A 3kW solar panel system has a peak output rating of three kilowatts, which means it generates 3,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per year in standard test conditions.
On average, the roof area required for a 3kw solar panel system is around 12m - 17m². With a typical solar panel being 1m x 1.7m, a 3-kilowatt system of 6-8 solar panels would take up that much roof space, depending mainly on the wattage per panel and how the system is tilted.
A 3kW PV system will produce around 2,500 kWh of electricity per year. The solar panel system will consist of 20 × 150-watt panels (low efficiency), 15 × 200-watt solar panels (average efficiency), or 12 × 250-watt solar panels (latest technology). You may be asking yourself ' how many solar panels do I need for a 3 kW system?'.
A 3kW solar panel system costs around £9,000 to buy and install. If you want to add a battery to this system, it’ll push the price up by about £2,000, for an overall cost of £11,000.
According to Statista, in 2023 UK solar panels generated an impressive 15,225 gigawatt hours of electricity. That means solar PV (photo voltaic) panels produced about 3% of the UK’s electricity last year. Now, that may not sound like much, but remember in 2004 the number of gigawatt hours generated by solar was just four.
A 3kW solar panel system will only provide you with enough electricity to live off-grid if you can be careful with your consumption and use significantly less energy in winter. A 3kW solar panel system is a standard size for a household with two or three bedrooms, and can massively cut your electricity bills.