Ultimate Guide to 12kW Solar System: Basics, Cost & Electricity

A 12kW solar system with high power generation ability of up to 60kWh is the right choice if you need to power a large home or commercial property. It requires around 30-40 solar panels (300-400W) and a $30,000-$40,000 investment to set up a 12kW solar system. But before building a 12kW solar system, you must account for multiple factors like your energy usage, roof space, location, and others. Irrespective, it requires a high upfront investment.

If this offsets your budget by a few thousand dollars but you need such an amount of energy, Jackery Solar Generators are a great choice. Despite being affordable compared to rooftop solar panels, they are portable, quiet, and safer than traditional solar systems. They offer a host of benefits, including energy independence, cost savings, and reducing the carbon footprint.

Key Takeaways

• 12kW solar system is a high-output power generation system suitable for large homes and offices.
• You need around 30-40 solar panels (300W) to make a 12kW solar power system.
• With 35 solar panels installed, a 12kW solar array generates up to 30-66kWh electricity per day.
• Such a solar system suits most appliances, including refrigerators, heaters, dryers, and even EV vehicles.
• The average investment should stay between $30,000 and $40,000.  

What Is A 12kW Solar System?

A 12kW solar system is a power generation setup capable of generating up to 60kWh of electricity per day under optimal conditions. It’s best suited for large properties, be it for a business or a luxury home with high energy demands and a large roof to house the panels.

The core of solar systems, including inverters, solar panels, mounting hardware, and a monitoring system, work in tandem to harness sunlight and generate electricity. To start, the solar panels capture sunlight to initiate the energy generation process and convert it into direct current (DC). It’s passed onto the inverters to further convert into alternating current (AC), which can be used to power your home and business. The higher the inverter quality, efficient the energy conversion.

The potential benefits of a 12kW solar system are as follows:

Energy Independence:  The primary benefit of a 12kW solar system is its potential to operate off-grid. Coupling with a battery, you can store the excess energy and use it at night or in times of low sunlight to ensure a constant power supply and enhance energy independence.

Cost Savings Over Time:  A 12kW solar power system potentially offsets your dependence on the electricity grid, so while the initial investment can be substantial, you save a lot over time. If you opt for net metering, you can get credits in exchange for excess electricity or cut down on electricity bills.

Reducing Your Carbon Footprint: Opting for renewable energy over a traditional electricity grid substantially minimizes your carbon footprint. A 12kW solar array can potentially reduce 17,000-22,000 pounds of CO₂ emissions, contributing to sustainability and a greener planet.    

How Many Solar Panels Are Needed for A 12kW Solar System?

A 12kW solar system typically requires around 30-40 solar panels (300-400W) based on its size and the manufacturer's choice. You can calculate the needed number of panels by dividing the total system capacity by the wattage of each.   

To put it simply: Number of panels = total system capacity/panel wattage

A 12kW solar system equates to 12,000 watts, which is the total system capacity, and the solar panel wattages range between 300W and 400W per panel. So the calculation goes as follows:

Number of panels = 12000/300-400 = 30 to 40 solar panels.

Now, to fit around 30-40 solar panels, you’d probably need around 450 square feet of roof space. The actual roof space, however, depends on the dimensions and wattage of your solar panels. Higher efficiency panels produce more power and cover less space, so if you get those, the space requirement will be even less.

How Much Electricity Does A 12kW Solar System Produce?

On average, a 12kW solar array with around 35 solar panels installed can produce between 30-66kWh per day and 10,800-24,000kWh per year.

A typical US household, on average, consumes 10,791kWh of electricity annually, so a 12kW system would be viable enough to sustain your energy needs. However, the solar array's performance depends on several things, like inclination angle, shading, and irradiance, among others. Let’s discuss these in detail:

Shading and Irradiance

The location of your solar array influences its potential output. For instance, solar panels exposed to enough sunlight throughout the day work at their fullest, but if buildings or trees block the view, the output won’t be great.

Besides, irradiance is the amount of sunlight your solar panel receives per day, and you can determine it by checking the peak sun hours of your state. If your area doesn’t receive enough sunlight, the system won’t reach its highest potential. For example, Arizona receives peak sunlight for 7.5 hours, while Alaska receives it only for 2.5 hours, so power output in the former is triple its latter.  

Inclination

Orientation of the solar panels is important when achieving the best results, and facing them towards the south is ideal. Your installation team considers factors like your roof size and type, panel size, shading, and others to recommend the best orientation for your solar panels. The tilt of solar panels, however, stays constant irrespective of the placement, and you must ensure that the angle sits between 30 and 45 degrees.

Other Factors

Other factors that play a crucial role in reducing the efficiency of your solar system are the type of panel you’re using and if you have all the required components. The type of solar panels depends on the cell type and whether they are monocrystalline, polycrystalline, or thin film. Monocrystalline panels are more streamlined than others, so you can expect better results from the former.

You must have all the necessary components for a solar system. In addition to solar panels, you must have resistors, inverters, a battery or solar generator, and good wiring.

What Can A 12kW Solar System Run?

