Calculate Solar Panel kWp (KWh Vs. KWp Meanings)
Solar power is certainly a great way to save on some electricity bills and move your home toward a greener, more sustainable future. That said, calculating your power needs and designing a solar system to match those needs can be confusing, and there are a handful of important factors to understand.
One of these is the KWp rating or kilowatts peak. This is the rate at which your solar system generates energy at peak performance, such as at midday on a sunny day.
But how do you calculate your solar system’s kWp?
It can be challenging to calculate your solar system’s kWp, as it’s difficult to predict the exact power output of your system due to factors like component efficiency, temperature, location, and weather.
There are some methods, though, and in this article, we’ll be covering the following:
- The standard for determining kWp
- Calculating the kWp of your system
- Determining the kWp you need in your home
- Examples of typical solar installations
Calculating the correct kWp of your solar system can be confusing, but we’re here to help! Read below for our in-depth guide on calculating your solar needs and output.
What is kWp in a solar panel?
Put simply, kWp is the peak power capability of a solar panel or solar system. The manufacturer gives all solar panels a kWp rating, which indicates the amount of energy a panel can produce at its peak performance, such as in the afternoon of a clear, sunny day.
kWp, or kilowatt peak of your panel, is calculated with a standardized test that all solar panel manufacturers must adhere to, with standardized radiance, temperature, and size. These standards are as follows:
- Solar radiation of 1,000-watts/m 2
- Ambient temperature of 25-degrees C
- Clear skies
This standardization makes it possible to accurately compare solar panels and their performance when choosing which to purchase for your needs.
kWh vs. kWp
kWh, or kilowatt-hours, refers to an appliance’s energy in one hour. A kilowatt equals 1,000-watts, so if you use a 1,000-watt appliance for one hour, you’ll be consuming 1 kWh of energy.
If your solar system has a kWp of 1,000-watts, for example, your kWh to kWp ratio is 1:1. Of course, this is at peak performance, so the ratio is, in reality, a fair bit lower.
A 1 kWp system operating at peak performance would supply you with one kilowatt of power, but this depends on many factors like efficiency, temperature, and weather, so these two metrics are certainly important but somewhat unrelated.
How do I calculate my solar panel output?
Calculating solar panel output is fairly simple but depends on your panels’ efficiency, location, and the amount of sunlight hitting the panels daily.
For example, people living in equatorial regions will have far more sunlight per day than those closer to the poles.
The first metric to check is your solar panel’s wattage rating. If you’re using a 300-watt panel, your panel will be kicking out 300-watts (maximum kWp) under perfect conditions, but again, likely a bit less on average due to temperature, weather, and placement.
A simple formula for calculating solar panel output is:
- Average hours of sunlight x solar panel wattage x 75% (for dust, pollution, weather) = daily wattage output.
So, if you’re getting 6 hours of sunlight per day — on average — with a 300-watt panel, you’ll be getting 1,350 watt hours per day.
How many units does 1kw of solar panels produce?
Typically, one “unit” of solar energy equates to 1kWh, which is what a 1kw system is capable of producing in 1 hour under perfect conditions. This means you would again use a very simple formula, system capacity (1kw) x hours of sunlight.
- Going back to our example above, 6 hours of sunlight multiplied by your system capacity (1kw) would give you roughly 6 units, or 6 kWh of energy per day.
How many kWh does a house use per day?
On average, the daily kWh consumption for an average home in the United States is just under 29 kWh hours. This accounts for using energy-heavy appliances like geysers and heating, which can be substantially reduced.
This energy usage also depends on the size of your home, the building materials of your home, and the number of residents. Also, people in colder climates naturally use significantly higher power to warm their homes.
How do I calculate kWh?
Calculating the kWh usage of your home is simple: you take the total kWh on your electricity bill and divide it by the days the bill covers. Again, this may fluctuate during the year, but it’s a good ballpark figure.
You can calculate the amount of kWh your appliances use based on how long they are on. For example, if you use a 1kWh appliance for 3 hours, that appliance will use 3 kWh per day.
How do you calculate PV per kWh?
Now that you know how much kWh your home consumes, you’ll naturally need to calculate how many panels you’ll need to generate sufficient power.
Let’s assume your home uses 10 kWh per day. You’ll need at least 10kWh hours of solar panel output to match this, but most likely a lot more.
This is because no solar panel — or solar setup for that matter — is 100% efficient, plus, this kWh rating is under perfect conditions, which are not guaranteed.
- If you use 10 kWh per day, you’ll need at least 12-15 kWh of solar power output to account for losses.
As an example, a 200-watt solar panel will produce roughly 200-watt hours per hour under perfect conditions, or 1,200-watt-hours (1.2 kWh) per six hours of sunlight.
You’ll need at least ten of these panels to cover your daily energy usage with solar power completely.
