How many solar panels do I need?

Size the solar wattage you need to recharge a power station or cover a daily load, based on your energy use and local sun hours.

How solar panel sizing works

Solar sizing comes down to the watt-hours (Wh) you use per day and how many “peak sun hours” your area gets. Divide your daily Wh by your sun hours, then add ~30% for real-world losses (panel angle, heat, clouds, charge-controller inefficiency) to get the wattage you need. Example: 600 Wh/day ÷ 4 sun hours ≈ 150 W, so a ~200 W panel is a safe pick. Fixed panels beat folding portable ones on cost-per-watt; match the panel’s voltage to your power station’s solar input.

Top picks