A rough average to work with, worst case and best case scenarios. In
the IN testing with a range of panels, controllers and batteries has given us
the following averages. As long as the panels are mounted south facing between
a 15 - 70 degrees angle you will generate and store in to an off-grid
system:
0.05ah per watt of solar PV in 1 winter day
0.7ah per watt of solar PV in 1 summer day
These figures are the worst average results we achieved over 3 week
periods in the summer and winter months. It is a good starting point to calculate your requirements.
Two Types of Solar Power:
The two types of solar energy are thermal and electric. Thermal is all around us; it lights up our days, providing heat to everything around us and it is completely free! Electric energy is created through solar cells that use the power of the sun and can be applied in the following ways, either through stand-alone, grid-connected, or back-up resources. Each determines your remote location as they are based on the use of a utility company or simply by the power created by an installed solar system and sunlight alone.
You never have to fear a power blackout or your home not running at night as the more generated solar power you have is stored as DC electricity in a battery that will continue to supply your home no matter the sun shining or not. You start saving money the more energy you harness, therefore your meter will spin backwards, and your utility company will send you cash back for power saved or put back on the grid.
If you are properly and efficiently able to power your home from solar generated power, you may never have an electrical bill again! If you are able to generate enough excess power from your system, you can sell back to the grid receiving incentives from your local utility company. Once you get your systems up and running, people will come to you and ask, "how does solar power work?" The world of solar is as large as the sun above us, and the possibilities endless. Harnessing this great power is not only simple, but also clean and the most abundant source of energy we have on Planet Earth.
