{"id":2121,"date":"2012-12-18T15:04:51","date_gmt":"2012-12-18T05:34:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=2121"},"modified":"2025-09-04T10:08:33","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T00:38:33","slug":"be-careful-when-calculating-solar-panel-efficiency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/be-careful-when-calculating-solar-panel-efficiency\/","title":{"rendered":"Be Careful When Calculating Solar Panel Efficiency"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Solar<\/a>

Crunching the numbers on your solar panels’ performance is fun!<\/p><\/div>\n

One from the mailbag today that is bound to please fellow solar nerds:<\/p>\n

From Andrew in Cairns<\/a> who has just had his system installed:<\/p>\n

Finn,<\/p>\n

I Finally got my 5KW system installed. \u00a0 I have a question for you if I may:<\/p>\n

If power output is calculated as:<\/p>\n

Area of solar panels x solar panel efficiency<\/a> x daily solar radiation x efficiency (losses in the inverter, wiring, and solar panel temperature coefficient<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Then, on a bright sunny day up here in Cairns, FNQ, I would expect to generate:<\/p>\n

30m\u00b2 x 15% x 6kWh\/m\u00b2\/day x 90% = 24.3kWh<\/p>\n

Right?<\/p>\n

Can I use the figures quoted daily by the Bureau of Meteorology.\u00a0 Do you know?\u00a0 Yesterday, they quoted 6.7kWh\/m\u00b2at the weather station just up the road, but I only generated 20.0kWh which suggests that my efficiency is more like 65% than 90% (30m\u00b2 x 15% x 6.7kWh\/m\u00b2 x 66.3% = 20.0kWh).<\/p>\n

Any thoughts?<\/p>\n

Regards,<\/p>\n

Andrew<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Here’s my reply:<\/strong><\/p>\n

You are on the right track \u2013 but I think you’ve made 2 subtle but common mistakes<\/p>\n

Mistake #1<\/strong>\u00a0Using Ambient temperature instead of panel temperature in the Temperature Coefficient calculation.<\/p>\n

It is all explained here:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/how-to-read-a-solar-panel-specification-part-1-power-temperature-specs\/<\/a><\/p>\n

To summarise the nerdtastic post above: If it is 40 degrees outside then your panels are probably sitting at 65\u00b0C so you have to multiply your temp coeff (which is usually about -0.5%\/\u00b0C ) by the temperature of the panels above 25\u00b0C:<\/p>\n

= 0.5 x (65\u00b0C-25\u00b0C ) \u00a0= 20% losses, assuming it was a 40\u00b0C day.<\/p>\n

Mistake #2 Underestimating the other system losses <\/strong><\/p>\n

You have estimated the system losses including temperature losses as 0nly 10%. They are likely to be closer to 20%, as described here:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/5-reasons-your-solar-system-power-is-lower-than-you-expected\/<\/a><\/p>\n

If you have a temperature loss of \u00a020% and “other system losses” at 5%, then the calculated output (using the BOM data which, yes, \u00a0is a good source) is:<\/p>\n

30m\u00b2 x 15% x 6.7kWh\/m\u00b2 x 80% x 90% = 21.7kWh<\/p>\n

Which is fairly close to your recorded power of 20kWh. The other thing that may affect your power output is the angle and direction of your panels. If they are not at the perfect angle (17\u00b0 from horizontal) and perfectly north facing you will need to factor that in using these tables or similar:<\/p>\n

CEC-guidelines<\/a><\/p>\n

Having said all that:<\/strong>\u00a0 I wouldn’t make a judgement on your solar panels’ performance without at least 1 month of data, as this will be a lot more statistically valid, then you can use the method described here to determine if your panels are performing to their specification or not. Here’s how to use a free online tool do just that:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/how-to-work-out-if-your-solar-system-is-performing-properly\/<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One from the mailbag today that is bound to please fellow solar nerds:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[64,70],"class_list":["post-2121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-solar-panels-2","tag-efficiency","tag-temperature","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBe Careful When Calculating Solar Panel Efficiency - SolarQuotes Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"People often made 2 subtle but common mistakes when calculating the efficiency of solar panels. 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Now Sunpower \u2014 the French-owned, US-based solar panel manufacturer \u2014 has stepped\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Panels"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Panels","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-panels-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"sunpower solar panels efficiency","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/sunpower-efficiency-win.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/sunpower-efficiency-win.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/sunpower-efficiency-win.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":319,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/how-important-is-efficiency-when-choosing-a-solar-panel\/","url_meta":{"origin":2121,"position":1},"title":"How Important Is Efficiency When Choosing A Solar Panel?","author":"Finn Peacock","date":"November 15, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Is panel efficiency the only thing that matters when deciding which solar panel to buy?","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Panels"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Panels","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-panels-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mounting a solar panel to allow \"backside irradiance\"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/sanyo_hit_mounting-300x163.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":39908,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/500-watt-solar-panels-mb1529\/","url_meta":{"origin":2121,"position":2},"title":"Rise Of The 500W+ Solar Panel","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"May 19, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"JinkoSolar is the latest manufacturer to unveil a 500W+ solar panel - and it boasts significantly more capacity than others recently announced. The Tiger Pro module series was unveiled through a virtual product launch last week. Four models will be available, with the Tiger Pro 78TR Monofacial offering 580 watts\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"500 watt solar panels","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/500-watt-solar-panels.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/500-watt-solar-panels.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/500-watt-solar-panels.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/500-watt-solar-panels.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/500-watt-solar-panels.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1290,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/5-reasons-your-solar-system-power-is-lower-than-you-expected\/","url_meta":{"origin":2121,"position":3},"title":"Why Your 5kW Solar System Output Is Lower Than You Expected","author":"Finn Peacock","date":"March 29, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Is your new solar system producing the power output it should?\u00a0 A very common question I get from people who have just got a new solar power system is: \"Now the solar panels are on my roof, how do I know what the solar system output should be?\". The solar\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Panels"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Panels","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-panels-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Cleaning a dirty sold panel","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/solar-panel-cleaning.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5956,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/sunpower-p-series-panels-now-available-in-australia\/","url_meta":{"origin":2121,"position":4},"title":"SunPower P-Series Panels Now Available In Australia","author":"Ronald Brakels","date":"October 3, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"UPDATE 27th August 2018:\u00a0 It has kindly been brought to my attention the warranty for SunPower's P17 panels excludes normal residential installation.\u00a0 The SunPower P17 warranty says it does not apply to: \"PV Modules which have been installed on single-family homes or semi\u2010detached homes, including but not limited to duplexes\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Panels"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Panels","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-panels-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"new sunpower p-series solar panel","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/sunpower.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/sunpower.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/sunpower.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":28121,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/insolight-solar-panel-mb0947\/","url_meta":{"origin":2121,"position":5},"title":"Swiss Company Boasts 29% Efficient Solar Panels","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"February 21, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The use of tiny \"space-grade\" solar cells and lenses have enabled Insolight to achieve a claimed 29% efficiency for its high-tech solar panels, which are currently at the commercial pre-production stage. Panel efficiency[1. Solar panel conversion efficiency is the measure of how much of the sunlight that hits a panel\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Insolight solar panels","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/insolight-solar-panel.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/insolight-solar-panel.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/insolight-solar-panel.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/insolight-solar-panel.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/insolight-solar-panel.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2121"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2121\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":94301,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2121\/revisions\/94301"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}