Many homeowners and business people are using solar panels as their energy source, lessening their overreliance on costly traditional grid-tied electricity. Aside from being a cost-friendly alternative power source, solar energy helps reduce one's carbon footprint in the environment because it does not cause pollution.

As long as the place where you live or run your business receives adequate sunlight, installing solar panels is a long-term investment you would want to consider. However, you must first figure out how much energy a solar panel can produce to know whether going "green" is an investment worth your money and attention. It is, after all, the main reason for installing solar panels in your house or place of business.

You should look for solar panels that can produce 100% of the energy required for your house or place of business. However, the solar panel's energy levels could vary due to several factors, which you will learn about below.

What is a Solar Panel, and How Does it Work?

A solar panel is a silicon-made device that converts sunlight into electricity using photovoltaic (PV) cells that concentrate solar radiation. An inverter is necessary to help convert the direct current (DC) from solar panels into usable alternating current (AC) because your home's electrical appliances cannot use DC power.

Without an inverter, your solar panels will generate electricity, but you cannot utilize it because your home or business appliances use AC electricity. Then, your home's electrical panel will distribute the electricity throughout your entire business establishment or home to power your electrical appliances.

Once you go green, you will use electricity directly from the installed solar panels, lowering the amount of electricity you use from the national power grid. That means you will save money and pay the utility company for the electricity your home or business requires.

Most homeowners nowadays use solar panels as their energy source and rely on smart meters to measure and record the exact amount of electricity their homes use. That means you do not have to deal with estimated bills when paying your electric bills.

You can obtain credits from your local utility company through net metering for the excess energy your solar panels produce if they are connected to the grid. You can maximize the benefits of using solar energy by investing in solar batteries to store the excess electricity your solar panels produce.

With a solar panel system and adequate batteries to stall the excess energy they generate daily, you will not have to rely on the grid for electricity when the sun sets or on rainy days to power your house.

Factors That Could Impact Your Solar Panel System's Power Capacity

Generally, manufacturers consider various laboratory conditions when determining the wattage and rating of a solar panel. However, several variables could affect your solar panel system's actual output, such as:

How Much Sunlight It Receives Every Day

A solar panel system will produce more electricity if it receives several hours of direct sunlight daily. Therefore, if your residence area is sunny, your solar panel system will produce more power. The World Bank Global Solar Atlas can give you an idea of how much sunlight your location receives.

Ambient Temperature

Although exposure to increased sunlight can make a solar panel system produce more electricity, a high ambient temperature could negatively affect its output. High temperatures affect a solar panel's ability to convert daily sunlight into electric power.

Inverter Efficiency and Solar Battery

As mentioned above, a complete solar panel system requires other components like batteries and inverters. However, a solar battery is optional if your solar panel system is grid-tied. While they are crucial components, they waste much energy the system produces because they are not 100% efficient.

However, you can find battery systems and inverters with a power efficiency rate of above 95%. Although this loss is small, it is worth considering when installing your solar panel system.

Your Solar Panel Type

The type of solar panel you install in your house or place of business will primarily determine how much power it can produce. Depending on your preferences and energy needs, you can choose to install any of the following types of solar panels:

  • Monocrystalline solar panels
  • Thin-film solar panels
  • Polycrystalline solar panels

If you have limited or inadequate space in your home, you can use monocrystalline panels to produce the highest possible power output, lighting up your home and powering your electrical appliances.

It is important to remember that these estimations are based on typical solar panel wattages for homes or residences, which typically fall between 65 and 40 inches. The size of your solar panel will determine whether its output goes up or down.

Your Roof Type

The type of roof your house or business establishment has is a major consideration when determining how much power a solar panel can generate. The truth is that not all types of roofs are ideal for solar panels. The ideal roof type for installing solar panels should be unshaded and debris-free to maximize electricity production. 

The main factor to consider if you want to harness the most solar energy daily is the direction your home or commercial establishment’s roof faces. Although you can have your solar panel installed on the roof facing any side, it will likely generate less power if it does not have adequate exposure to sunlight. Generally, a solar panel is more likely to produce more energy when installed on a south-facing roof.

Your Solar Panel Age

Your solar panel's age can also influence how much energy it produces. While most people never pay attention to it, a solar panel age can also influence how much electricity it makes because it loses its ability to produce power as it ages. However, not all solar panels degrade or lower their power output at the same rate.

Check your solar panel manufacturer's power performance guarantee to learn what to expect as your panel ages.

Solar panel system degradation as it ages can be worrying, particularly if your home's energy use increases over time. Even if your solar panel system can generate 100% of your home or business power needs, as the solar panel degrades with time, that could be impossible because its power production decreases as the system ages.

