Last updated: September 19th, 2025 at 06:19 am
When you are planning to invest thousands of pounds in solar, you must have the answer to this tricky question: “How many solar panels do I need for my home?”
Installing the right number of solar panels is the key to saving big on your energy bills. If you get the wrong number, it can either increase the upfront cost of your solar system or limit your savings.
Therefore, you need to install the right number of solar panels. Not too many, and not fewer than your energy needs.
An average home in the UK typically requires 6-12 solar panels to meet its average electricity consumption of 1,800 kWh to 2,700 kWh. But the exact number depends on several factors. Before buying solar panels, it’s essential to understand what actually influences the number of panels needed for your home.
- Your annual energy consumption
- Your household size
- Available roof space
- The sunlight hours your home receives each day
- The size of each solar panel
- The efficiency rate of the solar panels you want to install
Generally speaking, a home with two bedrooms needs about six solar panels. A 3-bedroom home, on average, needs approximately 10 solar panels. Larger homes with higher consumption may need 14 panels or more.
These panels are enough to run your home appliances, lower your electricity bills, make your home carbon-free, and reduce your reliance on the grid.
And if this sounds complicated, don’t worry. MAK Energy can do the calculations for you, free of charge.
In this blog, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know so you can finally answer the big question: “How many solar panels does my home need?”
How many solar panels do I need for a Home?
As we have mentioned earlier, in the UK, a 1–2-bedroom house, on average, needs 6 solar panels. With a 3-bedroom home size, the required number of panels will increase to 10, while a 5-bedroom home typically needs 14 panels(450W).
| Size of a home | Required Solar System size | Annual Electricity Usage | Number of solar panels (350W) | Number of solar panels (450W) |
| 1-2 bedroom | 2-3kW | 1,700- 1,800kWh | 5 – 8 | 4 – 6 |
| 2-3 bedroom | 4-5kW | 2,500- 2,700kWh | 10 – 13 | 8 – 10 |
| 4-5 bedroom | 6kW | 4,000, 4,100kWh | 15 – 16 | 12 – 14 |
No matter what size home you live in, the panels will generate enough to meet your home’s electricity usage by almost 50 %, or more, if you don’t leave home so often.
If you install the solar panel without a battery, 50% of the electricity goes to waste.
But with Smart Export Guarantee, you can sell back that 50% to the grid and get paid for that electricity.
How to Calculate the Number of Solar Panels You Need?
Calculating the required number of solar panels is as easy as dividing two numbers. For that, first find out how much electricity you use annually. You can check your electricity usage on your energy bills or ask your electricity supplier to provide the number. Then divide that number by the yearly production of a solar panel.
On average in the UK, a solar panel produces approximately 3.2Wh per day per watt. You can multiply the wattage of your panel size by the per-watt production to get the average electricity production of a single panel.
A 350W panel will produce 395 kWh per year, while a 450W panel produces 508 kWh of electricity on average.
Now divide these numbers by your yearly electricity consumption. The result will show the number of panels you require.
Calculation Formula:
Number of solar panels = Your annual electricity usage ÷ annual electricity production of one panel
5 Major Factors That Influence the Number of Solar Panels You Need
Before you determine how many solar panels you need, you need to understand the following five factors that actually influence the required number of solar panels for a home in the UK.
- Your annual energy consumption
- Your household size
- Available roof space
- The sunlight hours your home receives each day
- The size of the solar panel
1. Annual Electricity Consumption
The average electricity consumption for a home in the UK falls between 1,800 kWh and 4,100 kWh.
If you consume 1,800 kWh annually and live in a 2-bedroom home, you need 6 solar panels.
For homes using 2,700 kWh, which is common in the UK, 10 solar panels are needed. The larger the house, the more solar panels are required to meet the annual energy consumption.
2. The number of Sunlight hours your home receives every day
The UK weather isn’t ideal for solar panels because of the limited sunlight hours. But the country still gets an average of 4 sunlight hours per day.
The more sunlight your panels receive, the fewer panels you’ll need. On average, solar panels generate about 70% of their maximum wattage:
- A 350W panel typically produces 245W in real conditions.
- A 450W panel produces about 315W.
In ideal conditions, they can reach their full capacity, but that’s rare in the UK.
3. How much of your roof space is available?
Do you have enough space to install the required number of solar panels? To install a single 350-watt panel, a surface area of 2 m² is required.
For a 2-bedroom home, an area of 8 m² to 16 m² is needed; for 3 bedrooms, 16 m² to 26 m²; and for larger homes of 4–5 bedrooms, a minimum of 26 m² to 32 m² of surface area is required.
Therefore, it is essential to measure your available roof space first. If the required area isn’t available, you don’t need to worry. You can install the panels in your garden or backyard
| Household type | Typical system size | Number of panels (avg.) | Roof space needed | Estimated Cost |
| Compact (1–2 bedrooms) | 2–3 kW | 4–8 panels | 8–16 m² | £3,800 – £5,700 |
| Medium (2–3 bedrooms) | 4–5 kW | 8-13 panels | 16–26 m² | £6,600 – £9,100 |
| Large (4–5 bedrooms) | 6 kW | 13–16 panels | 26–32 m² | £10,000 – £12,200 |
4. Size and Efficiency of your solar panels
When it comes to solar panels, you’ll find plenty of types, brands, and models out there, but the two names that always stand out are monocrystalline and polycrystalline.
Monocrystalline panels are the ones that come with the highest efficiency rate among all panels. They produce electricity at an efficiency rate between 20% and 23%. If you choose mono panels, you will definitely need a lower number.
Polycrystalline panels’ efficiency tends to be between 16% and 18%, which means you will need a higher number of solar panels.
5. How big is your home?
The number of people living in a house is another factor that influences how many solar panels are required. If more than six people live in a home, the electricity consumption is higher than that of an average household.
This usually means the home has at least 5–6 bedrooms, and such houses typically require more than 16 solar panels.
Are there any restrictions on how many solar panels a home can have?
You can install as many solar panels as you want. But your solar power should not exceed the maximum limit of 3.68 kW for residential areas and 11 kW for commercial regions if you don’t have a three-phase electricity supply. For a bigger system size, you will have to get permission from your Distribution Network Operator (DNO) first.
Is it worth buying a small solar system to reduce the upfront cost?
If the smaller system produces enough to meet your energy consumption, it’s an excellent idea. However, if you are still buying electricity from the grid after installing it, it’s not a worthwhile idea, especially when you plan to save money on electricity bills. You will save very little, and the break-even point will be higher than average.
Summing It Up
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for all homes when it comes to solar panels. The number of solar panels needed for a home is based on the house size, electricity consumption, roof space, the number of sunlight hours a home receives, and solar panel size. However, an average home in the UK needs 6-12 solar panels. For larger homes, the need for the panels will automatically increase.
FAQs
1. How many solar panels do I need for 800kwh per month?
In the UK, you will need between an 8 kW and a 9 kW system. This number is an estimate since many factors can affect how many solar panels you need.
2. How many solar panels do I need for a typical 3-bedroom home in the UK?
On average, a 3-bedroom home needs around 10 solar panels, depending on energy usage, panel type, and roof space.
3. Can I install solar panels if my roof doesn’t have enough space?
Yes, if your roof space is limited, panels can also be installed in your garden or backyard.
