How Many kWh Does A Solar Panel Produce Per Day?

How many kWh can a solar panel generate a day?

As a general rule, with an average irradiance of 4 peak-sun-hours/day, 1 watt of solar panel rated power will produce on average 4 watt-hours (Wh) of energy. This amount equates to 0.004kWh, so a 300 watt solar panel will generate 1.22kWh/day. The precise amount depends on the location irradiance.

How much kWh does a solar panel produce?

The amount of energy generated by any solar panel depends heavily on the irradiance for the panel’s location measured in kilowatt-hours per square meter per day (kWh/m2/day).

For convenience, it’s also known as the location’s Peak-Sun-Hours and can be used as a quick estimated of a solar panel arrays output per day or year measured in kWh.

It’s an important number. For example, the energy output for a solar panel in Arizona with of 7.5 peak-sun-hours/day is very different from Indiana with 3/day!

See the table below to see solar panel outputs compared across US states:

TABLE: Average solar panel output per day (kWh) by US States compared

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How many solar panels to produce 30 kwh per day?

With an average irradiance of 4 peak-sun-hours 25 solar panels rated at 300 watts each would be needed to produce 30kWh per day. This equates to a 7.5kW solar power installation. The solar output will vary depending on the irradiance at any particular location.

Domestic solar panels can have power ratings anywhere from 200 watts to 350 watts.

Lower rated panels such as the very common 100 watt variety are mainly used for small projects, local battery charging, camping vans/RVs, sheds and pergola roofs.

Let’s say the panels in question are 300 watts (we can use this one for reference). I’ll also choose the location of the panels as Atlanta, Ga. Other factors, such as voltage, doesn’t really matter.

Solar panels irradiance in Atlanta, Ga

Find this value on the site Global Atlas Info – see the image below:

Solar panel sizing – irradiance Atlanta, Georgia

Irradiance at this location is 4.634 peak-sun-hours/day, so a 300 watt solar panel will generate:

4.634 x 300 = 1.39kWh/day

Now we can divide the 30kWh target by the daily energy production to0 find the number of panels needed:

30kWh/1.39 = 21.6 (22) solar panels @ 300 watts rating each

Total solar installation power required is 6.6kW.

Note: Your professional installer would advise, but it’s normal to more capacity because theoretical estimates don’t take into account the various solar losses.

How many solar panels do I need to produce 50 kwh per day?

With a typical irradiance of 4 peak-sun-hours 62 solar panels rated at 200 watts each are required to produce 50kWh per day. This is equivalent to a 7.5kW solar power system. Solar output is dependent on the irradiance at any geographic location.

Home-mounted solar panels normally have individual power ratings from 175 watts to 400 watts.

Smaller panels below 200 watts tend to be used for smaller projects, such as battery charging, emergency power supplies, RVs, or garden structures like pergola roofs.

For this example I’ll use 200 watt panels with an average irradiance value of 4 peak-sun-hours.

A 200 watt solar panel will produce:

4 x 200 = 0.8kWh/day

If we divide 50kWh  by the daily energy generation we get the number of solar panels required:

50kWh/0.8kWh = 62 solar panels @ 200 watts rating each

Total solar power needed is 12.2kW.

Note: Solar system losses of up to 23% means that extra capacity should be added to ensure the target kWh is comfortably achieved.

How many kwh per day does a 5kw system produce?

A 5kW solar power system with an average irradiance of 4 peak-sun-hours per day will theoretically generate 20kWh per day. This assumes clear skies with no shading and will vary according to location. In practice, a 5kW system may produce less than this, as solar losses reduce the power output.

5000 watts (5kW) of solar power is just about the average size of a US domestic solar system and represents 17 solar panels @ 300 watts each.

The energy output of any solar power systems depends on the sun’s energy, or irradiance, and this varies from state to state.

For example, the irradiance in peak-sun-hours in Arizona is 3 times more than in Alaska, so the difference can be very big. For most purposes, and estimate using an average irradiance value of 4 peak-sun-hours gives a good idea of solar output.

(Note: Peak-sun-hours is a convenient way of expressing irradiance, which strictly-speaking, is measured in kWh/m2/day (or year.)

How many solar panels to produce 10 kwh per day?

With a typical irradiance of 4 peak-sun-hours 13 solar panels rated at 200 watts each are required to produce 10kWh per day. This is a 2.5kW solar power system. Solar output will vary according to the irradiance for any geographic location.

I’ll stick with the 200 watt panels used in the last example and average irradiance of 4 peak-sun-hours.

I already worked out that a 200 watt solar panel can generate:

4 peak-sun-hours x 200 watts = 0.8kWh/day

Dividing 10kWh  by the 0.8kWh/day we will find the number of solar panels needed:

10kWh/0.8kWh = 12.5 (13) 200 watt solar panels

The total kW needed is 2.5kW.

Note: Remember to increase the overall capacity of the solar array to take into account the 23% solar system losses commonly associated with domestic solar systems.

Resources relating to how many kWh solar your roof can generate:

How Much Solar Power Can My Roof Generate? – Sunrun

How Much Energy Does A Solar Panel Produce? | EnergySage

How much energy do solar panels produce for your home

How Much Power (Watts) does a Solar Panel Produce?