In most cases, you won't be able to supply all your household electricity needs from a solar shed. So why invest in solar panels kit for shed at all? Here are a few key reasons to consider.

Supplement an Existing System
Solar panels are long-term commitments, lasting 25 or more years.1 While this is sufficient for some, electricity needs might change over that time period for others.

Whether your family is expanding or you've shifted to working full-time at home, installing solar panels on a shed roof can help supply any extra needs.

Heat Additional Structures
Supplying energy to heat an out-building, like a greenhouse or the shed itself, may turn a three-season building into a four-season one. Grow your own food year-round in a heated greenhouse, or turn your shed into a year-round art studio.

Charge an Electric Vehicle
You can use the roof of your shed to recharge your electric vehicle (EV). The solar energy can flow directly into your EV or be stored in a battery to be used later.

Create a Virtual Power Plant
Store excess electricity in a solar+storage battery so that you can participate in a “virtual power plant,” where individual homeowners aggregate their solar batteries and sell energy to their electric utility. The electricity you've stored in your battery can earn you money in times of peak electricity demand when the cost of electricity is high.

Store Emergency Power
Perhaps instead of an entire rooftop solar system to power your house, you want to generate enough electricity to store in a battery backup system in case of power outages. A solar shed can be used for that.

Shed Size and Structure
If you know your "why" for a solar shed, you can move on to specifics. The first question is how many solar panels do you need for the roof of your shed.

Consider that the average solar panel is 5' x 3'.2 A relatively large-sized 10' x 12' shed with a roof has a minimum of 120 square feet, capable of fitting six to eight standard solar panels.

It's also important to consider the structural suitability of your shed, as it may not be able to support the weight of solar panels. If you're unsure, a solar installer or structural engineer can determine if your roof is structurally sound enough to support solar panels.

Sunlight Exposure
Solar panel efficiency depends partly on the amount of sunlight available, as well as the intensity of that light.

A gabled roof may have the advantage of attracting more sunlight over more hours of the day. The sun is at its most intense during the middle hours of the day, which a flat roof is fully capable of taking advantage of. It may turn out that your shed receives more sunlight than your home, making it a better option.

On the other hand, obstructions—such as other buildings and tree limbs—may create limiting factors. Whether these obstructions are fixed will help you determine if a solar shed is worthwhile.