How Much Energy Does a Commercial Solar Panel Generate?
Solar power is on the rise, and you've likely seen solar panels in your neighborhood on your neighbor's rooftop. Do you have a business and want to take advantage of solar power’s benefits? To determine how many solar panels to get and what kind, you need to know how much energy a commercial solar panel generates. This is key to your success, and we'll dive into it below. First, let's learn some key terms that will help us calculate.
The Basic Energy Units
If you want to learn more about power in relation to commercial businesses, you have to get acclimated to some useful terms. Even if you aren’t adept at math, our explanation below should be easy to understand. Knowing how basic energy unit calculations can help if you’re thinking of incorporating solar into your own business, so take a closer look.
A kilowatt (kW) measures electric power and is equal to 1000 watts. When a solar panel or system generates power, it's typically in kilowatts or watts.
kWh measures energy in kilowatts per hour. One kilowatt per hour equals 3.6 megajoules (MJ).
Direct current power (DC) is the power initially generated from the panel. Alternating current power (AC) occurs when DC is converted to AC after commercial solar panel installation so business owners can efficiently use it.
How Do Solar Panels Work?
Another key element in determining how much energy a solar panel can generate has to do with how the panels work. When natural light hits the solar panel’s photovoltaic cells, the panels cause photons to throw electrons from their designated atomic orbitals. This event generates electricity, which is harnessed as electrical energy. At this point, the energy powers your commercial building. Solar panels can have thousands of these cells. Solar arrays are made of many solar panels. The process is as follows:
Silicon photovoltaic solar cells from within the solar panel absorb radiation from the sun.
When the sun's rays hit the silicon cells, the electrons within start to vibrate. This is why the direction of your panels is so important. This creates a flow of electricity.
Wires capture and feed the direct current to a built-in inverter. It's then converted to AC.
How Much Energy Can a Commercial Solar Panel Generate?
Now that we've gone over some basic terms, it's time to answer the big question. Suppose we come to the table with the understanding that most businesses have solar panel arrays and not just singular panels. Solar arrays are typically around 5kW and take up 500 square feet of space. At this size, we're producing about 600-900kWh of AC per month. This is how much power a commercial solar panel will generate over time.
In short, commercial solar panels generate a lot of power for commercial businesses. If you're a business owner, you must know how much you'll be paying overall. We hope this explainer has been useful. If you are interested in commercial solar panel installation, check out our services at Earthlight Technologies LLC! To find out more about what solar can do for you and your business, reach out to us today. We'll take great care of you!