Why solar sizing guides all say 'it depends' (and what to do about it)
Every solar sizing guide hedges. Your location, usage patterns, battery chemistry, temperature, and panel angle all genuinely change the numbers.
But “it depends” becomes useful when you pin down the variables that matter most for your situation:
- Where are you using it? (latitude + typical cloud cover)
- What are you powering? (watt-hours per day, not just peak watts)
- How many cloudy days do you need to survive on battery alone?
Answer those three and the math gets a lot less ambiguous.