How many solar panels do I need for 50 kWh per day?
As we’ve already discussed, solar panels are subject to efficiency issues, weather, sun hours, and location, so it’s almost impossible to give an exact answer. However, there are some rough calculations we can do to get a fairly accurate answer.
Let’s assume you’re using 200-watt panels, with around 4-hours of sun per day(just to be safe), you’ll be getting roughly 800-watt hours (0.8 kWh) per day, per panel. This would mean you’ll need around 62, 200-watt panels to generate 50 kWh per day.
How much power does 5kW solar produce?
On average, a 5kW solar system will produce around 20kWh per day, depending on your location and sunlight hours per day. You may find the system producing more in summer months, 25-30kWh, and less in winter, 15-20kWh.
Is 1 kW enough to run a house?
Considering the average household in the United States uses roughly 29kWh per day, and 1kW of solar will give you 4-5kW of power with 5 hours of sunlight, this will not be enough for most homes.
That said, it can help lower your dependence on mains power and save you money on electricity bills.
It also helps to look at your energy requirements and usage and see where you can save on power. For example, using a solar geyser to heat water, a gas fridge, and a stove and heating your home with a fireplace or gas heater will save a ton of power overall.
I have a 1kW solar system in my home that provides me more power than I need since I save on energy usage by using gas appliances and a solar geyser. This is enough to run lights, computers, a TV, and other small appliances.
How much is a 30 kWh solar system?
For a 30 kWh solar system, the cost depends on several factors:
You can save quite a bit of money if you install the system yourself, but this is certainly tricky. Installation costs will vary widely depending on who does the installation for you, but for a system this large you can expect to pay around 10,000 for installation.
In general, solar panels cost around two or three dollars per watt. Taking into consideration the quality of components you choose, installation, and your location, you can expect to pay anywhere from 60,000 to 80,000 for a 30 kWh solar setup.
How many solar panels do I need for 2000 kWh per month?
2000 kWh per month equates to roughly 66 kWh per day. Again, let’s go with 200-watt panels (as these are some of the most common), with around 4-hours of sun per day(just to be safe), you’ll again be getting roughly 800-watt hours (0.8 kWh) per day, per panel.
In order to produce 66 kWh per day of power, you’d need 82, 200-watt solar panels.
How much should I pay for a 6kW solar system?
As mentioned earlier, the average cost per watt for solar setups is 2-3 in the US. This costs roughly 12,000, but you’ll also need to consider installation, bringing the cost up to roughly 14,000-15,000.
1 kWp solar panel size
If you wanted to run a solar system with a panel output of 1 kWP, you’d need 1 kilowatt of power. 1 kilowatt would be the peak capability of your panels on a day with full sun, which is 1,000-watts. Solar panels usually come in 200-350 watt units, although some higher power panels are available too.
For 1 kWp, you’d need five 200-watt panels, four 250-watt panels, or three 350-watt panels. Remember, this is your solar array’s peak performance rating, so your panels will only achieve this kind of output for a few hours a day if it is clear and sunny.
How to calculate solar panel efficiency
Most solar panels have an efficiency rating of between 10% and 23%, which the manufacturer usually indicates.
Efficiency also depends on the type of panel you’re using (monocrystalline vs. polycrystalline), where your panel is facing, and much heat it is generating (solar panels should never be laid flat on a roof, as they lose efficiency exponentially when they overheat.)
The efficiency rating of a solar panel refers to its ability to convert sunlight into usable energy.
So, if a panel has an efficiency rating of 15%, it can harness 15% of the photons that hit it. Due to real-world weather conditions and placement, a solar panel rarely produces its full wattage output rating.
To calculate the efficiency of your panel, you’ll need to look up the amount of sunlight that hits the earth in your particular area. Multiply this amount by the surface area of your panel, divide the maximum kWp of your panel by this number, and then multiply it by 100% to get an accurate efficiency rating.
Let’s say 1,000-watts per square meter of sunlight is hitting your area, and if you have a 1 square meter panel, you’ll end up with 1,000-watts exactly. If you have a 200 kWp panel, the efficiency will be roughly 20% (negating any other environmental factors, of course.)
Conclusion
The first step in designing a solar setup for your home is to calculate how many kWh or kWp you’ll need. Check your electricity bill for your monthly use, and divide that number by 30 to calculate your daily needs.
Of course, you can always reduce your electricity usage or use solar power to augment your mains power and reduce your electricity bills.
Once you’ve calculated your power requirements, you can design a solar system that can provide you with all or even just a portion of your power needs.
Hopefully, we’ve helped you with all the calculations you need so you can get started going off-grid, today!
How long do solar panels last?
How long solar panels last depends on their quality and how well looked after. In general, though, most solar panels will last between 25 and 30 years, with the most expensive models having a life expectancy of 40–50 years. That being said, solar panels will still produce energy after this time, although their capability will have declined significantly.
