If you need solar array power estimate, solar hours per day and number of panels needed and you already have area of one panel, bill offset percentage, electricity cost per kwh, environmental factor, electricity consumption, power output per panel, solar hours per day, solar hours per day, solar hours per day, solar hours per day and one way, this calculator does the substitution for you. It suits a quick check, a homework answer you want to confirm, or any figure you need to sanity test.
What Is the Solar Panel Calculator?
The solar panel calculator works out solar array power estimate, solar hours per day and number of panels needed from area of one panel, bill offset percentage, electricity cost per kwh, environmental factor, electricity consumption, power output per panel, solar hours per day, solar hours per day, solar hours per day, solar hours per day and one way.
Biological relationships are usually approximations rather than exact laws, so the output is best treated as an estimate with a sensible range around it.
How the Solar Panel Calculation Works
The calculation applies the relationship as published, step by step, so each intermediate value can be checked against the underlying theory.
Keep the units consistent throughout. Mixing a percentage with a proportion is the single most common source of an answer that is out by a factor of a hundred.
Assumptions Worth Knowing
Any relationship used here assumes a constant rate, a representative sample, or a stable population. Real populations rarely meet those conditions for long, so treat the answer as a guide.
Where the inputs are field measurements, a single misread value can shift the result noticeably. Measure carefully and record what you used.
A Worked Example
Working through an example, with area of one panel set to 10, bill offset percentage set to 5, electricity cost per kwh set to 2, the calculator returns solar array power estimate of 0.00068, and solar array size known of 0.00027, and solar array size estimate of 0.00014. Substitute your own figures and the same steps produce the same kind of answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to work out solar array power estimate?
Enter area of one panel, bill offset percentage, electricity cost per kwh, environmental factor, electricity consumption, power output per panel, solar hours per day, solar hours per day, solar hours per day, solar hours per day and one way. The calculator then works through the relationship and reports solar array power estimate, solar hours per day and number of panels needed.
What does the solar panel actually calculate?
It takes area of one panel, bill offset percentage, electricity cost per kwh, environmental factor, electricity consumption, power output per panel, solar hours per day, solar hours per day, solar hours per day, solar hours per day and one way and converts them into solar array power estimate, solar hours per day and number of panels needed using the standard relationship for this problem. Each step is applied in turn, so every output is traceable back to the numbers you typed in.
How should I enter area of one panel?
Use the value you actually have, in the unit shown next to the field. Enter every value in the same unit system. The calculator assumes the figures you supply are consistent, so it cannot correct a mistake that happens before the calculation starts.
Why does a small change in one value move the answer so much?
That happens when an output depends on a ratio, because dividing by a small number magnifies any change in it. Check the units first, then check whether the value you entered is in the range the relationship was designed for.
Do I have to fill in every field?
Only the fields a particular result depends on. If you leave one blank, the results that need it simply show a note instead of a number, and everything else still works.