Solar Applications
Solar panel sizing and setup guides for specific use cases beyond whole-house solar. How many panels to charge an EV? Can solar run your air conditioner? What does an RV solar system need? How do you power a well pump with solar?
Each guide includes an interactive calculator tailored to the specific application, plus wiring diagrams and component recommendations. The RV Solar Calculator is the most popular tool in this section.
All 42 Articles
How Many Solar Panels To Charge A Tesla? (By Daily Miles, Not Battery Size)
You don't charge a Tesla from empty every day. The real question is how many panels offset your daily driving. At 37 miles/day (U.S. average commute), a Tesla Model 3 needs ~9 kWh/day — about 3 × 410W panels. Full math for every Tesla model, charger type, and 2026 cost.
Read article →Refrigerator Wattage By Size: How Many Watts Does Your Fridge Use?
Complete refrigerator wattage chart by type and size. Mini fridge, top-freezer, bottom-freezer, side-by-side, French door, and chest freezer with running watts, average watts, annual kWh, and solar sizing.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels to Run a Window Air Conditioner? (Calculator + Examples)
A window AC uses 2-5.6 kWh per day depending on size. You need 2-4 standard 400W solar panels at 5 peak sun hours. Full off-grid and grid-tied sizing guide.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels to Run a Well Pump? (Calculator + Examples)
A well pump uses 0.5-6 kWh per day depending on well depth and usage. You need 1-4 standard 400W solar panels at 5 peak sun hours. Full sizing guide.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels to Run an Electric Water Heater? (Calculator + Examples)
A 50-gallon electric water heater uses 13.5-18 kWh per day. You need 9-12 standard 400W solar panels at 5 peak sun hours. Heat pump water heaters use one-third the energy.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels to Run a Washing Machine? (Calculator + Examples)
A typical washing machine uses 0.5 kWh per load. You need 1 standard 400W solar panel at 5 peak sun hours. Full off-grid and grid-tied sizing guide.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels to Run a 55-Inch LED TV? (Calculator + Examples)
A 55-inch LED TV uses 0.3-0.6 kWh per day. One 400W solar panel easily covers it -- even with a sound bar, streaming device, and gaming console. Full guide.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels to Run a Tankless Water Heater (Electric)? (Calculator + Examples)
An electric tankless water heater uses 6-12 kWh per day despite its 18,000-36,000W demand. You need 4-8 standard 400W solar panels at 5 peak sun hours, but the massive surge makes off-grid very difficult.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels to Run a Space Heater? (Calculator + Examples)
A space heater uses 4.5-12 kWh per day depending on wattage and runtime. You need 3-8 standard 400W solar panels at 5 peak sun hours. Heat pumps are 3x more efficient.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels to Run a Refrigerator? (Calculator + Examples)
A typical refrigerator uses 1.19 kWh per day. You need 1 standard 400W solar panel at 5 peak sun hours. Full off-grid and grid-tied sizing guide.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels to Run a Portable Air Conditioner? (Calculator + Examples)
A portable AC uses 3.6-5.6 kWh per day. You need 3-4 standard 400W solar panels at 5 peak sun hours. Full off-grid and grid-tied sizing guide.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels to Run a Pool Pump? (Calculator + Examples)
A single-speed pool pump uses 8-30 kWh per day. You need 2-4 panels for a variable-speed pump or 8-15 for single-speed. Full sizing guide with off-grid and grid-tied options.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels to Run a Microwave? (Calculator + Examples)
A typical microwave uses 0.3-0.6 kWh per day. You need 1 standard 400W solar panel at 5 peak sun hours. Full off-grid and grid-tied sizing guide.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels to Run a Hot Tub? (Calculator + Examples)
A hot tub uses 4-6 kWh per day for maintenance heating. You need 3-4 standard 400W solar panels at 5 peak sun hours. Do not size for initial heat-up (20-40 kWh).
