How Much Power Does A 5kW Solar System Produce In Australia?

One of the biggest misconceptions people have when sizing up a solar system is to think that a 5kW solar system will produce 5kW of power at any one time.

Covered in this video:
- The difference between kW and kWh, or power vs energy
- How a solar system calculated?
- How much does a 5kW solar panel system really produce?
- How much can you benefit from a 5kW system?

[frankwhite]

great info but the background music is annoying...

[kerryburns]

I have 9 panels on my flat roof, angled on frames; one row of six and one of three. Initially I was advised to bias them a bit east of due south, to get the most of the early sun. That was fine for five years, but recently I moved the row of three and pointed them west of south.
It has improved the situation noticeably, as the angle of the rays gets less efficient on the six, it is improving on the three, charging until around sunset.
In some circumstances this will be worth taking into consideration. Saludos from sunny Spain.

[Dreadlk]

Nice video, as stated before it's nice that someone actually puts numbers onto the system.

[stevecharles]

5 years ago, my power bills were huge, just for 2 people, so I put 5kW on the roof. 10 panels NE and 10 NW. The impact on my bills was so good, I put another 5kW on my shed. I have monitors on both systems so I can see the power curve and check they are working correctly. These systems have now paid for themselves, and over the course of a year, my power bills are zero. I have just paid my winter bill of $400, but I will earn that back over summer plus some. Putting PV on the roof was the best thing I have ever done. I monitor the performance of my systems weekly.

[kenthhamner]

a good video. Here in Canada the numbers don't add up, even with NG used for heat. For a 7.5kw system, at our Alberta rates alone I'd still owe money 30 years later!

[markfabre]

The great thing about standards is there are so many to choose from.

[astrostevehobby]

My 5KW system, using Enphase micro inverters has put out in 8.5 years 70.12MWh of power. I figured out the exact number of days (3099), and that is about 22.62KWh of power per day, or 8.26MWh per year. That's in California, a real 5KW system, and what it really puts out, based on weather, temperature and all the other factors.

[CrownRider]

In 2014 I bought 15 panels at 260 Wp each, totalling 3, 900 Wp. They are mounted at a 50 degree angle, straight South which is good in the Netherlands (53 degree North).
The inverter measures the output and the 3, 900 Wp results in an average yearly energy harvest of 4, 000 kWh. The Wp/kWh per year ratio is slightly over 1 which is the best one can do over here.
The power output of the panels mid day is about 3, 000 W with very seldom peaks of 3, 500 W for only a few minutes on a sunny but chilly day in the spring.

[victorsmit]

Very important to know the difference between power and energy

[jacobusbotha]

Figures agree with my installation..Average currently 20.7 kwh. Output drops slightly during extremely hot days but a fair breeze will improve output.

[larryberman]

Nice explanation that may give people a realistic idea of what really goes on. For the difference between Kw and Kwh, I like to use the analogy of miles and mph, or, if you prefer, km and kph.

[matthewhuszarik]

I have a 4kw system on the coast in central California and I produced 3054kwh last year. Edit: I misread the data my actual total production was 7467Kwh my usage of solar was 3054. The rest went to the grid or battery. I also used some power from the grid, because I have a minimum charge so I try to use 2Kwh from the grid everyday to minimize my costs.

[DivergentDroid]

I Hate it. Grid power even using solar is still causing the individual to be reliant on someone else and must Pay that someone else for what could be theirs alone. I'm all for No Grid and individual homes with solar, wind, geothermal and hydroelectric. This way if the Grid goes down, all will be happy warm, and have good clean water and food because they won't be part of that grid. Cities should allow anyone who wants to run totally off the grid to do so.

[alexandervanwyk]

Simple straightforward and to the point. Thank you Sir. Now I know what I just purchased.

[machelvet]

3:32 That is rather optimistic for me. My system produces about 6000kWh/year. So the location is very important too.

[jamesnesran]

my 3.2 kW system gives about 20 kWh on a summer day and about 10 kWh in the winter. Wish we had installed a 5 kW system to begin with

[starnervechery]

Thanks for clarifying and putting down some average numbers! Very helpful.

[FullCircleTravis]

Where I live, power is less than $0.06/kWH. Solar is more of a solution for remote areas, or where paying for installation and distribution don't make sense. Works good for out buildings like a garage, especially when a service upgrade would be required.

[duaneadkins]

It appears my previous calculations are correct. I would need a system of around 15kW in size to produce the amount of electric my home uses on the average day in a peak month. (Approximately 70 kWh per day).

[GoAndStay]

Thanks, now I know I should be able to het by on 5kWh system based on current usage. Simple and to the point.