Support Centre for Homeowners

A typical home needs between 17 and 21 solar panels to cover 100 percent of its electricity usage. The number of panels you'll need to install depends on your geographic location, panel efficiency, panel-rated power, and personal energy consumption habits. While the answer isn't always simple, we've put together some example cases to help you understand how many solar panels you might need to install an effective home solar system.

To maximize system production. Trees, plants, rooftop antennas, satellite dishes, and other obstructions can block the sunlight from reaching the panels. If any portion of the panel is shaded, your system will produce electricity at a reduced level. Should you need to trim vegetation or move objects that might shade the panels, please do so during the daylight hours and use caution.

A solar energy system typically comprises components such as solar panels, an inverter, batteries (if desired), and a grid connection (where relevant). Our installer partners will meet with you to design your system based on your needs and wishes.

With a string inverter there is a single point of failure. If the string inverter fails, the entire array is offline. However, with a microinverter each individual PV module has its own dedicated inverter. If the microinverter (or the associated PV module) should fail. only that PV module is offline while the remainder of the system continues to operate.​ Enphase microinverters have a publicly stated defect rate of 0.05%, which equates to 1 in 2000. Given that the Enphase defect rate is better than most string inverters, this results in a PV installation with higher reliability and a higher overall system uptime over the life of the array.

Additionally, Enphase microinverters have an estimated useful life of more than 25 years, compared with string inverters that typically last around 10 years.

If the microinverter (or the associated PV module) should fail, only that PV module is offline. The remainder of the system continues to operate as normal – a key benefit of AC modules.​

All AC module installations must be Internet connected for the monitoring to receive the 25-year microinverter warranty. This Internet connection reports data to the Enphase monitoring platform, Enlighten on a per microinverter/module basis. The performance of each microinverter and module is visible to the installer via Enlighten and alerts are provided for any faulty equipment, such as an under-performing PV module or a faulty microinverter.