Cheap Solar Panel Installation

12 Responses to “How much energy does a solar panel generate?”

1. Piqchure says:

   September 16, 2010 at 11:58 pm

   High end solar panels generate 200 watts at 18 volts.
   Households (USA) require 120 volts, so you would need 7 panels each at 18 volts, to match the energy usage of 200 watts at 120 volts.

   The cost for 7 panels is about $6000.
2. Mark Mignet says:

   September 16, 2010 at 11:58 pm

   If it is green living you are looking for, and want a solar panel good enough for your home, then with the conventional methods you are just not going to succeed. The typical mistake people make is to use the obvious solar panels. Hence, they don’t succeed.

   If you plan strategically and have enough sunlight in your area, then you can easily make a solar panel that pays off quickly.

   If you are looking for installation of a solar panel, click the below link to drop me an email and I shall share further details.

   http://answers.yahoo.com/my/message_do?kid=AcQDcPNZaa
3. Nightwind says:

   September 16, 2010 at 11:58 pm

   Fact is, big and local governments might subsidize installations, but they’ve been running low on cash for these initiatives. The idea was better than reality.
   Generating power from a free source is a nice idea, would even work if the polysilicates weren’ t so expensive. In the end, its agreed by the people that know what they are talking about and have experience with solar panels, the current price for them never offsets the total cost.
   As for voltage, that would depend on how large the panel is. Most solar panels are actually made up of mini panels that are linked together in series to make a higher voltage unit.
   You would have to check the specifications for the panel itself. That and with newer technologies coming out. Currently most of us use the thin film type, but there are new inventions not on the market yet that are suppose to be able to give more voltage out for the same amount of sun light. But these are still being experiemented with by small developmental companies.
4. Diego T says:

   September 16, 2010 at 11:58 pm

   0.5 Volts (V)
5. Will T says:

   September 16, 2010 at 11:58 pm

   They never fully pay themselves off.

   I work for the largest energy maker on the east coast, sadly the gov’t mandates us to make "renewable" sources, which is dumb because all energy sources arwe renewable, contrair to what people are brainwashed into believing.

   But energy panels have never once fully payed themselves off for us, even with the large gov’t grant we’re givin they still don’t pay off the part of the money we payed for them
6. shamwow454 says:

   September 16, 2010 at 11:58 pm

   i think u get about 1 watt per square foot
7. Solarlights says:

   September 16, 2010 at 11:58 pm

   The Solar technology needed to power all appliances a big house is here now. Although it has been late in coming, if you do your research very well, you will find a modern solar installation that will give you more than the energy you need. Do not be discouraged nor listen to those to those who installed theirs many moons ago. The new technology will definitely work for you.
8. Dave S. says:

   September 16, 2010 at 11:58 pm

   That’s not an easy question to answer.In short it depends on what type of panel. Second it depends on the size. Why someone would say that they never pay for themselves is just plain stupid. At what point does you fossil fuel generated electricity pay for itself?. In the US we have a 30% tax credit for Solar Thermal, and Photo-Voltaic systems. A typical PV system will pay for itself in about 10 years. The brainwashing referred to here is the company telling their employees that "solar doesn’t work". You have to ask yourself this. Who’s interest are the protecting?Now I’ll get down off of my soapbox and try to answer your question in another way. Photo-voltaic panels are tested and given an efficiency rating. Currently the average is about 12-15%. I’m putting a link in the source box for you to look at. Hope this explains a little.
   PS, another great site is findsolar.com. It’s real helpful.I’ll add it also.
9. whsgreenmom says:

   September 16, 2010 at 11:58 pm

   I have a 3.74 kwhdc system which contains 19 panels that are around 2′x4′. The amount of energy they generates varies over the year. As the sun is higher and the days are longer I get more production then in the winter when the sun is low, days are shorter and we have over cast days. I was averaging about 35 kwh per day in the summer and about 10 kwh per day in the winter.

   BTW I will break even in less than 7 years on my investment and will save well over $50K over the life of the panels.
10. colonialmotion says:

    September 16, 2010 at 11:58 pm

    i dont know the technicallity of them, but their is right now on my ceiling more than 15 solar panels that were installed around ten years ago as a sollution to high power bills in my country, i had to buy 16 deep cycle batteries and a bunch of expensive stuff, and we were then a family of about 5… by 2am the lights went out… we had to sleep in the dark after 2am, or the power would come on and of randomly… if you live on your own you might be ok.. but if a big family dont do it…
    mine have been laying on my ceiling for almost a decade unused…
11. dooberheim says:

    September 16, 2010 at 11:58 pm

    Specifically, the amount of energy a solar panel can generate is it’s peak rating (in watts) times the insolation averaged over an entire day (in hours), giving a value in watt-hours. For example:

    A 100 watt panel gets an average of 5 hours of good sun/day. It would generate 500 watt-hours, or 0.5 KWH. It might power a desktop computer for a couple hours, or a couple 25 watt CFL’s for 10 hours (with the appropriate batteries).

    DK
12. Boozy says:

    September 16, 2010 at 11:58 pm

    A lifetime of free KWH…