Read article →How Many Solar Panels to Run a Heat Pump? (Calculator + Examples)
A central heat pump uses 5-15 kWh per day depending on size and climate. You need 4-10 standard 400W solar panels at 5 peak sun hours. Full off-grid and grid-tied sizing guide.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels to Run an Upright Freezer? (Calculator + Examples)
A typical upright freezer uses 1.5 kWh per day. You need 1 standard 400W solar panel at 5 peak sun hours. Full off-grid and grid-tied sizing guide.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels to Run a Level 2 EV Charger (240V)? (Calculator + Examples)
A Level 2 EV charger draws 7,200-19,200W, but daily energy depends on driving -- not charger size. Average: 10-15 kWh/day, needing 7-10 solar panels.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels to Run a Level 1 EV Charger (120V)? (Calculator + Examples)
A Level 1 EV charger uses 11-17 kWh per day at full overnight charging. You need 7-12 standard 400W solar panels at 5 peak sun hours. Full sizing guide.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels to Run an Electric Oven/Range? (Calculator + Examples)
An electric oven/range uses 2-5 kWh per day during typical cooking. You need 2-3 standard 400W solar panels at 5 peak sun hours. Full sizing guide.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels to Run an Electric Dryer? (Calculator + Examples)
A typical electric dryer uses 3.0 kWh per load. You need 2-3 standard 400W solar panels at 5 peak sun hours. Full off-grid and grid-tied sizing guide.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels to Run a Dishwasher? (Calculator + Examples)
A typical dishwasher uses 1.8 kWh per cycle. You need 1-2 standard 400W solar panels at 5 peak sun hours. Full off-grid and grid-tied sizing guide.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels to Run a Desktop Computer? (Calculator + Examples)
A typical desktop PC with monitor uses 1.5-4.0 kWh per day. You need 1-3 standard 400W solar panels at 5 peak sun hours. Full off-grid and grid-tied guide.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels to Run a Dehumidifier? (Calculator + Examples)
A typical dehumidifier uses 3.0-5.0 kWh per day depending on size. You need 2-4 standard 400W solar panels at 5 peak sun hours. Full sizing guide.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels to Run a 3-Ton Central Air Conditioner? (Calculator + Examples)
A 3-ton central AC uses 12-14 kWh per day. You need 8-10 standard 400W solar panels at 5 peak sun hours. Full off-grid and grid-tied sizing guide.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels To Charge A Tesla Model Y? (Calculator + Math)
A Tesla Model Y needs 10-12 kWh/day for average driving (37 miles/day). That requires 8-10 x 400W solar panels at 5 peak sun hours. Full efficiency breakdown, Model Y vs Model 3 comparison, and cost analysis.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels To Charge A Tesla Model 3? (Calculator + Math)
A Tesla Model 3 needs 9-11 kWh/day for average driving (37 miles/day). That requires 7-9 x 400W solar panels at 5 peak sun hours. Full math breakdown, cost comparison (solar vs grid), and charging setup guide.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels For A Level 2 EV Charger? (240V, 7-19 kW)
A Level 2 EV charger needs 10-15 kWh/day of solar for average commuting. That requires 8-12 x 400W panels at 5 peak sun hours. Guide covers charger amperage sizing, why you don't need to match instantaneous power, and how net metering makes solar + EV work.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels For An RV? (Calculator + Complete Sizing Guide)
An RV typically uses 3-8 kWh/day depending on usage. You need 2-6 x 400W panels at 5 peak sun hours. Full sizing guide by RV class, boondocking vs campground, battery sizing, and component recommendations.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels For A Tiny House? (Off-Grid And Grid-Tied)
A tiny house needs 3-6 solar panels (400W) for 3-6 kWh/day. Complete sizing guide for off-grid and grid-tied setups with battery bank, charge controller, and inverter recommendations.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels For A Shed? (Workshop, Office, Or Storage)
A shed needs 1-5 solar panels depending on use: 1 panel for basic lighting, 2-3 for a home office, 3-5 for a workshop with power tools. Complete guide covering grid-tied vs off-grid, mounting options, and permit requirements.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels For A Greenhouse? (Heating, Fans, And Lighting)
A greenhouse needs 4-10 solar panels depending on automation level. Ventilation fans and water pumps need 2-4 panels. Add grow lights and heating and you need 6-10+. Guide covers panel placement, seasonal sizing, and why solar thermal may beat PV for heating.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels For A Camper Van? (Complete Van Solar Guide)
A camper van typically needs 2-4 kWh/day. You need 2-4 x 200W panels (or 2 x 400W rigid panels) depending on your energy use. Full sizing guide with component list, mounting options, and budget breakdown.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels For An Off-Grid Cabin? (Complete Sizing Guide)
An off-grid cabin needs 4-8 solar panels (400W) for 5-10 kWh/day. Complete sizing guide with battery bank, charge controller, inverter, and full equipment list for $3,000-$8,000.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels For A 3,000 Sq Ft House? (Calculator + Guide)
A 3,000 sq ft house needs 20-30 solar panels (400W each) to offset 1,200-1,600 kWh/month. Full sizing guide with cost breakdown, roof space needs, and why larger homes vary more.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels For A 2,000 Sq Ft House? (Calculator + Guide)
A 2,000 sq ft house needs 15-20 solar panels (400W each) to offset 900-1,100 kWh/month. Complete sizing guide with cost, roof space, and climate zone factors.
