How many solar panels for a 200 m2 house?

To determine how many solar panels are needed for a 200 m² house, you must first accurately estimate its energy consumption . On average, a house of this size occupied by a family of 4 people consumes between 4500 and 5000 kWh of electricity per year.

However, this figure can vary significantly depending on several factors such as the number and energy performance of electrical appliances, the type of heating and hot water production, the quality of the house's insulation, the geographical location and climate zone as well as the lifestyle and consumption habits of the occupants.

To obtain a more detailed and personalized estimate, it is recommended to consult your electricity bills from recent years or to carry out a complete energy audit of the house. This allows you to analyze in detail the actual electricity consumption of the home and to identify the most energy-intensive items as well as potential sources of energy savings.

This step is essential to optimally size the power and surface area of ​​the photovoltaic solar panels to be installed. The higher the electricity consumption, the greater the number and power of solar panels required to cover the energy needs of the house. Conversely, a very energy-efficient house may be able to make do with a more modest and less expensive solar installation to cover needs such as hot water production.

If you want to know more for a smaller surface area such as: how many solar panels for a 150m2 house , do not hesitate to read our article.

How to calculate the number of solar panels needed?

Once the annual electricity consumption of the 200 m² house is known, several technical parameters are taken into account to calculate precisely how many solar panels are needed:

• The peak power of photovoltaic panels , expressed in kWp (kilowatt-peak), which corresponds to the maximum electrical power delivered in optimal sunlight conditions.
• The sunshine in the region , measured in kWh/m²/year, which depends on the geographical location and local climatic conditions. For example, the regions in the south of France benefit from more sunshine than those in the north.
• The orientation and inclination of the roof , which influence the amount of solar energy captured by the panels. The ideal is a roof orientation due south with an inclination of 30° to optimize electricity production.
• The efficiency of solar panels , which takes into account losses linked to equipment (inverters, cables) and actual conditions of use (shade, dirt, temperature).

To get an initial estimate of the number of solar panels needed, the Oscaro Power solar configurator available online allows you to simulate and adapt an installation to your home and roof, regardless of the installation location, creating a no-obligation quote for you before a possible purchase. The configurator takes into account the various parameters mentioned above to give a range of the number and power of panels to install based on the electricity consumption reported.

As a general rule, it is considered that approximately 6 m² of solar panels are needed to produce 1 kWp of installed power. This value may vary slightly depending on the technical characteristics of the panels used. A solar panel will occupy 2m² on your roof, representing between 0.415kWp / 415Wp and 0.445kWp / 445Wp on average.

How many solar panels for a 200 m² house?

Based on an average electricity consumption of 4500 kWh per year, a 200 m² house located in a moderately sunny region such as Brittany (1350 kWh/m²/year) will need a solar installation with a power of around 3 to 4 kWc, i.e. a photovoltaic solar panel surface area of ​​between 18 and 24 m² to cover these energy production needs.

This represents in concrete terms between 9 and 12 solar panels with a unit surface area of ​​2 m² and a power of 400 Wc (Watt-peak). This sizing makes it possible to cover the majority of the electrical needs of the house in self-consumption with the possibility of reselling the surplus production to the network.

For the same 200 m² house located this time in the south of France, which benefits from more generous sunshine of around 1800 kWh/m²/year, the power of the required solar installation will be lower, around 2.5 to 3 kWc. The surface area of ​​photovoltaic solar panels required will then be between 15 and 18 m², or between 8 and 10 panels of 2 m² and 400 Wc.

These estimates are given as an indication to provide a realistic order of magnitude. For a precise and optimized sizing of the solar installation, adapted to the specific characteristics of the house and the self-consumption project with sale of the surplus, it is recommended to use the Oscaro Power configurator. Our solar experts are also available in case of questions or verification needs and discuss the various factors that can impact your installation and your consumption, as well as put together a quality kit with you for your roof or other installation location.

Our configurator and our experts will carry out an in-depth study to more precisely assess the power and number of solar panels required depending on the configuration of the roof (orientation, inclination, shadows), the desired production and energy autonomy objectives, as well as the technical and regulatory constraints to be respected, and will give you a purchase price for your project to allow rapid implementation of your photovoltaic project.

How profitable is a solar installation for a 200 m² house?

Thanks to the significant drop in the price of photovoltaic solar panels in recent years, solar energy has become an increasingly attractive and competitive solution for individuals, allowing them to save on their bills and gain energy autonomy to supply the household's electricity needs.

For a 200 m² house, the total cost of a self-installed solar installation project generally varies between €2,700 and €3,500 including tax , depending on many factors such as the installed power, the number of panels, the choice of inverter and the type of fixing, as well as the complexity of the installation and the constraints specific to the building (type of panel, roof, accessibility, additional work required). The quality of Oscaro Power products is always ensured through a selection of experts adapted to individuals as well as a professional.

You can also create a quote without obligation online with our photovoltaic configurator before making your purchase. The cost of a photovoltaic panel project installed by a professional can represent between €8,000 and €15,000 including tax on quote, for an equivalent energy and kWc/kwh production, and aid deducted, but allowing resale on the network to EDF with obligation to purchase at a fixed price over 20 years.

Economically, a self-consumption photovoltaic installation can reduce the electricity bill by at least 50% on average thanks to the self-consumption of the electricity produced and the resale of the surplus to the electricity network. The gain can even be higher if you optimize your electricity consumption or if you have an advantageous network sales contract with a specific supplier, for example with our ôPtimum offer in partnership with Ekwateur, which also includes administrative assistance. The price of the resale of your surplus can vary depending on the supplier, such as EDF in purchase obligation, Ekwateur or another electricity supplier.

Under these conditions, the return on investment time of a solar installation for a 200 m² home is generally between 4 and 6 years depending on the case. Beyond this period, a solar panel and its installation are fully profitable and continue to generate substantial savings for at least 30 years, the performance guarantees of the solar panels available from us being in this range. It is thus estimated that the overall economic gain over 25 years is of the order of €15,000 to €25,000 for a house of this size.

Beyond financial profitability, a solar installation for the roof of your home also brings real ecological value by contributing to the energy transition and the fight against climate change. It significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions linked to the household's electricity consumption and participates in the development of renewable energies with solar panels at affordable prices.

Finally, solar panels represent a sustainable investment that enhances real estate assets in the long term. A house equipped with a photovoltaic installation benefits from better energy performance , increased comfort and a green value that are increasingly sought after by buyers. It is therefore a wise and forward-looking choice for owners wishing to reconcile savings, ecology and profitability.