Short on Time? Here’s The Article Summary

The article explores the capabilities and costs associated with a 45kW solar system. It discusses how such systems can power various appliances in homes and businesses, including air conditioning systems and automation tasks for farmers. The cost breakdown includes the number of solar panels needed (137 300W panels), which can total around $22,000, along with additional costs for inverters and batteries, bringing the total to roughly $52,000.

The process of determining the solar system's output is explained using both averages and Ohm's law, with the former providing a simpler but less accurate calculation compared to the latter. The article concludes by highlighting the versatility of these calculations for systems of different sizes, such as a 4kW or 75kW solar system.

Introduction

Does a 45KW solar system produce a large amount of power? How much power exactly?

To figure out how much power a 45KW solar system produces, you can use the same calculations you would to know how much a 75kw solar system produces. You can figure out the power of any system once you know the steps.

These bigger solar systems all work the same way when it comes to calculations. 

Join us in our journey to finding out how much power a 45KW solar system produces.

What Are Big Solar Systems Used for?

These solar systems can be used to power anything in your home, including lights, refrigerators, washers, and air conditioning systems.

A 5kW solar system can run these appliances, but a 45kW system can be used for commercial properties too.

Most residential solar systems are already considered to be a large-scale project, but a 45kW system is a mean, solar power machine.

With its immense amount of power, farmers use such a system to automate certain tasks, while residents can power an air conditioner without any hassles.

How Much Does a 45kW Solar System Cost?

Solar systems of this magnitude aren’t cheap, and since it’s so powerful, you’re going to need many solar panels.

For the smaller systems, if you want to know how much a 10kWh solar system costs, it’s cheaper since there are fewer panels needed.

The bigger wattage solar panels can make for smaller, powerful arrays. For example, you would need 137 300W solar panels to make up a 45kW solar system.

This, however, won’t come cheap. You could get a pair of 300W solar panels for $350, but you’re going to need 137 of these.

So, you’re looking at around $22,000. Keep in mind that if you have a system this big, you aren’t an ordinary resident. Chances are that you’re using this system for alternative purposes.

You should make use of an inverter that has an AC output of around 34kW. These can cost you anywhere between $1,500 and $2,000.

Finally, you will need a solar battery or generator. 

If you want to make use of a 12V solar battery, you should daisy chain 60 of them to compensate for the power of the system. This amounts to around $28,000.

Tying all this together, a 45KW solar system can cost you roughly $52,000.

The same methodology will be followed if you want to know how much a 4kW solar system costs, or a bigger, 75kW one.

Determining the Solar System Output

Figuring out how much power a 45kW solar system produces is a simple process if we’re using averages. It becomes more complex when we calculate it using Ohm’s law.

The former isn't as accurate as the latter, but both amounts should be in the same numerical region.

Working with Averages

In the states, our average daily power consumption is around 30kWh. We’re going to take this value and divide it by the irradiance in your area.

When we speak about irradiance, we’re referring to the amount of peak sunlight your area receives. To determine the number of hours, simply refer to a solar map online.

This shows a color-coded map of the states showing the peak sun hours in different cities.

If your area receives around 4 sun hours per day, divide this value by 30kWh. You’ll be left with the number of kW your household needs in a system.

For this example, you need around 8kW. But we’re going to be using a 45kW system.

A regular solar panel produces 250W if it’s working under peak conditions. However, a solar panel won’t always be working to its full capacity.

Factors like harsh weather conditions as well as the overall positioning of the solar system can decrease solar efficiency. Almost 80% of power is lost during the conversion process.

The DC power of a 45kW system is determined by dividing the kW by 80%, giving you 65kW.

How Many Solar Panels Are Needed?

An off-grid solar system of this magnitude is going to need a lot of space. We’re talking about 2,500 square feet.

The nice part about working with averages is that the equations aren’t complex. To determine the number of solar panels you need for a 45kW system, you take the DC amount from earlier and divide it by the solar panel’s rating.

200W solar panels are the most common panels used in large arrays, and in this case, you will need around 320 of them.  

If our 45kW solar system receives 4 hours of sunlight for 365 days, we get around 75,920kWh of power per year. If we take this value and divide it by 12, we get the monthly usage, equating to around 6,330kWh of monthly power.

This method works for all systems, big or small. So if you want to know how much electricity an 8kW solar system produces, follow the same steps and substitute the numbers respectively.

Ohm’s Law

When it comes to calculating how much power a 3kw solar system produces, the smaller the system, the easier the calculation. However, since we’re working with 45kW of power, this won’t be the easiest approach. Ohm’s law gives you the voltage by multiplying the resistance and the current of your system. 

Our 200W solar panels in our 45KW solar system reach their peak power when it's hooked up to a resistive load of a certain value. We get the resistance by hooking up a resistor that's larger than the solar panels. For these bigger systems, you’ll need to use 10000 Ohm brake resistors.

To get the voltage, you need a voltmeter that’s connected across the resistor and it shouldn’t read above 100V. The current is calculated by dividing the voltage by the resistance, or you can use an amp meter for a more accurate measurement.

As much as these values are more accurate than using the averages, you’ll need to purchase more equipment or do complex mathematics. Whatever method you choose, you will end up with the same or similar amount of power in your system.

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