Read article →Heat Pump Wattage Chart: How Many Watts By Size And Type (2026)
Complete heat pump wattage chart by tonnage and type. Mini-split, ducted, and geothermal heat pumps from 1-ton to 5-ton with running watts, surge watts, and solar panel sizing.
Read article →Appliance Wattage Chart: 60 Common Appliances (2026)
Complete wattage chart for 60 household appliances with daily kWh estimates.
Read article →Air Conditioner Wattage By Tonnage: Complete AC Power Chart (2026)
AC wattage by tonnage from 1-ton to 5-ton. Window, portable, mini-split, and central air conditioner power draw with running watts, surge watts, EER/SEER ratings, and solar panel sizing.
Read article →Solar Powered Well Pump: Complete Sizing And Installation Guide (+ Calculator)
A shallow well (25–75 ft) needs 2–4 solar panels (400W). A deep well (200–500 ft) needs 6–12 panels. Interactive calculator for well depth, daily gallons, and pump type. Covers direct-drive vs battery-buffered systems, submersible vs surface pumps, sump pumps, installation steps, kit components, and cost breakdown.
Read article →Solar Panels For EV Charging: How Many Panels To Charge Your Electric Car? (2026)
Most EVs need 6–9 solar panels (410 W each) to offset the average 37 mile/day commute. Solar EV driving costs $0.035/mile — 4× cheaper than gas. Full EV model comparison (Tesla, Chevy, Ford, Hyundai, VW), home setup guide, portable solar reality check, golf cart charging, and solar vs gas vs grid cost breakdown.
Read article →RV Solar Calculator: How Much Solar Do You Need For Your RV? (+ Setup Guide)
A typical RV needs 200–800 W of solar panels depending on usage. Light use (lights, fridge, phone) needs 200–400 W. Add a laptop and TV: 400–600 W. Running AC requires 800–1,600 W+. Interactive calculator with appliance checklist, battery sizing, charge controller recommendation, and cost estimate.
Read article →How Many Solar Panels To Run An Air Conditioner? (Calculator + Size Chart)
A window AC needs 2–3 solar panels (400W). A 3-ton central AC needs 10–14 panels. Full chart by AC type and size, the formula with duty cycle, startup surge explained, RV AC sizing, mini-split vs central efficiency, and tips to reduce the panels needed.
Read article →More Topics
How solar panels convert sunlight to electricity, panel types (monocrystalline, polycrystalline, thin-film), datasheet specs (STC, NOCT, NMOT), efficiency, voltage, and everything you need to understand before buying.
Free solar calculators for system sizing: how many panels for your house, output by system size, rooftop fit, tilt angle optimization, and daily kWh production. NREL PVWatts-based formulas.
How much solar panels cost, how much they save, the 30% federal tax credit, lease vs buy comparison, net metering explained, home value impact, and the all-in-one solar savings calculator.
Battery sizing calculator, LiFePO4 guide, MPPT vs PWM charge controllers, wiring panels to batteries, charge time calculators, and Tesla Powerwall specs. Everything for battery-based solar systems.
Complete solar panel installation guide: DIY vs professional, step-by-step process, permits, roof mount vs ground mount, series vs parallel wiring, and string inverter vs microinverter comparison.
How to maintain solar panels for maximum lifetime production: cleaning, monitoring, degradation tracking, performance in snow and clouds, and when to call a professional.