How to convert kW to amount of solar panels?
Multiply the kW system size by 1,000 and then divide by the wattage of panels being used. So for a 9.25 kW system using 370 watt panels, the formula would be:
kW Solar System Size to Amount of Solar Panels: 9.25 kW × 1,000 ÷ 370 = 25 Panels
Read MoreHow to convert kWh to kW (Kilowatt-Hours to Kilowatts)?
To find out the size of a solar system from the amount of kWh needed or produced, do the reverse calculation of kW to kWh above:
Solar System Size: 14,600 kWh ÷ 365 Days ÷ 5 Hours ÷ 0.8 Derate = 10 kW
Read MoreHow to convert kW to kWh (Kilowatts to Kilowatt-Hours)?
1 kWh equals one hour of electricity usage at a rate of 1 kW, and thus the 2 kW appliance would consume 2 kWh in one hour, or 1 kWh in half an hour. The equation is simply kW × time = kWh.
Production estimates for solar panel systems are typically done with the following calculations. For a 10 kW system, multiple the system size (10) by the derate factor of 0.8, then multiply by 5 hours of ideal sunlight per day, then multiply by 365 days per year. This is:
Yearly kWh Production: 10 kW × 0.8 Derate × 5 Hours × 365 Days = 14,600 kWh Production Per Year.
Read MoreHow do you calculate the Average Electricity Usage per Month of a home?
To get your average usage, add up your last 12 months usage and divide by 12.
Read MoreWhat is Demand Management? What is a Demand Manager? What is Load Controller?
A demand manager, also known as a load controller, is a device that is often installed with a home solar panel system. This device limits the total “demand” a house can use. Demand is the amount of electricity in kilowatts (kW) that the house is using at any given time. This is not to be confused with kilowatt-hours (kWh), which is the measure of how much electricity is used over time.
The more appliances that are run together, the larger the demand is. In the Phoenix, AZ area, the appliance that uses the most demand is the air conditioner. An air conditioner can use between 1 kW and 5 kW in demand, depending how big and efficient it is. Other appliances in the home use demand as well, but typically less than the air conditioner.
The demand manager has a demand limit setting, and the circuits of the large appliances in the home are hooked up to the device. Say, for example, the air conditioner uses just under 4 kW and the demand limit setting is at 4 kW. If someone in the home turns on the electric dryer, the demand manager will cycle the air conditioner off. This is how the demand manager stops the home from going over a certain demand. The device does not stop people from using the large appliances, it just turns off other large appliances to keep the demand low.
Read MoreWhat is a Demand Charge?
This is a charge that electric utilities include in some of their rate plans. Typically, the utility measures the average demand of a home over a one hour or 30 minute period, and then charges the customer a multiplier of that demand.
For example, if a customer averages 8 kW of demand over the period measured, and the demand charge is $15 per kW, the customer will receive a $120 demand charge on their bill that month.
See APS Solar Rate Plans and SRP Solar Plans for information about demand charges in Arizona.
Read MoreWhat is Electrical Demand?
Electrical Demand is the amount of electricity in kilowatts (kW) that the house is using simultaneously at any given time. The more appliances that are run together, the larger the demand is.
For example, the average air conditioner uses 4 kW of demand and the average clothes dryer uses 3.5 kW of demand. When the air conditioner and clothes dryer are run simultaneously in a home, the demand of the home will be 7.5 kW.
See Arizona Appliance Wattage Chart.
Read MoreWhat is the SRP Solar Buyback Rate?
As of November 2022, the SRP solar buyback rate is 2.81 cents per kWh.
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