How Much Energy Can Home Solar Generate?
When considering the installation of solar panels at your home, power output or wattage is an important factor. Upon receiving quotes for solar panels, you will see line items next to different solar panels that list (for example)245W, 300W, or 345W. These confusing numbers are referring to the solar panel’s wattage, capacity, and power output.
Our solar energy experts explain how much energy is generated for each individual solar panel and an entire home solar panel system.
How much energy does home solar energy produce?
Solar panels are rated by the amount of direct current (DC) power they produce under standard test conditions and are expressed in units of watts (W). This measurement represents the amount of power an individual solar panel can produce under ideal sunlight and temperature conditions.
Key takeaways from solar panel energy output include:
- On average, an individual solar panel typically produces between 250 to 400 watts of power. Actual output is based on variables such as shade, orientation, and the amount of direct sunlight per day.
- Based on a 30-panel system, your home solar energy will produce more than enough electricity per year to match all your electricity usage and more!
Calculating Solar Energy Per Single Panel
There are many benefits to living in the Sunshine State, one of which is the five hours (on average) of direct sunlight available per day. Based on this amount of sunlight and a 290-watt premium panel (for example), here’s how you can calculate your individual solar panel output:
5 hours x 290 watts = 1,450 watts-hours or roughly 1.5 kilowatt-hours (kWh)
Based on this calculation, the output for each solar panel at your home would produce around 500 to 550 kWh of energy per year. With just one solar panel, you would have enough energy to power most small appliances without issue! Just think how much energy can be generated with an entire system. More on that next…
Calculating Entire Solar Panel Systems
Using the example above (five hours of direct sunlight with 290 W solar panels), a 30-panel system will generate 43.5 kWh of electricity per day! Multiply 43.5 times 365 days per year, your solar panels will generate 15,800 kWh of electricity in a full calendar year! Considering that the average electricity used per home in a calendar year is around 10,600 kWh, you will have more than enough energy to power your home.
Get a FREE quote on solar panels from Solar Bear!
Curious to see if a home solar system is a good fit for your energy needs? Contact our experienced team of solar energy experts today at 813-567-8484 for a FREE quote!
