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Solar Clothes Dryer Calculator

How many solar panels does your dryer need? Enter dryer type, loads per week, and location — get annual energy cost, panels to offset it, and see how a heat pump dryer stacks up.

Dryer usage
loads/wk
minutes
$/kWh
Solar offset for your dryer
2 × 400W panels to offset annual dryer energy
Dryer power draw5,000 W
Energy per cycle4166.67 kWh
Monthly kWh usage90.2 kWh/mo
Annual kWh usage1083 kWh/yr
Annual electricity cost$162.50/yr
Solar panels (grid-tied)2 × 400W panels
Annual solar savings$162.50/yr
Est. system cost$3,900
Payback period24.0 yrs
Heat pump dryer would save$125.94/yr vs. standard electric
Standard electric dryer at 5.0kW peak draw: this is grid-tied only. Off-grid use is impractical — the battery and inverter cost alone would exceed $10,000. Consider a heat pump dryer (5x more efficient) for off-grid or solar-forward homes.
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How to Use This Calculator

Select your dryer type

The dryer type is the single most important input. A standard electric dryer draws 5kW — making it one of the highest-draw appliances in any home, second only to central air conditioning. A heat pump dryer draws only 900W and uses about 5 times less energy to dry the same load. Gas dryers draw only 300W of electricity (for the drum motor and controls) — the fuel cost comes from gas consumption, which this calculator does not cover. Compact 240V dryers are 1.5kW and suitable for apartments.

Enter loads and cycle time

Enter how many loads of laundry you dry per week and the typical cycle time in minutes. An average American household runs about 5-6 loads per week. Heat pump dryers take longer per cycle (60-80 min) but use far less power per minute. The calculator computes energy per cycle and scales to monthly and annual usage.

Read the results

The results show annual kWh, annual cost, how many 400W solar panels offset that usage on a grid-tied system, and estimated payback period. If you selected a standard electric dryer, a warning note flags the impracticality of off-grid use and shows the potential savings from switching to a heat pump dryer.

The Formula

Energy per Cycle (kWh) = Dryer Watts × Cycle Minutes ÷ 60 ÷ 1000 Weekly kWh = Energy per Cycle × Loads per Week Annual kWh = Weekly kWh × 52 Annual Cost = Annual kWh × Electricity Rate Daily kWh = Annual kWh ÷ 365 System Watts = Daily kWh × 1000 ÷ Peak Sun Hours ÷ 0.80 Panels = System Watts ÷ 400W (round up) Heat Pump Savings = (Standard Electric Annual Cost) - (Heat Pump Annual Cost)

This calculator is designed for grid-tied solar. A standard 5kW electric dryer would require a $10,000+ battery and inverter for off-grid use — making it economically unviable. Grid-tied solar offsets the energy cost over the year through net metering, even though the solar panels are not directly powering the dryer in real-time. A heat pump dryer changes this equation dramatically: at 900W, it becomes feasible even for off-grid or time-of-use optimization.

Example

The Johnson family — 5 loads/week in Los Angeles

The Johnsons run a standard electric dryer (5kW) 5 loads per week, 50 minutes per cycle, in Los Angeles. They pay $0.15/kWh and want to understand their dryer's energy cost and how solar can help.

DryerStandard electric 5kW
Usage5 loads/week, 50 min/cycle
LocationLos Angeles (5.6 PSH)
Rate$0.15/kWh

Result

Energy per cycle4.17 kWh
Annual kWh1,084 kWh/yr
Annual dryer cost$162/yr
Panels to offset1 × 400W panel
System cost (1 panel)~$2,700
Payback~16.7 years
Heat pump dryer saves~$129/yr vs. standard

The Johnsons would see a better return switching to a heat pump dryer ($800-1,500) than adding dedicated solar panels for the dryer alone. Heat pump dryers pay back in 6-12 years just in electricity savings. Better yet — do both: add solar to the whole-home system and upgrade to a heat pump dryer, maximizing savings from both directions.

FAQ

A standard electric dryer (5kW) can be offset by grid-tied solar — solar earns credits during the day that reduce your bill including the dryer's energy cost. However, off-grid direct solar power for a standard electric dryer is impractical: you'd need a 6kW+ inverter ($1,500+), 10+ kWh of battery to handle one cycle ($8,000+), and 8-10 solar panels just for laundry. The total cost would be $15,000-20,000 for an appliance that costs $500-800. A heat pump dryer at 900W is a far better choice if off-grid capability matters.
The US average household dryer uses 700-1,000 kWh per year, costing $100-150 at average rates. Breakdown: Standard electric (5kW, 45 min, 5 loads/week) = ~975 kWh/yr. Heat pump dryer (900W, 65 min, 5 loads/week) = ~253 kWh/yr. Gas dryer electricity use = ~65 kWh/yr for motor and controls only. The EIA estimates dryers account for about 5-6% of total household electricity consumption.
Yes, in most cases. Heat pump dryers cost $1,000-1,800 vs. $400-800 for standard electric. The premium of $400-1,000 is typically recovered in 3-8 years of electricity savings alone (at $0.15/kWh, saving ~$120-150/yr). In high-rate states like California ($0.25-0.35/kWh), payback is 2-4 years. Additional benefits: gentler on clothes (lower heat), no exterior venting required (ideal for apartments and condos), and much better compatibility with solar + battery systems due to low peak draw.
Solar-offset (grid-tied) means your solar panels generate electricity during the day, which earns net metering credits or directly reduces your bill. Your dryer still plugs into the grid and draws from it during operation. Net metering gives you credit for solar energy exported during the day, reducing the net cost of your dryer's energy. Solar-powered (off-grid) means the dryer actually runs on solar-charged batteries — impractical for standard electric dryers due to the 5kW+ peak draw, but feasible for heat pump dryers with the right battery/inverter system.
Yes — if you're on a time-of-use (TOU) electricity plan or have solar with self-consumption optimization. Running your dryer between 10am-3pm when solar is producing maximizes self-consumption and avoids peak-rate grid power. For a heat pump dryer (900W), midday solar can actually run the dryer directly from roof panels with a modest grid-tied system. For a standard 5kW dryer, you'd need 13+ panels producing simultaneously to cover the load — feasible with larger systems. Set a smart outlet or smart plug timer to run laundry during peak solar hours automatically.

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