Guides · Faisalabad, Lahore, Punjab
Solar System Size for 5 Marla, 10 Marla and 1 Kanal Houses
Short answer
As a rough guide, a 5 to 7 marla house with one inverter AC often lands around 6 kW, a 10 marla house with two ACs around 8 to 10 kW, and a 1 kanal house with three or more ACs around 12 to 15 kW. These ranges are indicative only. Two 10 marla houses can need very different systems, so the right size comes from your electricity bills and your roof, not from the plot size.
This guide explains why plot size is only a starting point, what typical loads look like by house size, how to check whether your roof can hold the system you need, and how to size properly from your bills.
Why plot size is only a starting point
People search "10 marla house solar system" because plot size is an easy way to describe a home. It does give a rough idea of how many rooms, ACs and people live there. But the electricity a house uses depends much more on:
- How many ACs run, and for how many hours. In Punjab, ACs are usually the biggest load from May to September. See our guide to solar for AC.
- Whether loads run in the day or at night. Under net billing, daytime use matters more than ever (more below).
- How many floors and families. A double-storey 10 marla house with two families can use twice what a single-storey one does.
- Other heavy loads. Water pumps, electric geysers, irons, washing machines, induction cooking or a home office.
So use the table below to get a feel for the range, then check it against your own units.
What decides system size
Your bill
Monthly units decide the kW
Roof space
Limits how many panels fit
Plot size
Only a rough guide
Indicative solar system size by house size
| House size | Typical household load (indicative) | Indicative system size | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 marla | 1 inverter AC, fans, lights, fridge, pump | about 6 kW | Roof space is often the limit; see below |
| 7 marla | 1 to 2 inverter ACs | about 6 to 8 kW | Elevated structure often helps around tanks |
| 10 marla | 2 ACs, fridge, pump, washing machine | about 8 to 10 kW | The most common home size we see |
| 1 kanal | 3 or more ACs, larger family, more appliances | about 12 to 15 kW | Larger homes often need three-phase |
| 2 kanal and larger | Several ACs, staff quarters, heavy pumps | 15 kW and above | Usually three-phase; design case by case |
These are rough ranges for discussion, not a design or a promise of output. Solar Works Pakistan designs systems from about 6 kW upwards, which suits most homes of 5 marla and above that run at least one AC.
For panel counts at each size, see how many solar panels for a 5 kW or 10 kW system. For current figures, see the complete solar system price guide.
Sizing from your bill: the method that actually works
Your electricity bill shows how many units (kWh) you used each month. That is the most reliable starting point. Our guide on how to read your electricity bill before going solar explains where to find units, sanctioned load and connection type.
- Collect 12 months of bills. The bill itself shows a history of past months' units.
- Note the average and the peak month. In Punjab the peak is usually June, July or August.
- Work out daily units. Divide monthly units by 30.
- Divide by useful sun hours. This gives an approximate kW figure.
- Adjust for daytime vs night use and roof space. This is where an engineer's judgement comes in.
Example arithmetic only. Say a 10 marla house averages 1,000 units a month across the year, with a July peak of 1,500 units. The average is about 33 units a day. Assuming about 5 useful sun hours a day for illustration, 33 ÷ 5 is roughly 6.7 kW. The July peak is 50 units a day, or 10 kW. A design somewhere between the two, with a battery or load-shifting for evening use, is often more sensible than sizing to the very top. Real output varies with season, dust, smog, heat and shading, so this is a starting estimate, not a generation figure.
Our solar calculator runs the same steps for you.
Will it fit on the roof? Roof space by house size
A plot of 10 marla does not mean 10 marla of usable roof. The roof is the covered area of the top floor, minus the stair room (mumty), water tanks, parapet shadows and any space the family uses.
How big is a marla?
In most modern housing schemes, 1 marla is taken as 225 sq ft, so a kanal (20 marla) is 4,500 sq ft. Some older records, especially in parts of Lahore and rural Punjab, use about 272.25 sq ft per marla, which makes a kanal about 5,445 sq ft.
Rough roof space needed
On a clear flat roof, allow roughly 60 to 70 sq ft per kW including walkways and row spacing, using 615 W class panels of about 7.8 × 3.7 ft (see solar panel size in feet).
| System size | Panels (615 W) | Approx. roof space needed | Typical fit (indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 kW | 10 | about 390 to 450 sq ft | Usually fits a 5 marla roof if tanks and mumty leave a clear area |
| 8 kW | 13 | about 520 to 600 sq ft | Often tight on 5 marla; usually fits 7 to 10 marla |
| 10 kW | 17 | about 650 to 750 sq ft | Usually fits a 10 marla roof with good planning |
| 15 kW | 25 | about 900 to 1,050 sq ft | Usually fits a 1 kanal roof |
These are planning figures for clear flat roofs. Corner plots, odd shapes, tall neighbouring buildings and roof clutter all reduce what fits.
