The National Renewable Energy Lab’s PVWatts solar calculator gives us a glimpse into what we can expect a 5kW installation to produce over a year in different areas of the US. Exactly how much will depend on your location. In reality, your solar installation will produce less than its nameplate capacity. Some places, like Washington and New York, just don’t enjoy the same ultra-strong sunlight than Arizona and Nevada do. In reality, we aren’t lucky enough to have perfect conditions. A 5kW solar installation, under perfect conditions, produces 5 kilowatt-hours (kWh) over the course of an hour, under perfect conditions. Over the course of an hour, one 9 watt LED uses 9 watt-hours of electricity. 009 kilowatts), a 5kW installation could power 555 LEDs indefinitely – as long as perfect conditions remained 24/7 (5000 watts / 9 watts = 555 LEDs). With LED light bulbs using about 9 watts (or. What does 5kW actually mean?Ī 5kW solar installation produces 5 kilowatts of electricity under perfect conditions. First, let’s take a look at exactly how big a 5kW installation really is. How big is a 5kW solar system?Īlright, let’s get down to business. These audits can be a little expensive (a couple hundred bucks for the full-blown edition), but utilities often provide discounts for them, so hop on your utility’s website to see what they offer. At the end of the audit, they’ll give you a prioritized list of actions that can lower your energy use. During this process, a tech tours your house and notes any place where you’re wasting electricity. So if you’re thinking about solar, remember efficiency first!ĭon’t know where to start? Have an energy audit performed on your home. Replace light bulbs with LEDs, add insulation if needed, and seal up air leaks around your doors and windows.īelieve it or not, efficiency measures are actually a cheaper way to save money than installing solar! And with your lower electricity use, you’re able to install a smaller solar installation, thereby saving you even more. Efficiency first!īefore we get into the details of a 5kW installation, here’s a secret to help you save big bucks: before starting any solar project, take some simple steps to lower your overall energy use. Today, let’s take a peek at a 5kW installation to understand exactly how big that is, how much you can expect to pay for one, and how much you can save by installing a system of this size. Most of us don’t even use enough electricity to warrant an installation that big! In fact, according to the National Renewable Energy Lab (p.5), the average installation is about 5.6kW. Twenty-five kilowatts (kW) is a huge solar installation (at least for residential projects), equal to about 100 solar panels.ĭon’t have that much space on your roof? Don’t worry! Most installations, such as the 5kW solar system, are well below that size. Residential solar installations run from a measly 2kW to a monstrous 25kW (or even bigger). How Big and Expensive is a 5kW Solar System? An average-sized installation for the average home.
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