How do you set up a solar panel system?
The first step in setting up a solar system is determining how much power you need, and planning your solar system accordingly. After this, the setup is fairly straightforward;1. Gather all the required components together; panels, inverter, batteries, cables, etc. 2. Find a safe space in your home to house the inverter and batteries3. Fix the panels to your roof or a stand4. Connect the panels to your inverter or charge controller5. Connect your inverter to your batteries
What is required for solar panel installation?
Again, the first crucial step for any solar installation is calculating your power needs. Once you’ve done this, you’ll need to purchase the appropriate components. These include;1. Solar panels2. Batteries3. Inverter4. Charge controller5. Suitable cablesThese components are typically purchased separately according to your needs, but you can purchase ready-made solar kits that have all the components you need too.
Can I set up solar panels myself?
With a bit of basic DIY and electrical knowledge, you can certainly set up solar panels yourself, especially smaller systems. The setup can become somewhat complicated for large, high-power systems that are grid-tied, though, and you may want to get assistance from a qualified electrician.
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How many kWh does a solar panel produce?
Calculating how many kilowatt-hours (kWh) a solar panel can produce might seem intimidating, especially if you don’t have any prior electrical knowledge or experience. Using a few basic pieces of information, however, it’s fairly easy to come up with a decent estimate of how many kilowatt-hours your solar panels can produce each day.
Before we get into the nitty-gritty details, here are three very important principles to keep in mind when finding the number of kilowatt-hours your solar panels can produce.
Key insights
- Solar panel capacity is rated in watts; solar power is measured in watt-hours.
- Panel wattage is related to potential output over time — e.g., a 400-watt solar panel could potentially generate 400 watt-hours of power in one hour of direct sunlight.
- 1,000 watts (W) equals one kilowatt (kW), just as 1,000 watt-hours (Wh) equals one kilowatt-hour (kWh).
How much energy does a solar panel produce?
There is no single figure for the amount of energy a solar panel can produce because it mostly depends on two factors (among dozens of other variables):
Although it almost goes without saying, solar panels produce the most electricity when exposed to full sunlight. When obstructed by shade or dense rain clouds, solar panels exposed to partial sun generate electricity at much lower levels.
Assuming your solar panel is operating in ideal conditions, the easiest way to estimate how much solar power a panel can produce is to multiply its wattage by the number of peak sunlight hours per day in your location.
Let’s say, for example, you have a 200-watt solar panel in a location that receives five peak sunlight hours per day. Here, your 200-watt solar panel could theoretically produce an average of 1,000 watt-hours (1 kilowatt-hour) of usable electricity daily.
In this same location, though, a larger-wattage solar panel would be able to produce more electricity each day with the same amount of sunlight. A 400-watt solar panel would generate 2 kilowatt-hours there, and a 500-watt solar panel would generate 2.5 kilowatt-hours.
How many kWh does a solar panel produce per month?
Depending on its wattage, an average solar panel may produce anywhere from 25 kWh to 60 kWh per month. To calculate a solar panel’s monthly production in kilowatt-hours, multiply its expected daily output by the number of days in a month.
For example, let’s say your 350-watt solar panel produces an average of 1.4 kilowatt-hours per day. Multiplied by 30.4, this would equal an average of 42.5 kWh per month — or just about 510 kWh per year.
Just be aware that potential solar power production varies from month to month. In the United States, most solar energy systems are able to generate the most kilowatt-hours per month from April through September, thanks to the extended number of daylight hours over the summer.
What affects solar panel output?
Although calculating a solar panel’s theoretical output is relatively simple, there are many real-world factors that influence the amount of power generated at any given moment.
While researchers everywhere continue to make new breakthroughs in solar power potential, here are the most prominent variables that affect solar panel output today:
Sunlight intensity So far in this article, we have talked a lot about peak sunlight hours, which represent the amount of time in a day when solar panels work most efficiently. During peak sunlight hours (usually from the late morning through the afternoon), sunlight is at its most intense and direct.
Although solar panels still work outside of peak sun hours, it’s much more difficult to generate effective amounts of solar power during the wee hours of the morning or late in the evening.
Solar cell efficiency Not all solar equipment is equal, and some panels are more efficient at converting sunlight into usable electricity than others. Also, solar cells slowly lose efficiency over time, so older panels are often less efficient than when they were new. Shade Whether cast by a neighboring chimney, a nearby tree or the clouds in the sky, even partial shade can dramatically affect the power output of a set of solar panels.
In some cases, you can trim back branches, tall bushes or other foliage to decrease the shade on your solar array. Other times, things outside of your control, like particulate matter from pollution or smoke, can also prevent your solar panels from working at maximum efficiency.
