Can solar power a whole house? Yes—with the right size and the honest winter
Answer-first page — the first paragraph is the whole answer, checked reviewed 2026-08-08
Yes: a 7-10 kW array covers the typical U.S. home's ~10,500 kWh/year usage (EIA 2023) in most sun states. The winter is the honest part: panels produce least in December, so right-size for the worst month, keep the net-metered credits from summer, or pair the battery with the grid for the coldest months.
The sizing math
EIA's typical home uses ~10,500 kWh/yr. At ~1,200 kWh/kW-yr (rule-of-thumb), a 7 kW system ≈ 8,400 kWh — so full coverage takes 8-9 kW in most U.S. states. The sun tool shows your state's real annual GHI to check that assumption.
"Whole house" at night is a battery question. If exported kWh are credited at retail, the grid is your battery and the math is clean; net-billing states (CA ~$0.05 exports) a battery shifts evening — see the storage section.
Heat pumps and EV chargers break the 10,500 kWh template — add them first, then size.