1. What is a Solar Energy Calculator with Battery?

Definition: This calculator estimates the usable solar energy output considering panel specifications, sunlight conditions, and battery storage efficiency.

Purpose: It helps solar system designers and homeowners determine the effective energy production of photovoltaic systems with battery storage.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the formula:

Where:

• \( E \) — Usable energy output (kWh)
• \( P \) — Panel power rating (kW)
• \( H \) — Daily peak sunlight hours (hours)
• \( PR \) — System performance ratio (0-1)
• \( Efficiency_{battery} \) — Battery storage efficiency (0-1)

Explanation: The calculation accounts for panel capacity, solar availability, system losses, and energy lost during battery storage.

3. Importance of Solar Energy Calculation

Details: Accurate energy estimation ensures proper system sizing, battery capacity planning, and realistic expectations of energy production.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter panel power in kW, average daily sunlight hours, performance ratio (default 0.75), and battery efficiency (default 0.85). All values must be > 0.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is performance ratio?
A: It accounts for system losses (0.75 means 25% losses from temperature, wiring, inverters, etc.).

Q2: How do I find daily sunlight hours?
A: Use solar maps for your location or consult local meteorological data.

Q3: What's typical battery efficiency?
A: Lithium-ion batteries are ~85-95% efficient, lead-acid about 70-85%.

Q4: Does this calculate daily or annual energy?
A: This calculates daily energy. Multiply by 365 for annual estimate.

Q5: Should I use panel nameplate rating?
A: Use the actual expected output which may be 10-20% lower than nameplate in real conditions.