Solar panels convert sunlight into electricity through photovoltaic cells. The amount of energy they generate depends on several factors. Understanding how these factors affect energy generation can help you make informed decisions about your future solar panel installation.
Each panel generates around 300 watts of power. It is one of the most common size systems we install. With this system, you can cover a substantial portion of your monthly energy needs, potentially providing enough electricity for an average UK household for the entire year—translating to about 3,888 kWh annually.
Whether they'll generate enough electricity for your home year-round will depend on: if your solar panel system works in a power cut. It may be more realistic to think about whether you can be self-sufficient for the brighter parts of the year, and then top up your energy use from the grid at other times.
When it comes to solar panels, 'power' refers to the maximum amount of electricity a panel can generate (in watts). The panel's ' efficiency ' is all about how effectively it can convert daylight into electricity. Higher power and efficiency mean greater electricity production.
That said, here are some standard facts for an average, UK domestic solar panel system. Domestic solar systems range from 1 kilowatt (kW) to 5kW in power. So, now we know how much energy a typical household uses per year let’s look at how much energy a typical 4kW solar PV / solar panel system generates.
Solar photovoltaic cells are grouped in panels, and panels can be grouped into arrays of different sizes to power water pumps, power individual homes, or provide utility-scale electricity generation. Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (copyrighted)