What Share of a Home's Electricity Does a 5 kW Solar System Cover?
Summary
For an average U.S. home using 10,566 kWh a year, about 83% in Phoenix, 61% in New York, and 51% in Seattle. Multiplying NLR PVWatts per-kilowatt output by five gives roughly 8,780 kWh, 6,460 kWh, and 5,440 kWh a year. Household size moves the answer a lot: for a single-person home in Phoenix, 5 kW produces more than the home uses.
By number of people in the home
Consumption is the average from the U.S. Energy Information Administration's 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS), which counts electricity from rooftop solar as part of what the home used. Each city column is 5 kW of annual output divided by that consumption.
| Household size | Annual electricity use | Phoenix | New York | Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | 7,184 kWh | 122% | 90% | 76% |
| 2 people | 10,648 kWh | 82% | 61% | 51% |
| 4 people | 13,072 kWh | 67% | 49% | 42% |
| All homes | 10,566 kWh | 83% | 61% | 51% |
These are annual totals, so a summer surplus and a winter shortfall cancel out in the table. Output assumes south-facing panels at 20° with 14% losses; a roof facing another way gives different shares.
Twelve 430 W panels make 5.16 kW. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's 2026 update puts most homes installed in 2025 between 5 and 12 kW (the 20th to 80th percentile), which places 5 kW at the small end.
Sources
- U.S. EIA — RECS 2020, Table CE2.1 Annual household site fuel consumption (revised March 2024)
- NLR Developer Network — PVWatts API Version 8 (run by the editors on September 23, 2026: 1 kW, south, 20° tilt, fixed roof mount, standard module, 14% losses; scaled to 5 kW)
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — U.S. Distributed Solar and Storage 2026 Data Update (August 2026)
- Qcells — Q.TRON BLK M-G2+ series datasheet (Rev02, 2026-04)
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