Ambient outside temperatures Solar panels heat up while they generate electricity, which can sometimes cause them to lose efficiency on extremely hot days.
It may surprise you, but most solar panels produce their maximum amount of electricity per hour in cooler weather conditions. Consider looking for solar panels designed specifically for hotter regions if you live somewhere with high temperatures.
Installation angle The angle at which solar panels are installed relative to the sun’s position in the sky affects their potential output. While plenty of residential roofs are tilted at angles conducive to harnessing direct sunlight, the “ideal” angle for solar panels is technically equal to your property’s latitude. Photovoltaic (PV) system losses You need more than just solar panels to generate and use solar power. However, you can expect to lose some energy as the electricity generated by your panels travels through the wiring and other components of your solar energy system, with none more important than your inverter. (To minimize energy losses, you should use high-efficiency inverter equipment and follow general best installation practices.)
In the worst-case scenario, all the power generated by your solar panels may be temporarily out of reach if a central inverter is offline. Such was the case for Paul, a ConsumerAffairs reviewer from California, who claimed, “My ~6kW system has been generating 0 power for months due to a bad inverter.” Thankfully, Paul’s installer read this review and took the necessary steps to solve the issue.
How to calculate a solar panel’s energy production
If you want to know the amount of solar energy your panels can generate in a year, follow these steps to calculate a strong estimate:
- Determine your panel wattage. Your panel’s wattage should be clearly labeled on the equipment itself as well as in your product manual. When using multiple panels, simply add their wattages together. For instance, two 250-watt panels would provide 500 total watts of solar capacity.
- Find your average peak sunlight hours. We recommend using a tool such as the PVWatts Calculator from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to find the average number of peak sunlight hours in your location. Although peak sunlight hours vary throughout the year, using an annual average makes it easier to estimate an expected yearly production. Most areas in the U.S. have between three and six peak sun hours per day.
- Multiply your wattage by your peak sunlight hours and 365. If you have 500 W of solar power and five hours of peak daily sunlight, that would equal 2500 watt-hours (or 2.5 kWh) of solar energy produced each day. Multiplied by 365 (for each day of the year), your annual solar production would max out at just over 900 kWh per year.
Alternatively, if you’re trying to decide what your solar energy system’s total capacity should be, you should start by looking at your property’s annual electricity consumption and work backward from there. John Ytterberg, a former residential solar consultant, explained it to us like this: “Most solar panel systems are designed to produce approximately the same amount of electricity or slightly more than the home consumes each year.”
Just bear in mind that these estimates assume ideal conditions, and the real-world factors that affect solar generation, such as weather patterns, ambient temperatures and other constantly changing conditions, will likely make your daily solar energy production vary quite a bit.
Thankfully, once you add solar panels to your home, your installer will likely provide a way for you to track your system’s daily solar energy production. So, depending on your inverter, you may be able to see your system’s performance at the end of the day or in real time on your laptop or smartphone.
FAQ
The amount of energy solar panels produce hourly depends on a lot of factors, including the panels’ wattage and the intensity of the sunlight. In general, you can calculate the peak hourly energy production of a solar panel by looking at its wattage, though.
For example, in peak operating conditions, a 400-watt solar panel could theoretically be expected to generate 400 watt-hours of solar energy.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average American household consumes about 10,632 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per year.
Solar panel lifetime energy production varies, but if you have a solar panel that produces a daily average of 500 watt-hours of electricity (or 0.5 kWh), that could translate to as much as 5,475 lifetime kilowatt-hours over 30 years.
Just remember that different solar panels’ lifetime energy production numbers vary considerably. Think of it this way — a solar panel’s daily production can vary quite a bit, and when you multiply that out over the years, the range opens up even more. (Solar panels can last a long time, producing electricity at slowly diminishing rates for 30 years or longer.)
Bottom line
In summary, the number of kilowatt-hours a solar panel can produce depends on several internal and external factors, with power generation varying greatly throughout the day and year. You can calculate a yearly average production estimate relatively easily, but your real-world production numbers will likely differ.
However, your solar energy company should be able to give you a good idea of what to expect before your installation begins, and once you’re all set up, you’ll likely have a way to track your system’s actual energy production over time.
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, “Most utility-scale fixed-tilt solar photovoltaic systems are tilted 20 degrees-30 degrees.” Accessed May 18, 2023.
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, “PVWatts Calculator.” Accessed May 18, 2023.
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, “How much electricity does an American home use?” Accessed May 18, 2023.
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I Want Solar, but OMG, WTH Is a kWh.
Even if you’re familiar with solar energy, the terminology associated with it can be a bit overwhelming. So, let’s answer the question many of us ask in our heads. “I want solar, but OMG, WTH is a kWh. ” This crucial question can help you decide the system size you need based on your energy consumption, the overall impact of your panels on your utility bill, and even the effect of many of your home or business appliances and equipment.
