PV Gap

Paul Said:

How many items would this solar panel run?

We Answered:

A single panel like that (note that the page is for a pallet of 20) generates 240W of DC power when exposed to direct, bright sunlight.

That must be converted to AC via an inverter, if you wish to run AC loads.

Let's say for round numbers you get 200W AC out of it when the sun is shining directly on it.

That would be enough to power (obviously) 2 100W incandescent light bulbs.

My refrigerator uses about 100W when it is running, so, 2 of those.

My TV uses about the same, so - 2 of those.

Bear in mind though that this only is true when the sun is shining; usually what you want to look at is how much energy (power over time) it will produce, rather than instantaneous power.

So we can talk about how much energy it will produce in a year; for that use a calculator like http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/calculators/… which takes into account sun angle, length of days, normal sky conditions, etc.

If you bought that pallet of 20 panels, for a 4.8kW system, if it is properly oriented it would make about 6171kWh of energy in a year.

Burning a 100W incandescent bulb 24/7 for 1 year requires (100*24*365/1000) 876 kWh.

So you could burn about 7 100W bulbs all day long for a year with the power it produces.

Note that many solar systems are grid-tied so they simply offset your use, and there is no need to perfectly match generation with use; energy flows on and off the grid as needed.

Judy Said:

I am looking for a Canadian Government Grant for alternate energy sources?

We Answered:

serach in google

Gerald Said:

Im living in my van. Can I power my Roland synthesizer keys with a solar panel sold at Canadian Tire ?

We Answered:

Great call. Hey how do you shower?