How Many kWh Does A Solar Panel Produce Per Day?

There are lots of different types of energy in the world and solar panels are fast becoming one of the most popular forms of energy conversion.

How Many kWh Does A Solar Panel Produce Per Day

Because of this, there is a lot of demand for knowledge and information about these productive inventions, which we will do our best to provide you with.

When it comes to the power limits and the efficiency of these inventions, they output a specific number of kWh per day and this can often affect someone’s choice to buy a certain amount of these panels.

Follow our guide to find out how many kWh a solar panel produces per day.

The general rule of thumb, with an irradiance average of 4 peak sun hours per day is that 1 watt of solar panel power will give out 4 watt-hours of energy.

This is the equivalent of 0.004kWh, which means that a 300-watt panel yields around 1.22kWh every day. However, the precise number will depend on the location irradiance.

What Is A Solar Panel?

Solar technology is used to convert sunlight into energy so that we can power our appliances and properties with relative ease.

This is a good alternative to traditional electrical energy and can lower someone’s carbon footprint massively.

These panels are typically made from photovoltaic cells made of silicon semiconductors. These work to absorb sunlight and results in an electric current that will be used to power different things.

Larger solar panels are used to power bigger features, with smaller ones being used to power smaller things.

Solar Panels – How Much kWh Do They Produce?

The irradiance for the panel’s location will affect the amount of energy made by any solar panel very heavily.

The efficiency of the solar panel is then measured using kilowatt-hours per square meter per day, also known as kWh/m2/day.

We also think it’s important to note that the location’s Peak-Sun-Hours can be used as a fast estimate of a solar panel array’s output per day measured in kWh.

This can also be used to measure the estimates over a year.

A quick example for you, the output of energy for a solar panel in the Arizona area with a peak of 7.5 peak sun hours per day will be very different from somewhere like Nebraska with 3 peak sun hours per day.

Different places in the US are bound to have very different numbers depending on the amount of sun that they get per day and the heat that the panels are bound to experience.

These can affect the efficiency of the solar panel output and will affect the amount of energy being produced.

How Many Solar Panels Will Produce 30 kWh Per Day?

If the average peak sunshine hours are 4 hours, requiring 25 solar panels per day, each rated at 300 watts, producing 30 kWh of electricity. This is the equivalent of a 7.5 kW solar power installation.

Solar energy varies according to the irradiance at a given location. This sounds like a lot of numbers to deal with, but it’s something that comes with practice and research over time. 

If you’re looking for domestic solar panels and the benefits that they have for people’s homes, then we have some figures for you. These panels can have power ratings ranging between 200 watts and 350 watts of power.

Of course, this can differ depending on the irradiance at the specific location.

100-watt variety solar panels are very common and you’re bound to see them frequently throughout the world of solar energy.

These low-rated panels are usually used for smaller projects, camping RVs, sheds, battery charging, and even pergola roofs. 

For example, let’s say these particular panels are 300 watts. We’ll choose a location like Atlanta, Ga.

We’ll note that other factors like voltage aren’t really relevant and don’t matter too much in this situation.

Working Out The Solar Panel Irradiance In Atlanta

In this particular location, there are 4.634 peak sun hours per day, so we’ll work out the kWh per day.

If you multiply the peak sun hours per day by the wattage of the solar panel, you’ll get the answer you need.

4.634 x 300 = 1.39kWh per day, which gives you the next step in the sum.

From here you can divide the target kWh by the daily energy production to locate the number of panels you need for the ideal amount of energy.

So, 39kWh ÷  1.39 = 21.6 solar panels, working at 300 watts rating for each. 

Because you can’t purchase 21.6 solar panels, this means that you’ll have to round up this figure to 22 solar panels. The total installation power needed will be around the 6.6kW mark.

We recommend noting that your professional installer will advise you that it’s perfectly normal to use more capacity because these estimates aren’t fully accurate.

They’re accurate enough but they won’t take into account the different solar losses that are typically experienced.

Number Of Solar Panels Needed To Produce 50kWh Per Day

Typical sunshine hours during peak hours are 4 hours, requiring 62 solar modules with a rated output of 200 watts to generate 50 kWh of electricity per day.

This corresponds to a 7.5 kW solar power system. Solar output depends on the irradiance of each geographic location and can make a huge difference in the amount of energy being converted.