The very basics
- k = kilo. Which means “one thousand.”
- W = Watt, which is the standardized unit for measuring power.
- h = hour, which refers to the duration of time.
kW, kWh, what’s the difference?
kW stands for Kilowatt, and kWh stands for kilowatt-hour. Although they may sound like the same thing, they are actually referring to different but interrelated things.
Kilowatts (kW) A kilowatt (kW) is simply a measure of how much power an electrical device uses or, in the case of solar panels, how much it produces. Because most appliances use large amounts of power, kilowatts are used as the default form of measurement. One kilowatt equals 1,000 watts.
Kilowatt-hour (kWh) A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is a way to measure energy, or the amount of electricity used over time. A kilowatt-hour measures the energy an appliance uses, or a solar panel produces in kilowatts per hour. For example, a 100-watt light bulb operating for ten hours would use one kilowatt-hour of electricity.
Why does kW and kWh matter?
When installing a solar photovoltaic system on your property, you’ll want to keep in mind your energy needs based on your current consumption, the size of your system, and its capacity to produce energy. Both your consumption and your system’s production capacity will be measured in kWh. However, it is essential to remember your solar PV system will also have a peak power measurement that is measured in kW. Peak power represents the maximum power your system can produce under perfect solar conditions e.g. a 5 kW system can produce 5 kW of power at noon (when the sun is at its strongest). Your system can only be designed to accommodate 120% of your system’s annual energy consumption. For reference, the average home uses 10,715 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, which means a system for an average home size would have an annual estimated production capacity of around 12.858 kWh.
Hopefully, this helped you understand what a kWh is and why it matters so much when considering adding a solar PV system to your property.
To apply your knowledge of kWh and learn more about the benefits of investing in environmentally friendly, clean, renewable solar energy, contact an All Energy Solar representative.
Solar Panel Output: How Much Power Does a Solar Panel Produce?
Emma Stenhouse is a marine scientist, educator, and writer with more than 16 years of experience. She holds an M.S. in Marine Science from the University of Plymouth.
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On average, solar panels designed for domestic use produce 250-400 watts, enough to power a household appliance like a refrigerator for an hour. To work out how much electricity a solar panel can produce in one day, you’ll need to multiply the wattage by the hours of sunlight.
The higher the wattage of each panel, the more electricity produced. By combining individual panels into a solar system, you can easily generate enough power to run your entire home.
In 2020, the average American home used 10,715 kilowatt-hours (kWh), or 893 kWh per month. If you want a solar system to power your entire home year-round, you’ll need to install a system that can supply all of these energy needs.
The actual output of each individual solar panel will also depend on a range of factors including your location, local weather conditions, plus the angle and direction that the panels have been installed.
What Are Watts and Kilowatts?
To understand how much electricity a solar panel can produce, we first need to get comfortable with some units of power and energy.
If you’ve been reading about solar panels, you’ll have noticed some specific units being mentioned: watt (W) and kilowatt (kW), plus watt-hours (Wh) and kilowatt-hours (kWh). Watt and kilowatt are units of power, and indicate how much power a solar panel can provide; 1,000 watts (W) = 1 kilowatt (kW).
Watt-hour and kilowatt-hour are units of energy, and are used to show how much work (by work we mean running a light or an air conditioning unit) can be completed in one hour; 1,000 watt-hours (Wh) = 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh).
How Is Solar Panel Output Calculated?
The maximum or peak amount of electricity that can be produced by a solar panel is defined by its wattage. Remember this is measured under standard test conditions (STC) of 77 degrees F, 1 kW of solar radiation per square meter, and no wind. You’ll rarely find these conditions in nature, so expect your solar panel’s output to be a little less than this peak rating provided by the manufacturer.
Once you know the wattage of your solar panel, you can use the following calculation to work out how much electricity your solar panel can produce in one day:
Solar panels watts x average hours of sunlight = daily watt-hours
This calculation relies on you knowing (or being able to estimate) the number of sunlight hours your panel receives. You can either estimate this or use a solar calculator like the National Renewable Energy Lab’s solar resource maps. Let’s look at some examples:
Your solar panel has a rating of 250 watts, and your home receives six hours of sunshine per day. Multiply 250 x 6, and we can calculate that this panel can produce 1,500 Wh, or 1.5 kWh of electricity per day.
On a cloudy day, solar panels will only generate between 10% and 25% of their normal output. For the same 250-watt panel with six hours of cloudy weather, you may only get 0.15-0.37 kWh of electricity per day.
Upgrade to a 400-watt panel, and with the same amount of sunshine, you would now get 2,400 Wh, or 2.4 kWh of electricity per day. On a cloudy day, the electricity generated may only be 0.24-0.6 kWh per day.