When the roof is smaller than the need
This is common in 5 and 7 marla houses. Options include:
- An elevated structure that lifts panels above water tanks and parapet shadows and keeps the roof usable underneath. See L2, L3 and elevated solar structures.
- Higher-wattage panels, which give a little more from the same space.
- Moving a water tank to free a full row.
- Accepting a smaller system and covering the rest of the load with efficiency (inverter ACs, LED lights) and the grid.
Before adding a heavy elevated frame to an older roof, the roof itself should be checked. Our guide on whether your roof can hold solar panels covers this.
Single-phase or three-phase?
Many 5 and 10 marla houses have single-phase connections. Larger houses, especially 1 kanal and above, are more often three-phase. This matters in two ways:
- Inverter choice. Single-phase hybrid inverters suit many homes in the 6 to 10 kW range, while larger homes often move to a three-phase inverter or two units in parallel.
- Net billing. Under NEPRA's 2026 Prosumer Regulations, net billing is open to three-phase 400 V or 11 kV consumers, and system size cannot exceed your sanctioned load. A single-phase home that wants to export may need a three-phase connection first. Details are in our net metering and net billing guide.
Net billing changes how big you should go
Since 9 February 2026, new grid-connected systems come under net billing. Units you export are credited at a much lower rate than the units you buy, so each unit you use yourself is worth more than each unit you export. In practice:
- Size mainly to your daytime use: ACs, pumps, washing, ironing.
- Do not oversize just to export. Surplus earns only the export rate.
- Consider a lithium battery to carry midday solar into the evening, when most households run ACs and lights. Our battery size calculator shows how to estimate kWh.
Our guide on sizing under net billing goes deeper.
Typical system types by house size
| House size | Common choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 5 to 7 marla | Hybrid with a modest lithium battery | Backup for load-shedding; most AC use in the evening |
| 10 marla | Hybrid with battery, or on-grid where outages are rare | Balance between backup and budget |
| 1 kanal and above | Hybrid or on-grid, often three-phase | Larger daytime load can absorb solar directly |
The system type depends on load-shedding in your area, your evening load and your budget. The engineer will discuss this at the survey.
How Solar Works Pakistan sizes your home system
We do not size from plot size alone. Our process:
- You send 12 months of bills on WhatsApp, with a few roof photos.
- Our engineer visits for a site survey, which is normally free.
- Our in-house engineering and AutoCAD team designs the system around your load, roof and budget.
- You get a detailed quotation listing brand, model, quantity and warranty for each item. Panels, inverters and batteries carry the manufacturer's warranty per product.
- Our own team installs and commissions it. Small home projects normally take about a week, subject to payment, stock and site readiness.
Structures carry a 3-year Solar Works Pakistan structure warranty, and you get a 1-year service warranty under the applicable project terms.
Get today's price or a free site survey
Send us your last 12 months of bills and your house size, and we will suggest a system size and send today's price.
- WhatsApp or call: 0336 666 4321
- Email: info@solarworks.pk
- Head office: Main Boulevard, Sargodha Rd, Block F FDA City, Faisalabad
- Lahore branch: 2nd Floor, Jeff Heights, Gulberg, Lahore
- Hours: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, daily
We serve homes across all of Punjab. See our Faisalabad and Lahore pages, or contact us.
Frequently asked questions
What size solar system do I need for a 10 marla house?
Many 10 marla houses with two ACs land around 8 to 10 kW, but this is only a rough guide. Your 12 months of bills, your daytime and evening use, and your roof space decide the real size.
How many kW solar is needed for a 1 kanal house?
A 1 kanal house with three or more ACs often needs about 12 to 15 kW, and larger households more. Many 1 kanal homes are on three-phase connections, which affects inverter choice and net billing.
Is 6 kW enough for a 5 marla house?
Often yes, for a household running one inverter AC plus normal appliances. If you run two ACs for long hours, you may need more, but roof space on a 5 marla house can limit what fits.
Can I install a 3 kW system on a 5 marla house?
A 3 kW system is usually too small to run an AC meaningfully. Solar Works Pakistan designs systems from about 6 kW upwards; if your load is small, efficiency upgrades may be the better first step.
Does my 10 marla roof have space for 10 kW?
Usually, if there is a clear flat area of roughly 650 to 750 sq ft after tanks and the stair room. An elevated structure can help where tanks and parapets take up space.
Should I size my system to my highest summer bill?
Not always. Under net billing, surplus exported in winter earns much less. A size between your average and peak month, with a battery for evening use, is often more sensible.
Is a marla 225 or 272 square feet?
Most modern housing schemes use 225 sq ft per marla, while some older records use about 272.25 sq ft. Check your property papers. For solar, what matters is the usable roof area, which we measure at the survey.
Sources
- Zameen.com, plot size conversions in Pakistan (marla and kanal in square feet)
- ToolsFluent, marla, kanal and square feet guide (225 vs 272.25 sq ft marla)
- Net billing facts are carried from our guide /guides/net-metering-net-billing-pakistan/, which lists its own sources.