Solar · big loads
How many solar panels to run a CPAP machine?
A CPAP machine uses about 0.44 kWh a day, 55 W for 8 hours a night with a heated humidifier (ResMed). On a grid-tied home system it adds about 161 kWh a year: 0.11 kW, or 1 × 400 W panel in Tennessee (the middle state for sunshine). Off-grid with a battery it takes about 220 W of panels to keep up in December, the worst month, plus a 520 Wh battery.
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Can a panel and battery keep it going where you are?
Your situation: powering a CPAP machine with solar. Different situation?
Your battery and panel
Where and how
By state
Grid-tied covers its yearly use on a home system; off-grid sizes the panels for the worst month (85% charging and 85% inverter losses).
CPAP machine: panels in every state
| State | kWh a year | Grid-tied, 400 W panels | Off-grid, worst month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 161 | 1 | 200 W |
| Alaska | 161 | 1 | 940 W |
| Arizona | 161 | 1 | 140 W |
| Arkansas | 161 | 1 | 200 W |
| California | 161 | 1 | 170 W |
| Colorado | 161 | 1 | 160 W |
| Connecticut | 161 | 1 | 220 W |
| Delaware | 161 | 1 | 210 W |
| District of Columbia | 161 | 1 | 200 W |
| Florida | 161 | 1 | 170 W |
| Georgia | 161 | 1 | 190 W |
| Hawaii | 161 | 1 | 170 W |
| Idaho | 161 | 1 | 280 W |
| Illinois | 161 | 1 | 260 W |
| Indiana | 161 | 1 | 270 W |
| Iowa | 161 | 1 | 250 W |
| Kansas | 161 | 1 | 190 W |
| Kentucky | 161 | 1 | 250 W |
| Louisiana | 161 | 1 | 190 W |
| Maine | 161 | 1 | 250 W |
| Maryland | 161 | 1 | 210 W |
| Massachusetts | 161 | 1 | 230 W |
| Michigan | 161 | 1 | 340 W |
| Minnesota | 161 | 1 | 270 W |
| Mississippi | 161 | 1 | 200 W |
| Missouri | 161 | 1 | 210 W |
| Montana | 161 | 1 | 280 W |
| Nebraska | 161 | 1 | 210 W |
| Nevada | 161 | 1 | 150 W |
| New Hampshire | 161 | 1 | 230 W |
| New Jersey | 161 | 1 | 220 W |
| New Mexico | 161 | 1 | 140 W |
| New York | 161 | 1 | 220 W |
| North Carolina | 161 | 1 | 190 W |
| North Dakota | 161 | 1 | 280 W |
| Ohio | 161 | 1 | 300 W |
| Oklahoma | 161 | 1 | 180 W |
| Oregon | 161 | 1 | 380 W |
| Pennsylvania | 161 | 1 | 230 W |
| Rhode Island | 161 | 1 | 220 W |
| South Carolina | 161 | 1 | 180 W |
| South Dakota | 161 | 1 | 230 W |
| Tennessee | 161 | 1 | 220 W |
| Texas | 161 | 1 | 190 W |
| Utah | 161 | 1 | 230 W |
| Vermont | 161 | 1 | 350 W |
| Virginia | 161 | 1 | 190 W |
| Washington | 161 | 1 | 430 W |
| West Virginia | 161 | 1 | 280 W |
| Wisconsin | 161 | 1 | 280 W |
| Wyoming | 161 | 1 | 190 W |
Where these figures come from
- ResMed user guides: AirSense 11 typical 56.1 W, peak 73.2 W (guide (fetched 2026-11-05)); AirSense 10 with humidifier typical 53 W, peak 104 W (guide (fetched 2026-11-05)).
- Champion Power Equipment wattage chart: 30–60 W without heat, 60–120 W with a heated humidifier; EcoFlow chart: 30–60 W.
FAQ
How many solar panels to run a CPAP machine?
A CPAP machine uses about 0.44 kWh a day, 55 W for 8 hours a night with a heated humidifier (ResMed). On a grid-tied home system it adds about 161 kWh a year: 0.11 kW, or 1 × 400 W panel in Tennessee (the middle state for sunshine). Off-grid with a battery it takes about 220 W of panels to keep up in December, the worst month, plus a 520 Wh battery.
How many kWh does a CPAP machine use?
About 0.44 kWh a day and 161 kWh a year, 55 W for 8 hours a night with a heated humidifier (ResMed). Yours depends on the model and how you use it.
Sources and assumptions
- Solar output (kWh per kW of panels, by month): Global Solar Atlas 2.0, long-term averages to 2025 (data version 2.2.68, updated 2026-04-01), for crystalline-silicon panels facing south at the best fixed tilt, after typical system losses. Data obtained from the “Global Solar Atlas 2.0, a free, web-based application is developed and operated by the company Solargis s.r.o. on behalf of the World Bank Group, utilizing Solargis data, with funding provided by the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP). For additional information: https://globalsolaratlas.info” Licensed CC BY 4.0; we rounded and combined it as described here. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Solargis or the World Bank Group.
- State figure: population-weighted average of the state’s three largest cities (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 population estimates; coordinates from the 2020 Census Gazetteer). Hawaii and DC use one city.
- Cross-check: NASA POWER sunshine climatology (2001–2025), tilted with a standard isotropic-sky model × 0.80. States more than 12% apart were reviewed by hand; the gaps are explained on our methodology page.
- Home use: EIA Table 5A, 2024 average monthly residential kWh by state. Rates: EIA Electric Power Monthly, August 2026.
- Tax credit: IRS FAQ on the One, Big, Beautiful Bill (FS-2025-05, Aug. 21, 2025).
- Assumptions: 85% charging efficiency into a battery, 85% from battery to appliance, panel counts rounded up, off-grid sizing for the worst month.