A 12kW solar system can produce up to 66kWh of energy in a day in full sun. That’s a lot for a typical household, considering you have appliances like light bulbs, refrigerators, TVs, washing machines, microwaves, air conditioners, etc. So, there’s enough power to run them all and more simultaneously. Here’s a list of appliances a 12kW solar array can power:

If the prerequisites for installing a solar panel are not met, for example, there is not enough roof space, shading, or panels can’t receive enough sunlight to meet your energy needs, Jackery Solar Generators is a plausible alternative. It doesn’t take much floor space, is portable with wheels and pull rods, is noise-free, and is reliable to run 99% of your home and outdoor appliances for extended periods.

To determine the number of hours your appliances can run with Jackery Solar Generators, use this formula:

Working Time = Capacity in Wh * 0.85 / Operating wattage of the Appliance.

For example, you’re running an electric heater (2500W), Coffee Maker (1000W), and washing machine (500W) on Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus Kit (12kWh) simultaneously.

Then, Working Time = 12,256.8Wh * 0.85/4000W =  2.6H

Note: 0.85 is multiplied by the total capacity to denote its loss of power during charging.  

12kW Solar System Cost

As of 2024, the average cost per watt for residential solar installations in the US is between $2.50 and $3.50 per watt. So, the average investment for a 12kW solar system should stay between $30,000 and $40,000, excluding the rebates and incentives.

The prices, however, vary depending on multiple factors, such as location, labor, component costs, and others, and as in the table, they can be as high as $60,000.  These are explained as follows:

Your Location

Two location-based factors primarily determine your total cost and savings of going solar: the amount of sunlight you receive and the energy cost where you live.

In certain states like Hawaii, California, and New York, traditional energy costs are a bit higher, and going solar saves a lot every month on utility bills. Besides, in states like New Mexico and Arizona, peak sunlight is available for up to 8 hours; thereby, you’ll need fewer panels here to meet your energy needs.

So, regardless of your area, going solar should benefit you financially, in addition to reducing your carbon footprint and contributing to a greener planet.  

Incentives and Rebates

Another factor that influences the cost of your 12kW solar system is the applicable incentives and rebates. Primarily, irrespective of your state, you are eligible for the federal tax credit, which provides around a 30% refund of the cost. Aside from that, check for other incentives like sales tax exemptions, property tax exemptions, cash rebates, and state tax credits, which might vary from one state to another.  

Solar System Size

Your 12kW solar system price is directly proportional to its size. The more solar panels you need to fulfill your energy needs, the more expensive will be your solar system. And this depends on certain factors like energy usage, roof size and angle, and location. You can gauge these factors to get an ideal-sized solar system to get the required solar energy, or you can call an expert to do it for you.

Solar Panel Type

The cost of equipment and panels is by far the largest investment you make during solar installation. Prices vary from one manufacturer to another, the installer, and the type. As mentioned earlier, there are three types of solar panels: monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and thin-film. Monocrystalline panels, being the most efficient, are the costliest, followed by polycrystalline and thin-film panels.

House Energy Needs

A typical US household consumes up to 10,791kWh of energy annually and 889kWh monthly. However, it varies with the size of your home, the number of people and appliances, and if you have an Electric Vehicle.

The higher your electricity consumption, the larger the solar array you need to offset your dependence on traditional electrical grids. For example, a 6kWh system should easily fare withthe energy needs of an average US household, making the 12kW system suitable for large houses and corporate spaces.

Irrespective of incentives and rebates, you pay a high price to go solar. But typically, these tend to pay out on their own by saving on your electric bills at a certain point in the future, called the payback period, and the amount you save is called payback time. To determine your payback time, divide the total system cost by the savings you make each year on electric bills.

For instance, Payback period = $30,000/$3,000 = 10 years.  

Although every solar investment has a payback period, making the investment upfront might not be suitable for most, especially homeowners. If you’re one of them, go for a more affordable battery backup solution, Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus Kit (12kWh). Aside from its affordability, it has many benefits over traditional solar arrays, i.e., portability, safety, and no-noise. So you can rely on it to provide power during extended blackouts or when living off-grid.  

Jackery Solar Generator: 12kWh Portable Solar System

Jackery is the world’s leading innovative portable power and green outdoor energy solution provider in California. It began operating in 2012 and manufactures portable power stations, solar panels, and solar generators of various sizes suitable for people with varying needs.

Jackery Solar Generators work as off-grid solar power stations made of Jackery SolarSaga Solar Panels and Jackery Portable Power Stations, which convert the sun’s rays into usable electricity. The best part about the generator is its ergonomic design, wheels, and power to power all your appliances for hours.  

Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus Kit (12kWh)

Outdoor adventures, large houses/businesses with higher power requirements can consider choosing this Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus Kit (12kWh). Its high battery capacity can power appliances like air conditioners, refrigerators, heaters, etc., for long hours. Besides, its LiFePO4 battery has up to 10 years of lifespan, and all you need to do is connect Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus Portable Power Stations to Jackery Battery Pack 2000 Plus with a parallel connector, which is included in the package.

Appliance Working Hours:

• Dishwasher (1800W): 5.8H
• Coffee Maker (1000W): 10.41H
• Microwave (1500W): 6.9H
• TVs (60W): 173.6H
• EV Home charger (3000W): 3.5H
• Washing Machine (500W): 20.8H