How Much Power Does A 4.5 KW Solar System Produce? Ultimate Explanation
Understanding solar panels and how to calculate their power output can be pretty confusing at times since solar companies use different terms to describe their units’ output and production rates. Nevertheless, we are here to help you with the calculation.
So, if you are willing to buy a 4.5 kW solar system, and want to learn how much power a 4.5 kW solar system produces, the answer is it depends. Depending on the weather and the condition of your roof, a 4.5 kW solar system can produce 12 to 22.5 kWh of electricity in a day.
Power Production of a 4.5 kW Solar System
Normally, a solar system with a rating of 4.5 kW means that the solar system, combining all the solar panels, produces a wattage of 4,500 W or 4.5 kW. The individual wattage of each panel within the system does not affect the overall energy production of the entire setup.
1. Calculating Power Production of a 4.5 kW System
To calculate the energy output of a 4.5 kW system, you only need to consider the following information:
- The size of the system, such as 4.5 kW, 10 kW, etc.
- The peak sun hours are specific to your location. You can determine the peak sun hours for your area through available resources. It’s important to note that peak sun hours can vary across regions within a state.
Once you’ve gathered all those information, it’s easy to determine how much power a solar system, in our case 4.5 kW, produces.
You only need to multiply the system size (4.5 kW) by the number of peak sun hours in your region.
Power Output (Wh) = System Size (W) * Peak Sun Hours (h)
To illustrate this, let’s calculate the minimum power output generated by a 4.5 kW system in three different states:
For example, if you live in New York, where the peak sun hour is 3-3.5 hours, then your electricity output should be:
4500 W * 3 h = 13,500 Wh or 13.5 kWh
If you live in Florida with 5-6 hours of peak sun, it’d be:
4500 W * 5 h = 22,500 Wh or 22.5 kWh
In the case of areas like Arizona with high peak sun hours of 7-8 hours,
4500 W * 7 h = 31,500 Wh or 31.5 kWh
As you can see, the average power production of a 4.5 kW solar system will be 12,000 Wh to 22,500 Wh a day.
Note: To determine the daily energy production of a solar panel, multiply its wattage by the number of peak sun hours experienced each day.
2. Peak Sun Hour in Different States
As you can see, determining how much power you can expect from your solar system will greatly depend on the peak sun hours you get in your area. So, here’s a chart on how many peak sun hours you can expect in different parts of America.
| Location | Average Peak Sun Hours |
|---|---|
| New York | 3-3.5 hours |
| California | 5-7.5 hours |
| Arizona | 7-8 hours |
| Florida | 5-6 hours |
| Texas | 5-6.5 hours |
| Colorado | 5-6.5 hours |
| Washington | 2.5-3.5 hours |
| Oregon | 3-4 hours |
| Illinois | 3-4 hours |
| Massachusetts | 3-4.5 hours |
| Nevada | 6-7.5 hours |
| Pennsylvania | 3-4.5 hours |
| Georgia | 4.5-5.5 hours |
| Michigan | 3.5-4.5 hours |
| North Carolina | 4-5.5 hours |
3. Number of Solar Panels for a 4.5 kW Solar System
Calculating the number of solar panels is important too since you need adequate space to accommodate those panels. Usually, a 4.5 kW solar system uses 15 solar panels, and each panel is rated for 300 watts.
However, different companies use different types of panels with different ratings. So, if you don’t have enough space to house 15 solar panels, look for a system that utilizes a higher-watt panel. For example, some solar systems use 320-watt panels, which require 14 panels for a 4.5 kW system.
On the other hand, if you can use 400-watt panels, you’ll only need 12 of those to produce the same amount of electricity.
4. 4.5kW Solar System kWh Chart
Here’s a quick table describing how much energy output you can expect from a 4.5 kWh solar system depending on how many peak hours of sun you get each day.
| Peak Sun Hours | Daily Output | Monthly Output | Yearly Output |
| 3 Hours | 13.50 kWh | 405 kWh | 4,928 kWh |
| 4 Hours | 18 kWh | 540 kWh | 6,570 kWh |
| 5 Hours | 22.5 kWh | 675 kWh | 8,213 kWh |
| 6 Hours | 27 kWh | 810 kWh | 9,855 kWh |
| 7 Hours | 31.5 kWh | 945 kWh | 11,498 kWh |
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Can a 4.5 kW solar system power a house?
Yes, if you use the proper conversion method and make the right adjustments, you can power a house with a 4.5 kW solar system. However, if you live in an area with low peak sun hours like Alaska, you might need additional power from the grid.
How many kWh per day is normal?
Based on data from the United States Energy Information Administration, the average electricity consumption for an American household was 10,632 kilowatt-hours (kWh) in the previous year. So, the monthly average is 886 kWh and the daily average electricity consumption is 29 kWh.
Conclusion
With one peak sun hour, your 4.5 kW solar system can generate 4.5 kW of electricity each day. Therefore, with two hours of sun, you’ll get 9 kW of electricity. The math is quite simple. Remember though, your maximum output is also dependent on the condition of the solar panels. So, keep your solar panels well-maintained at all times. To maximize production, install solar panels at different parts of your roof.
Thanks for reading.
