Tell the calculator where you live, how your panels are mounted and what runs in your home. It spreads the kit’s output over a typical day and shows how much of each appliance the sun can cover, how much of your solar you would use yourself, and what that is worth over a year.
What can my plug-in solar kit power?
What runs in your home?
| Appliance | Watts | Hours/day | Solar share, clear day | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Always-on base load (fridge, router, standby) all day and night |
– | |||
| Laptop office (laptop, monitor, lamp) 9 am - 5 pm |
– | |||
| Desktop office (PC, two monitors) 9 am - 5 pm |
– | |||
| Dishwasher, one cycle at midday 11 am - 3 pm |
– | |||
| Washing machine, cold wash at midday 11 am - 3 pm |
– | |||
| Window air conditioner (8,000 BTU) noon - 6 pm |
– | |||
| Variable-speed pool pump, low speed 9 am - 5 pm |
– | |||
| E-bike charging at midday 11 am - 3 pm |
– | |||
| Electric car, Level 1 charging 9 am - 5 pm |
– | |||
| TV and lights in the evening 6 - 11 pm |
– | |||
| Space heater (evening) 6 - 11 pm |
– |
Per year: about – kWh used at home and – kWh exported (usually unpaid). Estimates only: a smooth daily solar curve from 6 am to 6 pm peaking at midday, a mix of clear, mixed and dull days, and appliance energy spread evenly over the hours shown. Real days are bumpier; appliances with short high-power bursts get a smaller share than shown.
How it works
The kit’s yearly output comes from the same regional yields as our savings calculator, adjusted for mounting and shade. Each day’s production follows a smooth curve from 6 am to 6 pm, capped at your inverter limit. The year is a mix of clear days (40%, 1.6 times an average day), mixed days (35%, 0.8 times) and dull days (25%, 0.3 times), which adds up to the same yearly total.
Each appliance’s daily energy (watts × hours) is spread evenly over the hours in which it usually runs. In every hour, solar covers as much of the combined load as it can; whatever is left over is exported. The “solar share” column shows the share of each appliance’s energy covered on a clear day.
Reading the results
- Steady daytime loads win. A home office or a fridge sits under the solar curve all day, so most of its daytime use is covered. See home office and refrigerator.
- Big, short loads get a smaller share in reality. A dishwasher heating water at 2,000 W for a few minutes exceeds what the kit can supply at that moment. The calculator spreads energy evenly, so treat its share for these appliances as an upper limit.
- Evening loads get nothing unless you add storage. The battery size calculator shows what a battery would add.
- Heavy loads belong on other circuits. Air conditioners, heaters and EV charging should not share a circuit with the kit. The solar power still reaches them through your electrical panel. Why.
Limits
These are planning estimates, not a simulation of your home. Real days have clouds, and appliances switch on and off. For your exact site, check production with PVWatts (US; from the National Laboratory of the Rockies, formerly NREL) or the EU’s PVGIS, and your consumption with your utility’s hourly data. Background: what 800 W of solar can actually power.
Sources
- PVWatts Calculator, National Laboratory of the Rockies (formerly NREL).
- Photovoltaic Geographical Information System (PVGIS), European Commission, Joint Research Centre.
- How much electricity does an American home use?, U.S. Energy Information Administration.
- Energy series: estimating appliance and home electronic energy use, Virginia Cooperative Extension (Virginia Tech).
Sources checked in September 2026. Laws, prices and product details change; if you spot something out of date, tell us.