Over the last few decades, solar panels have been among the most important innovations. They make it possible for us to power our residential and commercial buildings in an eco-friendly and cost effective manner, and in the long run, it can help us save money.
How much Power does a Solar Panel Produce?
The amount of power solar panels produce depends on three vital factors – the size of the panel, how efficient the solar cells are, and how much sunlight the panel gets.
- Size of the Panel
This is the first factor that determines how much power a solar panel will produce. This might seem obvious, but very true regardless. A solar panel that’s twice as big as another will absorb more sunlight; therefore produce more electricity than the smaller one. - Efficiency of the Panel
The efficiency of a solar panel deals with the amount of power the sun can convert into electricity. Some panels are more efficient than others, depending on the material they are made of. One of the best is the monosilicon cell panels; they have better production costs, and are very efficient. Polysilicon cell panels cost less to produce, but give out more waste and are not as efficient - How Much Sunshine the Panel Gets
Of course this is one of the most important factors that determine how much electricity a solar panel will produce on a daily basis. After all, they make use of sunlight to produce power, so the total sunlight will affect the final energy output. Remember that for solar panels to function, they don’t really require direct sunlight, they can absorb sunlight through the cloud cover, but having direct sunlight is obviously better.When it comes to determining the size of panel you want to use on your roof, it is important to figure out how much power is generated by every square foot of solar panel. Once you now the amount of power each panel produces, you can divide it by the square feet of your panel. For example, a panel that produces 265 watts, and has a size of 65.4 by 39 inches, will produce 15 watts of energy per square foot. Although this doesn’t sound like much power, square foot can add up quickly.
How much power can a solar panel produce in a day or month?
Now that you know the amount of electricity a single panel can create, it is easy to determine the amount of power it can produce in a day or month. If you have a 250 watt panel, multiply that by the amount of sunlight your roof gets exposed to in a day. For instance, the average amount of usable sunlight in the US per day is about 4 hours. Simply multiply the 250 watts by 4 to determine how much power the panel will produce in a day – which is 1000 watts per day.
Furthermore, to determine how much power is produced in a month, multiply those 1000 watts produced in a day by either 30 or 31 days. Averagely, a solar panel is expected to generate about 30,000 watts in a month.
Our professionals at ALIVE Solar & Roofing can competently determine your power needs, and subsequently calculate the amount of solar panels you need to install on your roof to meet your energy needs. Click here to contact us if you intend to install solar panels in San Diego, and get upfront quotes and long-term saving estimates for your solar or roof installation.