Chapter 6-Sizing your solar electric system

Solar electric panels are sized in KW.A 1kw system will output approximately 1kw per hour on a sunny day.

Due to small losses in power from the inverter and other inefficiencies,a 1kw system will put out about 0.7kw per hour.

There is no exact correlation between the size of the system and the payback time.If you have a larger system it will be more expensive.However.it will also supply you with more electricity,thus saving you more off your power bill.

Therefore, a smaller solar system and a larger system will have approximately the same payback time.However,once it is paid off,your larger solar panel system will save you more money.This means it has a greater return on investment.

The amount of power you use effects the size and cost of your solar system.For example,if you use 200KW a month,a 4KW system will take care of most of your needs,depending on where you live.
If you live in California,you have on average 5.5 usable sunshine hours a day.

Usable sunshine is measured by KW/M2 per day.This is called solar insolation.To find how much solar insolatin you have,you can check a solar insolation map on internet.)

So your 4kw system will make more power if you live in California.If you live in New Jersey,you have on average 4.25 usable sunshine hours per day.SO this same 4kw system will m ake less power.