4KW Solar System Output Per Day – What to Know

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So you’ve heard that a 4kW solar system can power a home, but what exactly does that mean? A small home, a large mansion, or a tiny shack out in the woods?

Generally, they recommend a 4kW home can provide enough power yearly to support an average family of five. 

Keep reading below to see more about what that looks like and how your solar system’s placement can affect your power. 

How much power will a 4kW solar system produce?

A 4kW system (about 4000 watts) will produce about 21.2 kW per day. So in total, you can expect anywhere between 300 and 750 kW per month.

However, there are a lot of factors that influence the amount of power you get. 

• The direction your solar panels face. South-facing solar panels tend to get the most sun throughout the day. This is because the south tends to get the most sun while the north gets the least. 

 

Depending on your roof and the way your panels face, you may be getting less than optimal sun per day 

• How sunny the area is. If trees cover your solar panels and other houses, or you spend a lot of time in the shade daily, you are losing much of your potential power. 

 

Most estimations are of solar panels getting at least 5 hours of direct sun a day. Also, remember that solar panels don’t work well if even a small portion of the panel is in the shade. 

• The efficiency of the system. Unfortunately, the technology we have designed for solar panels isn’t very efficient as of yet. Most solar panels are just under 20% efficient, but some may be much more efficient than others. 
• Type of solar panels. Currently, there are three main types of solar panels: monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and thin-film. 

 

Each kind has a different cost, performance, and installation they are designed for and can affect your price and how much power you get in. 

• Weather. If you live in an area that is often cloudy or rainy, then solar panels might not be very efficient yearly or even monthly. 

 

Since solar panels rely on the sun for their power, it makes sense that the more sunny days you have per year in your area, the better your panels do. While solar panels can get power during cloudy days, the amount is severely reduced. 

Will a 4kW solar system output run a house on a daily basis?

It certainly can. However, whether a solar system will run your home daily depends on a lot of factors. 

For example, how much power do you use a day? Do you even know? If you are a technologically-savvy person that has a gadget for everything, it may not. 

However, if you just have a few electronics and mainly want your solar for lights, fridge, and water, it is much more likely. 

If you like your home at a constant temperature and are often running the heater or A/C, it is important to keep in mind that these take a lot of power. Therefore, running these all the time will require a much larger system. 

Also, unless you have a rather large battery bank, you won’t be able to run things at night. There is no solar at night, and running lights, a fridge, and other electronics at night may require you to stay on the grid. 

 

Is a 4kw Solar System Output Per Day Good?

Again, this depends heavily on what you are expecting. It is generally suggested that a 4kW solar panel system can cover a home with five family members. 

For the price of a 4kW solar system, it may not feel like it is worth it. However, it can save you a lot of money in the long run, despite the high start-up fees. 

To get an idea of how much solar energy you get a year, the amount of power a 4kW solar system can give you per year is enough to power (individually):

• 4,860 hours of a washing machine
• 97,000 hours of a fridge running
• 1,400 hours running the oven

 

How Can a 4kw Solar System Output Enough Power for a House?

Yes, depending on the size of your house and your energy requirements, there is enough power from a 4kW solar system to power a house. If you solely want to use solar panels, the best option is to invest in a battery bank. 

They are very expensive, often a lot more than the panels and installation, but it allows you to save the energy that your panels produce. 

Without a battery system, you can only use power from your panels when they are actively getting sun. That means you either have to rely on the grid or keep everything off on cloudy days or at night. 

The amount of power you can use before your battery runs out depends on the size and type of batteries you get. However, it is well worth it, as it allows you to store all of the power you aren’t immediately using and power your home even at night.

 

Can You Enhance Solar System Output per Day?

Unfortunately, there is not much you can do to enhance a solar system once installed. Before that, though, you can make well-informed decisions to improve your solar system. 

The best way to set up a solar panel is so it is at a 35-degree angle and facing south. Unfortunately, not every roof can handle this position, so this depends on how your roof is designed. 

Another way to enhance solar output from your system is to make sure that your panels aren’t covered in the shade. If you have trees towering over your home, you may want to cut off some branches to open up the sky for your panels. 

 

Final Thoughts on 4Kw Solar System Output Day 

A 4kW system is a great option for a family of 5 people or so. Of course, depending on your needs as far as power and energy are concerned, this may change. However, the average family should be good at that amount. 

Now that you have an idea of how much power you get from the sun and what that looks like in terms of appliances, you should be more able to determine what your family needs. You shouldn’t have to worry as long as you have an ideal place to put your solar panels. 

 

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