For reference, the average American home uses about 29 kWh per day. Install a solar power system with 20 panels of 250 watts each, and in the same six hours of sunshine, your system will generate 30 kWh, which is just enough to power the average home for one day.
Variables Affecting Solar Panel Output
In addition to the amount of sunlight received per day, there are other factors that affect the output of your solar panel or system.
Dirt
Anything that builds up on the surface of your solar panel can affect the output. This can include dust, leaves, snow, or bird droppings. A clean solar panel can be 6.5% more efficient than a dirty and dusty panel.
Roof Direction and Angle
Solar panels are most efficient when directed in a south-east to south-west direction, at an angle of 30-45 degrees. Systems at other directions and angles can still work, but your outputs will be decreased.
Shade
Solar panels are very sensitive to shade, including trees, or a building next door. Minimal shading in the morning or evening is fine, but significant shading throughout the middle part of the day will significantly impact the amount of electricity a panel can produce.
Location
The amount of sunshine and Cloud cover will affect the amount of energy a solar panel can produce.
Time of year
Solar panels can produce electricity year-round, even on overcast days. Through summer, the days are longer which generates more output, but shorter days in winter mean your output will be lower over these months.
Age
As solar panels age, their efficiency decreases at around 0.5% each year. The life cycle of the system is approximately 25 years before performance has decreased to the point a new system is needed.
Temperature
The efficiency of solar panels is usually measured at 77 F, and temperatures above this can end up decreasing their efficiency. Solar panels can work well in cold weather, and can still generate power in snowy conditions, too.
How Much Electricity Does My Home Need?
One solar panel on its own isn’t going to create enough electricity to power your entire home, but a solar panel system can. To work out what size system you need, you’ll need to complete some basic calculations that we’ve covered in our article How Many Solar Panels Do You Need?
To fully power an average home using 11,000 kWh per year, a typical solar power system will need between 21-24 panels of 320 watts each. The exact number and wattage of panels, as well as the output they can produce, will depend on where you live and the setup of your specific system.
Types of Solar Panels and Output
There are three main types of solar panels used for domestic systems:
- Monocrystalline. These are the most popular type of panel, made with pure silicon. They have an efficiency of 24.4%, with a moderate cost and a long lifespan.
- Polycrystalline. These are made of silicon crystals that have been melted together. They have an efficiency of 19.9%, a low cost and a moderate lifespan.
- Thin-film. Made with a variety of materials including small amounts of silicon, thin-film panels have an efficiency of 18.9%, with a high cost and a shorter lifespan.
The output of each type of panel will vary depending on the individual manufacturer, but will always be stated as a power rating in watts. The higher the watts, the higher the output. You may also see a kilowatt peak rating, which is the maximum power the panel can produce under the standard test conditions mentioned earlier.
Cost vs. Value
The solar market is very cost competitive, but some brands will offer you a more efficient system for a slightly higher investment. These systems will generate more electricity over the life of the system, so in the long run, they will create more value with consistent increased output.
Remember to look into federal tax credits and other incentives designed to reduce the cost of solar panel installation.
Given your house gets about six hours of daily sunshine, a standard 250-watt solar panel would produce 1.5 kWh of energy in a day.
You would need about 20 250-watt solar panels to generate the amount of energy the average American home uses in a day.
You can increase solar panel efficiency by cleaning the dirt off your panels regularly, pruning any trees that could be shading the panels, optimizing the panels’ angle (ideally to a 30- to 45-degree angle facing south), or installing an automatic solar tracker that rotates the panel to keep it aligned with the sun.
- How Many Solar Panels Do I Need for My Home? EnergySage.
- How Much Electricity Does an American Home Use? U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2020.
- Do Solar Panels Work at Night or on Cloudy Days? EnergySage.
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What is the output of a solar panel?
Most solar panels on the market in 2022 produce between 250 and 400 watts of power. You might come across these solar panel output numbers from your solar installation quote, which will typically include “245W”, “300W”, or “345W” next to the name of the panel. They are all referring to a solar panel’s wattage, capacity and power output.
How to calculate how much energy a solar panel produces
All solar panels are rated by the amount of DC (direct current) power they produce under standard test conditions. Solar panel output is expressed in units of watts (W) and represents the panel’s theoretical power production under ideal sunlight and temperature conditions. Wattage is calculated by multiplying volts x amps where volts represent the amount of force of the electricity and amperes (amps) refer to the aggregate amount of energy used.
Most home solar panels on the market today have power output ratings ranging from 250 to 400 watts, with higher power ratings generally considered preferable to lower power ratings. Pricing in solar is typically measured in dollars per watt (/W), and your total solar panel wattage plays a significant part in the overall cost of your solar system.
For example, if you are getting 5 hours of direct sunlight per day in a sunny state like California you can calculate your solar panel output this way: 5 hours x 290 watts (an example wattage of a premium solar panel) = 1,450 watts-hours, or roughly 1.5 kilowatt-hours (kWh). Thus, the output for each solar panel in your array would produce around 500-550 kWh of energy per year.
