Solar Energy: Interesting and Useful Facts for Consumers

Solar Energy: Interesting and Useful Facts for Consumers

This is a collection of interesting and educational facts about Solar Energy that consumers and people in general should know about!

1. One kilowatt-hour (kWh) equals the amount of electricity needed to burn a 100 watt light bulb for 10 hours. 

2. A 1 kilowatt home solar system installed costs about US$9,000 (before any rebate programs). 

Prices up to $15,000 are also possible as are lower prices depending upon: a) the kind of PV System, b) country of purchase, c) how the system is purchased, and d) the surface to which the system is attached. Convert from US dollars to your local currency to find an approximate equivalent cost in your country.

3. A 1-2 kilowatt (1000-2000 watts) system takes between one and two days to install. 

4. An installed system costing $9 per watt peak, means about 25-30 U$ cents per kilowatt hour in a sunny climate. 

5. The solar module ("solar panel") itself accounts for between 40-50% of the total cost of an installed solar energy system. 

6. A sunny location (like Los Angeles, USA) receives approximately 5.5 hours per day of sunlight on average throughout the year. 

7. A cloudy location (like Hamburg, Germany) receives approximately 2.5 hours per day of sunlight on average throughout the year 

8. The typical main components of a solar home system are the solar module, an inverter, a battery, a charge controller and a su 

9. A typical silicon cell Solar Module will have a life in excess of 20 years. 

Its electric generating capacity may degrade gradually between 0-20% over its useful life.

10. Although solar modules are often warranted for 20 years or more, the warranty on the overall system is 5 years 

11. A Solar Energy System can provide electricity 24 hours a day. 

How? The solar electric modules are combined with batteries in one integrated energy system.