How Many Solar Panels Does an Average Household Need?

Generally speaking, the average home uses 886 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month. To generate this electricity monthly, most households must install between seventeen and twenty-one solar panels to meet their power or electricity needs. Below are factors that determine how many solar panels an average household needs:

Home Energy Usage

If your home needs more electricity than an average household, install more solar panels to meet your household's power usage. Your monthly or yearly electricity bills can help you understand your household's total electricity consumption.

Your Roof Space

Generally, the average solar panel dimension or size is around 60 by 40 inches, but these dimensions could vary depending on the model. However, commercial solar panels are larger than residential ones in most cases. The size of your roof will determine how many solar panels you need to install to power your household or residential establishment's electrical appliances..

Whether there is Shading on the Solar Panels

Shading on a solar panel decreases the amount of electricity it generates daily, meaning you have to install more solar panels to compensate when you install your panels in a shaded area.

Local Climate

If you live in a sunny location, your solar panels will produce more electricity. Therefore, cloudy and rainy climates cause solar panels to produce little electricity.

Solar Panel Wattage

If your solar panel system's wattage is low, you should be ready to install more panels to meet your household and business establishment's power needs. Fortunately, due to technology, the wattage ratings of most solar panels today are enough to power an average household.

Your Solar Panel Budget

The budget you have in place for this crucial investment in your home or business establishment will come into play when determining how many solar panels you need to install. Although an installation company or contractor can install your solar panels, leaving adequate room for future expansion, your budget can help determine how many panels you need to install.

Your installation contractor can help you choose reliable solar panels that fit your budget. You can also consider acquiring a loan to finance this project if your home or commercial establishment requires several power panels to generate electricity.

How to Maximize Your Solar Panel Electricity Generation

Although solar panels have a rated efficiency and wattage, the electricity they produce depends on several external factors. Generally speaking, you can maximize solar panel electricity generation or production by following the recommendations listed below:

  • Install all your solar panels in an open and unshaded area
  • Clean your solar panels frequently to wipe off dust and other clutter that could block sunlight
  • Track your daily power output of the solar panel system and contact your contractor as soon as you notice dips in the system performance

To reap the most benefits from your solar panel system, you should find a reliable contractor because improper or substandard wiring could negatively impact the system's performance or cause irreversible damage.

It is worth noting that any mistake your contractors make while installing your solar panel system could void its manufacturer's warranty. That means you will not receive your money back if it does not function or perform as promised or expected.

A reliable solar installation company or contractor understands this and will take his/her time to ensure your solar panel system is well installed. If necessary, he/she will also help you troubleshoot any problems you detect over time.

Frequently Asked Questions About Solar Panels

Most people will ask the following questions before investing in solar panel systems as their source of electricity for residential or commercial properties:

  1. How Many PV Cells Does a Solar Panel Have?

The number of PV cells in a solar panel could vary, ranging between 60 and 72. Most residential solar panels come with 60 or 66 PV cells. However, you could require a solar panel with 72 PV cells if your goal in this project is to reduce your commercial establishment's electricity bills.

  1. What is a Solar Panel Rating?

A solar panel rating measures the maximum power output of a solar panel system in watts under ideal conditions, also known as peak sun hours. It indicates your system's maximum power output when exposed to daily direct sunlight at 1000 W/square meters. Nonetheless, several factors, including temperature, dust, and shade, can impact a PV solar panel's total power output.

  1. How Much Electricity Does a Solar Panel System Produce Daily?

Generally, an average solar panel system generates 1.5 kWh of electricity daily. However, a solar panel's daily power outage mainly depends on the local area's sunshine conditions and the panel's rated wattage. As mentioned above, your solar system's energy output will be high on sunny days and low on short winter days or cloudy weather.

  1. How Much Do I Need to Buy a Solar Panel?

Generally speaking, the average cost of a residential solar panel system is $2.85 per watt. That means you will need $17,100 for a 6 kW system. However, you can lower the cost of a solar panel by taking advantage of solar incentives and tax credits.

Find a Reliable Solar Installation Company Near Me

If you want to reduce your carbon footprints on the planet, investing in solar panel systems as an alternative to conventional grid-tied electricity is a great place to start. However, you will need to consider several factors before you invest in this project because certain factors, like the amount of daily sunlight exposure, could affect a solar panel's power output.

If you have questions about solar panels and how much power they can generate, our reliable contractors at Sun Solar Electric can help. We invite you to call our experienced solar panel installation contractors at 707-658-2157 to schedule your first cost-free appointment.