At the same time, a 10kW system is expected to produce 40kWh of electric power.
How much electricity your 10kW solar system produces depends on your location and the season. In areas that enjoy more hours of sunshine, the system will produce more electric power than in colder locations. During winter or on days with less sunlight, the system will produce less electricity.
Article provided courtesy of GoSolarQuotes - gosolarquotes.com.au
If you're considering purchasing a 10kW solar power system in 2022-23, you will need a good amount of roof space to mount the solar panels, and to make it worthwhile, your power bill would also need to be considerably high. Perhaps you already own an electric vehicle or are considering purchasing one.
