You may hear “kilowatt hour” in everyday life, but it is more common in certain situations.
You may see it on household items such as light bulbs and cooking appliances. You’ll see the term on your Solar Power Equipment, specifically on the meters.
It’s crucial to understand what a Kilowatt-hour is if you are a solar energy user. This knowledge will allow you to understand the amount of energy that your solar panels produce and how much you use.
What is a KILOWATT?
A kilowatt is the unit of measurement for electrical energy. The word “Kilo,” which means “thousand”, is the root of KW. It is 1,000 times more powerful than a watt.
A LITTLE BACKGROUND
James Watt, a Scottish scientist who was born in 1786, is credited with the invention of the watt unit (W).
Watt, an inventor and instrument maker, improved Thomas Savery’s steam engine of 1712 to create the Watt steam motor in 1776. The Watt steam engine was a significant milestone in the Industrial Revolution. Watt also invented an early steam engine and a dual-acting motor.
Watt was surprised by the amount of steam that was wasted when he repaired the Newcomen Steam Engine in the year 1764. Watt’s first and most important invention was a separate condenser, which he designed to reduce the steam loss. Watt realized the Newcomen’s engine was suffering from latent heat losses. Latent heat is heat which changes the state of a substance, for example from liquid to air or solid to liquid. He also affected the condensation within the engine chamber (which is different from the cylinder connected to the engine).
Watt later signed a patent entitled “A New Invented Method of Reducing the Consumption Of Steam And Fuel In Fire Engines.”
The watt is a unit of energy in the International System of Units, equal to one joule of output per second.
We use KW rather than W to measure electrical energy due to the sheer amount of electricity appliances require. It makes sense to use KW instead of W when measuring large amounts of energy.
KILOWATT VS. What’s the difference?
The kWh unit is not an SI unit. That is, it’s not in the is reading your solar electric invoice, you should expect to see “kWh”.
How do KWs and kWhs apply to different items and appliances in your home?
The nameplate value of a system is expressed in KW. A 6-KW system might have 20 modules at 300 KW each. Divide 300 KW by 20 modules to get 6 KW.
Theoretically, a 6-KW solar power system can produce 6 KW at any moment, provided it is exposed to enough sunlight.
Use our Solar Potential Calculator to find out how much Solar Energy your panels could produce based on the amount of electricity you pay and the level of shading in your home.
SOLAR PANEL: KW Vs. KWH
The kWh rating that a company gives a system of solar panels is slightly different from a KW. This is because kWh measures how much energy an appliance uses or produces in one hour.
A 100-W bulb on for 10 hours will consume 1 kWh. To measure the energy generated or consumed by electronics, multiply the wattage (or power) of the system or item by the time it was running.
If a solar panel system has a value of 6 KW then it will produce approximately 6,000 kWh in 365 days. The amount of power depends on the efficiency ranking, as well as age, performance, location, direction and sun exposure.
If you live in one the sunniest states of America (like Florida Colorado, Texas), then you can increase this prediction by around 1.5 times. You can expect to get 7,500 kWh from solar power.
Note:If you are interested in going solar, but don’t know what questions to ask about it, keep in mind that the size of a system is different from its expected production.
Ask your utility provider how many kWh you used in a year. You can then take this number to your solar provider. The energy consultants will then use this number to calculate the number of solar panels that you require based on your energy consumption, geographical location and other factors.
GO SOLAR AND FREEDOM SOLAR POWER
Contact Freedom Solar, the leading solar energy installers in the UK.
We offer SunPower Solar Panels – the highest-rated solar panels on the market – as well as home backup batteries as well as other solutions for ensuring you achieve your energy goals.
Freedom Solar has its own repair service and maintenance department, if required. Our team of experienced technicians can repair, maintain and upgrade any system to maximize energy production.