What factors determine solar panel output?
Before calculating the amount of energy a solar panel can produce, it’s important to understand the two key factors that determine its power output: cell efficiency and solar panel size.
Let’s assess each factor separately to understand them a bit better.
Solar panel efficiency
Of all the metrics to look at when shopping for solar panels, efficiency is one of the most important. The higher a panel’s efficiency is, the more power it can produce. Today, most silicon-based solar cells can convert between 18 and 22 percent of the sunlight that hits them into usable solar energy, which has led to panels exceeding 400 watts of power. Higher efficiency = more energy, so high-efficiency solar panels generally will produce more electricity for your home. As of 2022, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) developed the most efficient solar cell to date at 39.5 percent effi cie ncy.
Number of solar cells and solar panel size
To make things easy, we can divide solar panels into two size groups: 60-cell solar panels and 72-cell solar panels. Usually, 60-cell solar panels are about 5.4 feet tall by 3.25 feet wide and have an output of about 270 to 300 watts. On the other hand, 72-cell solar panels are larger because they have an extra row of cells, and their average output is somewhere between 350 to 400 watts. 72-cell panels are usually used on larger buildings and in commercial solar projects, not on residential homes.
Environmental factors: shading, orientation, and hours of sunlight
Solar panel efficiency and the number/size of solar cells in a solar panel are factors that directly impact the rated power of a solar panel. In the real world, there are a few more things that impact how much power a panel will actually produce:
Shading of your solar panels will lead to lower production. Solar panel wattage ratings do not take into account the lowered output of a panel when there’s shade blocking the sun.
Orientation of your solar panels also impacts production in a way that a panel’s output rating doesn’t capture. Ideally, your panels will be angled directly towards the sun. In practice, roof planes are almost never perfectly angled for maximum production.
Hours of sunlight simply refer to the amount of time per day (or year) that your panels are exposed to sunlight. The more hours in the sun, the higher your actual output will be.
How much energy will an entire solar panel system produce?
Knowing how much energy a single solar panel produces is all well and good, but more importantly, how much solar power can your roof generate? Let’s do the math below:
Take our example above, where you’re getting an average of five hours of direct sunlight per day (an average amount of sunlight for most areas of California) and using solar panels rated at 290 W. Let’s say you install 30 of those premium solar panels on your roof–that nets you an 8,700 watt, or 8.7 kW solar panel system, near the average system size purchased on the EnergySage Marketplace. Multiply the five direct sunlight hours we estimated above by 8.7 kW, and we get approximately 43.5 kWh of electricity produced per day. And for one final conversion, if we multiply 43.5 by 365 days in a year, we get approximately 15,800 kWh of electricity produced in a full calendar year from a rooftop array of 30 premium, 290 W solar panels. Considering that the yearly average for electrical power is around 10,600 kWh in the U.S., that’s probably more than enough to power your home on solar.
Solar panel output and cost
The output of a solar panel has a significant impact on its cost. This cost can vary based on where you live and what your needs are, but with data from the EnergySage Marketplace, we can get an idea of how much it could cost on average for 3kW, 4kW, 5kW, 6kW, 7kW, 8 kW, and 10kW solar systems. To find out how much this could be for you, simply find the average cost per watt in your area and multiply that by the output of the solar panel you have in mind.
Solar panel output by product
With so many solar panel manufacturers out there, panel output varies significantly between brands and products. In 2022, these are the top six solar panel brands in the U.S. ranked by their maximum power output panel:
- First Solar (460 W)
- LONGi (455 W)
- REC (450 W)
- SunPower (435 W)
- Q CELLS (430 W)
- Solaria (430 W)
The table below presents a view of power output from many manufacturers supplying solar panels to the U.S. market. Because panel manufacturers often produce more than one line of solar panel models, the power output of most companies has a significant range. The table below lists the solar panels’ minimum, maximum, and average power outputs within each manufacturer’s portfolio.
