We use our stoves every day, but many people don't even think about how much electricity it consumes. But it's different if you're using solar, because every watt counts. Two questions here, can one solar panel power the stove, and second, how many panels are needed?
How Many Solar Panels Take to Run a Stove?
Stoves come in different sizes, so they use different amounts of electricity. Also, how you use it determines the watt usage. When people use electricity, this is taken for granted. But like we said, using solar energy is another story. Conserving energy is essential for any solar panel user, so an energy saving mode is ideal.
Most stoves use 3000 watts, but some energy-saving models only consume 2000 watts. Small burners require around 1200 watts, and larger burners are rated at 3000 watts. It takes about 800 watts to clean an oven. The longer the stove is used, the more energy it consumes. (Stove power consumption=solar panel size)
If you have a 3000 watt stove, it will need thirty 100 watt solar panels to run it. Any combination of solar panels will do, as long as the total power is at least 3000 watts. The more solar energy you can use, the better. 3000 watts is exactly what a stove needs, so if you can increase the size of the panel to 3200 or 3500, that's even better. It gives you a buffer against fluctuations in solar output.
Tips For Save Solar Power on Stove:
- Cook Multiple Foods at Once. When you cook dishes at the same time, the stove uses less energy than one after the other. It is more efficient to cook food for a long time at a time than to cook it over several days. You don't want to fill up your oven and stove, but cook as much as possible.
- Use a Microwave. Microwave ovens consume much less power than ovens. If you just need to heat food, skip the stove and microwave it. This saves a lot of solar energy.
- Clean the Oven Immediately. You can initiate the cleaning cycle immediately after cooking, saving minutes of time and power. Clean your oven regularly. The remaining goo forces the oven to use more watts, and thus more solar energy. The longer the goo sits in the oven, the harder it is to clean and the more solar energy it uses.
- Buy an Energy Efficient Stove. This may be obvious, but it does make a big difference. Energy efficient appliances consume less power, which is a huge impact for solar users.