When considering home-mounted solar panels, they usually have individual power ratings anywhere between 175 and 400 watts of power.

Smaller panels are usually considered to be below 200 watts and are used for smaller projects, as we mentioned earlier. These projects can be anything from power supplies, RVs, and garden structures. 

How Many kWh Does A Solar Panel Produce Per Day (1)

For this instance, we will use 200-watt panels because they are a fairly common size of solar panels and have an average value in irradiance of 4 peak sun hours. This means that a 200-watt solar panel will give out: 

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

If we then divide 50kWh by the amount of daily energy yielded, we will end up with the number of solar panels that will be needed.

50kWh ÷  0.8kWh = 62 solar panels, working at 200 watts rating each. The amount of solar power needed will be 12.2kW.

Because solar system losses can occur, we recommend that losses of up to 23% call for extra capacity to be implemented. This will make sure that the target kWh will be comfortably achieved without stress.

How Many kWh Does A 5kW System Produce Per Day?

A 5 kW solar power system with an average of 4 peak hours of sunshine per day can generate approximately 20 kWh per day. This is assuming that a clear sky with no clouds or shadows is present.

This also varies from place to place. If the weather and the temperatures vary, then the results can differ and we recommend that you seek an official figure, depending on the weather.

The power output of a 5kW system may be reduced as solar losses reduce power output.

On top of this, most solar panels will lose some of their efficiency over time and this can also affect the output of energy over the years.

However, the majority of solar panels are designed to last, with a lot of them having a warranty of around 25 years.

5,000 watts (5kW) of solar energy is about the size of the average U.S. home solar system and represents 17 300-watt solar panels, which isn’t too large of a number that it seems unrealistic for someone to have on their property.

Differences In Energy Output

The energy output of all solar panel systems depends on the energy or irradiance of the sun, which varies from state to state, as we’ve already stated.

This can’t always be helped and the number of solar panels and their efficiency will vary from area to area. 

For example, Arizona’s peak solar radiation is three times that of Alaska because of their sun exposure and heat difference, so the difference can be huge.

For most purposes, an estimate using the average irradiance value over the 4 peak sunshine hours provides a good understanding of solar performance.

These aren’t always 100% accurate, but they’re close enough.

We note that peak sunshine hours are a good way of expressing irradiance, and are measured in kWh/square meter/day (or year), which can help when trying to figure out different amounts and figures to do with efficiency.

Number Of Solar Panels Needed To Produce 10kWh Per Day

Typical sunshine hours during peak hours are 4 hours, requiring 13 solar modules with a rated output of 200 watts to generate 10 kWh of electricity per day.

This is a 2.5kW solar power system. Solar energy varies with irradiance in each geographic location and we recommend that you check this out online before trying to find your facts and figures.

We’ll be staying with the 200-watt panel used in the previous example, which averages 4 peak hours of sunshine.

By using the same numbers, we’re hoping it’ll help you to find some consistencies in the sums that we’re using to find the answers.

A solar panel with a 200-watt capacity can yield:

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

From here, we can divide 10kWh by the 0.8kWh per day and we will end up with the number of solar panels that you’ll need to hit the desirable amount of kWh per day.

10kWh ÷ 0.8kWh = 12.5 200 watt solar panels.

Once again, we state that you can’t purchase 12.5 solar panels, so you’ll have to round up to 13 solar panels. The total kW needed will be 25 kW. 

It’s important to remember that increasing the overall capacity of the solar array will help you to take into account the 23% solar system losses that you can see frequently with domestic solar systems.

Final Thoughts

There you have it! That’s our guide to finding out how many kWh a solar panel produces per day.

As you’ve probably established by now, the amount of sunlight per day will heavily determine the energy output and conversion that a solar panel will be able to produce.

However, this will vary massively from place to place.

For example, the amount of peak sunlight per day in a warmer state like Texas will be a higher number than in a state such as Alaska.

This means that there will likely be a larger number of solar panels in an area that will have a lower energy output because of the lower number of hours in the sunlight.

At the end of the day, everyone knows how many solar panels are roughly needed to keep them powered.

By using our guide and the sums we’ve mentioned, we’re hoping that you’ll be able to figure out the system that works best for you.

Joe Danner