Despite the snow, my PV system has still generated more than was promised. On 23 July 2010 my Sun Switch solar PV system was switched on.  It’s a 12 panel system rated at 2.52 kWp.  For the full year, using the standard government calculation, it is predicted to generate 1951 kWh of electricity a year.  Looking at my meter this evening, 798 kWh has so far been generated in the 167 days since it was switched on.  That’s all well and good, but how does that compare with the system’s predicted output for the full year of 1951 kWh? To find out, my colleague Wilson has done a more complex prediction calculation which breaks the 1951 kWh figure down into daily amounts, taking into account the average solar radiance for each individual month.  This calculation says that after 167 days the predicted output is 747 kWh.  Great news!  The system is overperforming by 51 kWh or around 7%.  Not bad considering all the overcast skies and the panels being covered by snow for over a week. We’d be delighted to provide a similar calculation to any of our customers who want to check up on their system’s performance to date.  Or we can give you the Excel spreadsheet so you can do your own calculation periodically.  Just get in contact. Post by Austin Baggett, National Energy Services, 6 January 2011
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Despite the snow, my PV system has still generated more than was promised.

On 23 July 2010 my Sun Switch solar PV system was switched on.  It’s a 12 panel system rated at 2.52 kWp.  For the full year, using the standard government calculation, it is predicted to generate 1951 kWh of electricity a year.  Looking at my meter this evening, 798 kWh has so far been generated in the 167 days since it was switched on.  That’s all well and good, but how does that compare with the system’s predicted output for the full year of 1951 kWh?

To find out, my colleague Wilson has done a more complex prediction calculation which breaks the 1951 kWh figure down into daily amounts, taking into account the average solar radiance for each individual month.  This calculation says that after 167 days the predicted output is 747 kWh.  Great news!  The system is overperforming by 51 kWh or around 7%.  Not bad considering all the overcast skies and the panels being covered by snow for over a week.

We’d be delighted to provide a similar calculation to any of our customers who want to check up on their system’s performance to date.  Or we can give you the Excel spreadsheet so you can do your own calculation periodically.  Just get in contact.

Post by Austin Baggett, National Energy Services, 6 January 2011

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