Over the last decade, solar energy has become more affordable, accessible, and prevalent in the United States.
In fact, in 2008, solar power capacity was rated at just 0.34 GW. Today that has grown to 97.2 GW.
This capacity is enough to power 18 million homes spread across the U.S.
Besides the tremendous capacity increase, solar itself has become cheaper. Prices have dropped a close to 70% since 2014.
It is predicted that by 2030, one in seven U.S. homes will have rooftop solar.
This begs the question, what about portable solar panels? Where do they come into the equation? Are they, too, a viable source of energy production?
According to Industry Arc, the global portable solar panel market is forecasted to reach $1,296.3 Million by 2027. That's a CAGR growth rate of 17.5% between 2022 and 2027.
Popularity aside, people still need to be convinced of what they can expect regarding portable solar panel energy production.
And it's true. It's one of the most common questions we get here at BLUETTI. "How much energy will my portable solar panel produce?"
Let's set the record straight, this is a relative question, and there is no one fits all type answer.
In this article, we explain why.
What Affects Solar Panel Energy Production?
When determining how much energy you can expect your portable solar panel to produce, you need to take into consideration the following factors:
- Power rating
- Location
- System losses
Power Rating
The first thing you will want to consider is the power rating of your portable solar panel. This is rated in watts (W).
Take our PV350, for example. This portable solar panel is rated at 350 W. A solar panel rated at a higher wattage has the potential to produce more energy than a panel rated at a lower wattage.
Location
Perhaps one of the most important factors on our list and what most people don't consider when buying solar panels. Location, location, location.
Where are you located? Or, rather, where will you use your portable solar panel?
Why is location so important? Well, it all comes down to sunlight, or rather Global Horizontal Irradiation (GHI). The amount of GHI that hits your area vastly impacts panel energy production. In other words, the more sunlight in your area, the more energy your solar panel will produce.
For example, where do you think the BLUETTI PV350 will produce more energy in, Montana or California?
Believe it or not, there is a fantastic website to gather GHI data per location. Go give Global Solar Atlas a look see.
System losses
Another factor that impacts solar energy production is system losses. System losses can include the following:
- Soiling
- Shading
- Snow
- Mismatch
- Wiring
- Connections
- Light-induced degradation
As technology improves, factors such as wiring, connections, etc, improve, thus increasing the overall efficiency of your panel.
However, anything that inhibits the sun from reaching the panel will ultimately affect the photovoltaic effect and, thus, the panels' ability to produce electricity.
Not all of us have to worry about snow, but shade caused by trees can greatly reduce your panel's energy production.
How Much Energy Can The BLUETTI PV350 Produce?
Now that we have a better idea on the points that affect solar panel energy production, you are better equipped to understand our answer.
Below we have highlighted how much electricity you could expect the PV350 to produce based on it's location.
California
| Month | Solar Radiation
( kWh / m2 / day )
|
AC Energy
( kWh )
|
|---|---|---|
| January | 2.94 | 26 |
| February | 4.46 | 35 |
| March | 5.68 | 48 |
| April | 6.64 | 54 |
| May | 7.16 | 59 |
| June | 7.99 | 63 |
| July | 8.15 | 65 |
| August | 7.74 | 62 |
| September | 7.03 | 55 |
| October | 5.65 | 47 |
| November | 3.72 | 31 |
| December | 2.92 | 26 |
| Annual | 5.84 | 571 |
Washington
| Month | Solar Radiation
( kWh / m2 / day )
|
AC Energy
( kWh )
|
|---|---|---|
| January | 3.42 | 32 |
| February | 4.37 | 36 |
| March | 4.99 | 44 |
| April | 5.51 | 46 |
| May | 5.66 | 47 |
| June | 6.26 | 49 |
| July | 6.39 | 52 |
| August | 5.77 | 46 |
| September | 5.30 | 42 |
| October | 4.39 | 38 |
| November | 3.45 | 30 |
| December | 2.87 | 26 |
| Annual | 4.87 | 488 |
New Mexico
| Month | Solar Radiation
( kWh / m2 / day )
|
AC Energy
( kWh )
|
|---|---|---|
| January | 4.78 | 43 |
| February | 5.40 | 44 |
| March | 6.48 | 56 |
| April | 6.97 | 57 |
| May | 7.63 | 64 |
| June | 7.69 | 60 |
| July | 6.52 | 52 |
| August | 6.87 | 55 |
| September | 6.86 | 55 |
| October | 6.02 | 51 |
| November | 5.09 | 44 |
| December | 4.35 | 39 |
| Annual | 6.22 | 620 |
Maine
| Month | Solar Radiation
( kWh / m2 / day )
|
AC Energy
( kWh )
|
|---|---|---|
| January | 3.03 | 28 |
| February | 4.19 | 34 |
| March | 5.03 | 44 |
| April | 5.51 | 45 |
| May | 5.63 | 46 |
| June | 5.88 | 46 |
| July | 5.99 | 48 |
| August | 5.67 | 45 |
| September | 4.92 | 39 |
| October | 3.58 | 30 |
| November | 2.60 | 22 |
| December | 2.16 | 19 |
| Annual | 4.52 | 446 |
Final Thoughts
Please note that the above energy predictions are as accurate as possible and take into consideration the power rating, GHI data, system losses, tilt degree and Azimuth angle.
With that being said, it is still impossible to predict with 100% accuracy your solar panels energy production.
Something we implore all new portable solar panel owners to consider is the impacts of shading. Do not under estimate how much the smallest shadow can affect your panels energy output.
If you would like us to add anymore locations to this article, feel free to reach out to us.