Electricity output (in Watts) of solar panel manufacturers
| Amerisolar | 240 | 330 | 285 |
| Astronergy | 350 | 370 | 360 |
| Axitec | 250 | 385 | 302 |
| BenQ Solar (AUO) | 250 | 295 | 277 |
| Boviet Solar | 320 | 340 | 330 |
| Canadian Solar | 225 | 410 | 320 |
| CentroSolar | 250 | 320 | 278 |
| CertainTeed Solar | 70 | 400 | 308 |
| ET Solar | 255 | 370 | 306 |
| First Solar | 420 | 460 | 440 |
| GCL | 310 | 330 | 320 |
| Grape Solar | 160 | 285 | 237 |
| Green Brilliance | 230 | 300 | 266 |
| Hansol | 250 | 360 | 304 |
| Hanwha | 365 | 385 | 375 |
| Heliene | 250 | 370 | 306 |
| JA Solar | 260 | 410 | 329 |
| JinkoSolar | 315 | 410 | 367 |
| Kyocera | 260 | 330 | 295 |
| LG | 315 | 415 | 365 |
| LONGi | 305 | 455 | 387 |
| Mission Solar Energy | 300 | 390 | 334 |
| Mitsubishi Electric | 270 | 280 | 275 |
| Neo Solar Power | 310 | 330 | 320 |
| Panasonic | 320 | 370 | 340 |
| Peimar | 310 | 310 | 310 |
| Peimar Group | 270 | 330 | 301 |
| Phono Solar | 260 | 350 | 294 |
| QCELLS | 285 | 430 | 358 |
| REC | 275 | 450 | 347 |
| RECOM | 265 | 370 | 308 |
| Recom Solar | 310 | 350 | 330 |
| ReneSola | 245 | 320 | 277 |
| Renogy Solar | 250 | 300 | 268 |
| RGS Energy | 55 | 60 | 58 |
| Risen | 270 | 390 | 329 |
| S-Energy | 255 | 385 | 334 |
| Seraphim | 255 | 340 | 294 |
| Silfab | 300 | 390 | 335 |
| Solaria | 350 | 430 | 375 |
| Solartech Universal | 310 | 325 | 318 |
| SunPower | 320 | 435 | 355 |
| SunSpark Technology | 310 | 310 | 310 |
| Talesun | 275 | 415 | 365 |
| Talesun Solar Co. | 400 | 400 | 400 |
| Trina | 265 | 415 | 337 |
| Trina Solar Energy | 260 | 320 | 288 |
| Upsolar | 270 | 365 | 311 |
| Vikram Solar | 320 | 340 | 330 |
| Winaico | 325 | 340 | 332 |
Why does solar panel output matter?
Power output is an important metric for your home or commercial solar panel system. When you buy or install a solar photovoltaic (PV) energy system, the price you pay is typically based on the solar panel output of your system (expressed in watts or kilowatts).
How do size and quantity impact output?
Power output on its own is not a complete indicator of a panel’s quality and performance characteristics. Some panels’ high power output rating is due to their larger physical size rather than their higher efficiency or technological superiority.
For example, if two solar panels both have 15 percent efficiency ratings, but one has a power output rating of 250 watts, and the other is rated at 300 watts, it means that the 300-watt panel is about 20 percent physically larger than the 250-watt panel. That’s why EnergySage and other industry experts view panel efficiency as being a more indicative criterion of solar panel performance strength than solar capacity alone.
In practical terms, a solar panel system with a total rated capacity of 5kW (kilowatts) could be made up of either 20 250-Watt panels or 16 300-Watt panels. Both systems will generate the same amount of power in the same geographic location. Though a 5kW system may produce 6,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity every year in Boston, that same system will produce 8,000 kWh yearly in Los Angeles because of the amount of sun each location gets each year.
The effect materials have on output
The electricity generated by a solar PV system is governed by its rated power output, but it’s also dependent on other factors such as panel efficiency and temperature sensitivity, as well as the degree of shading that the system experiences and the tilt angle and azimuth of the roof on which it’s installed. As a general rule of thumb, it makes prudent financial sense to install a solar system with as much power output as you can afford (or that your roof will accommodate). That will ensure you maximize your savings and speed up the payback period of your solar energy system.
Find out more about average for solar across the country for 3kW, 4kW, 5kW, 6kW, 7kW, 8 kW, and 10kW solar systems. The EnergySage Marketplace makes it easy for you to compare your savings from solar panels with various power output ratings.
Common questions about how much energy a solar panel produces
Because few people own just one solar panel, we talk more about the system output than individual solar panel output. Here are some of the questions we are frequently asked surrounding how much energy solar panels, and solar panel systems as a whole, generate.
This depends on weather conditions, how much sunlight a location gets, and solar panel output. It would take about 27 solar panels to produce that much electricity in ideal conditions with the average solar panel.
A panel of this size would produce between roughly 1.2kW to 2.5kW per day. Solar panel output and the amount of sunlight available will impact how much energy it produces.
If exposed to the sun at least four hours a day, a system of this size can produce up to 20kWh per day.
The average solar panel produces from 170 to 350 watts every hour, depending on the region and weather conditions. This works out to about 0.17 kWh to 0.35 kWh per solar panel.
Explore your solar options today with EnergySage
If you’re in the early stage of shopping for solar and would just like a ballpark estimate for an installation, try our Solar Calculator, which offers upfront cost and long-term savings estimates based on your location and roof type. For those looking to get and compare quotes from local contractors today, check out the EnergySage Marketplace.
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