How Many Solar Panels for a Cpap Machine?
Rule-of-thumb estimate using typical wattage and usage hours. Fine‑tune with our calculators.
A typical Cpap Machine uses around 50 W. If you run it for 8 h/day, that’s roughly 0.4 kWh/day. With about 5 peak sun hours and a realistic 20% system derate, you’d need approximately 1 × 400 W panels (≈ 0.10 kW of array).
👉 Try the Panel Sizing Calculator to plug in your exact sun hours and system losses.
Check battery & charging time
- Battery Runtime Calculator — see how long a battery will run your Cpap Machine.
- Charge Time Calculator — estimate how long your panels take to recharge.
- Inverter Size Calculator — make sure your inverter handles startup and continuous load.
Quick math
- Daily energy = watts × hours ÷ 1000 = 0.4 kWh
- Array kW ≈ daily kWh ÷ (PSH × (1 − derate)) = 0.10 kW
- 400W panel count ≈ array W ÷ 400 = 1
Tips
- Panels rarely output full nameplate — 70–80% in good sun is common.
- Cold panels perform better; heat and clouds reduce output.
- Angle panels toward the sun and keep them clean for best results.