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How many solar panels does my home in Mexico need?

Updated October 24, 2026

The number of panels depends on two things: how much electricity you use (it's on your CFE bill) and how much sun there is where you live. With those two numbers you can estimate the system size before asking for a quote.

Step 1: your monthly usage

On your bill find the kWh for the period (“Consumo”). Most bills cover two months: divide by 2 to get monthly usage. If you have the last year's history, use the average, because almost everyone uses more in summer.

Step 2: your state's sun hours

Peak sun hours measure how much solar energy reaches each square meter per day. Mexico is sunny: in the state capitals they range from 4.9 to 6.1:

State (capital)Peak sun hours1 kWp produces per month
Aguascalientes6.07138 kWh
Sonora6.00137 kWh
Jalisco5.90135 kWh
Baja California Sur5.80132 kWh
Quintana Roo5.06115 kWh
Mexico City5.51126 kWh
Yucatán5.34122 kWh
Veracruz4.88111 kWh

Source: NASA POWER, yearly average horizontal irradiance at each state capital (checked October 21, 2026). “1 kWp produces per month” = hours × 30.4 days × 0.75 performance.

The 0.75 is the system's performance ratio: panels never deliver everything on their spec sheet because of heat, dust, wiring and the inverter.

Step 3: the math

Panels = monthly usage ÷ (what 1 kWp produces per month × panel power in kW), rounded up.

Example in Jalisco, rate 1A, with 600 kWh per two-month bill (300 a month): 1 kWp produces about 135 kWh a month, so you need about 2.2 kWp. With 550 W panels that's 5 panels (2.75 kWp), taking about 13 m² of roof. With the calculator, the bill would drop from about $1,814 MXN per two months to almost the minimum.

Home550 W panelsApprox. roof
Mexico City, rate 1, 500 kWh per two months410 m²
Michoacán, rate 1, 400 kWh per two months38 m²
Yucatán, rate 1C, 1,600 kWh per two months1231 m²
Sonora, rate 1F, 3,000 kWh per two months2052 m²

What if I only want to remove the expensive part?

You don't have to cover all your usage. CFE bills by tiers: the first kWh are cheap and the last ones (“excedente”) cost more than three times as much. A smaller system that only removes what's above the basic tier costs less and makes better use of each panel. The calculator has that option under “What do you want to cover?”.

What this estimate can't see

Shade from trees or water tanks (tinacos), your roof's orientation and tilt, the street-lighting fee (DAP) your municipality charges and rate changes. So it's a starting point: an installer has to check your roof before quoting.

Run the numbers with your own bill and state.

Calculate my panels

Frequently asked questions

How many panels do I need for 500 kWh per two months?

It depends on your state's sun. In Mexico City, with 550 W panels, it's about 4 panels (2.2 kWp). In sunnier states like Sonora or Aguascalientes you may need a bit less power.

How much does a 550 W solar panel produce per month?

With 5.5 peak sun hours and a 0.75 performance ratio, a 550 W panel produces about 69 kWh a month (0.55 × 5.5 × 30.4 × 0.75). More sun hours, more production.

How much space do the panels take?

A 550 W panel is about 2.3 × 1.1 m, around 2.6 m². Five panels take about 13 m² of shade-free roof.

Should I cover 100 % of my usage?

Not always. Since CFE charges the first kWh at a lower, subsidized price, a system that only removes the usage above the basic tier is sometimes the better deal: it costs less and each panel saves more.

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