Off-grid solar in Florida
In Florida's darkest month, December, panels tilted toward the sun get about 4.5 peak sun hours a day, from 3.9 to 4.7 depending on where you are. Sized for that, a typical off-grid home needs about 10 panels and 4 batteries; a cabin, 4 panels and 1 battery. Flat panels, like on a van roof, get 26% less that month.
Answer a few taps in a guide and every page like this shows the numbers for your own setup. Start
Every setup, sized for Florida
Each guide's usual answers, with Florida's December sun. Tap one to change the answers to yours.
| Setup | Panels | Batteries | About |
|---|---|---|---|
| Off-grid home | 10 × 410 W | 4 | $9,000 – $11,000 |
| Backup for my house | 4 × 410 W | 2 | $9,000 – $11,500 |
| Tiny house | 4 × 410 W | 2 | $5,500 – $7,000 |
| Cabin or shed | 4 × 410 W | 1 | $4,000 – $5,000 |
| RV, bus or skoolie | 5 × 410 W | 2 | $5,500 – $7,000 |
| Van | 4 × 200 W | 3 | $6,000 – $7,500 |
| Just emergencies or camping | 4 × 200 W | Power station | $3,500 – $4,500 |
Van and RV numbers use flat-roof sun (3.4 h). Costs are the gear only.
Sun in Florida, month by month
Tilted at latitude Flat. December gets 74% of the sun of the brightest month (6.1 h). Size for December and the rest of the year has spare.
Across Florida
Darkest-month sun differs by place. The 25 ZIP areas range from 3.9 hours in the 320xx ZIP area to 4.7 in the 339xx ZIP area. That's 21% more panel output for the same panels.
| State | Darkest month, tilted | Flat |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 4.5 | 3.4 |
| Georgia | 3.7 | 2.5 |
| South Carolina | 3.8 | 2.5 |
| Alabama | 3.5 | 2.3 |
Common questions
How many solar panels do I need to live off grid in Florida?
Sized for Florida's darkest month (December, about 4.5 peak sun hours on tilted panels), a typical off-grid home needs about 10 panels (410 W each) and 4 server-rack batteries; a cabin about 4 panels and 1 battery. Your own loads change this; the guides size it for you.
How many peak sun hours does Florida get in winter?
About 4.5 a day in December on panels tilted at latitude, and 3.4 on flat panels (NASA POWER, at the state's center of population), ranging from 3.9 in the 320xx ZIP area to 4.7 in the 339xx ZIP area.
Does off-grid solar work in Florida in winter?
Yes, if it's sized for December: that month gets about 74% of the sun of the brightest month, so a system sized for December has plenty the rest of the year.
Data: NASA Langley Research Center POWER Project, long-term monthly averages at Florida's 2020 Census center of population and at each 3-digit ZIP area. Method and downloads.