Find out how to determine normal energy production for your system

The green checkmark to the left of your system name indicates normal system production and displays when there is electrical generation during standard sunlight conditions for your location.

Does normal system production mean that my system is producing what it should?

Many factors determine system production. Your solar professional may have provided an estimate of production that was likely based on a well-known solar energy estimation tool like PVWatts. Solar energy estimators use geographic region, seasonal variation, and other factors like roof pitch, wiring, and electrical losses to calculate production estimates.

Let’s say you have a 5 kW system (20 modules with a 250 W DC peak power rating). In a day with five hours of direct sunlight under ideal conditions, your modules would produce 25 kWh of solar energy (or 750 kWh per month), but that’s not how much energy your system would actually produce. For a more realistic estimate, you need to apply an efficiency value from a solar energy estimator, usually around 77% to 83%. This helps to account for the “other” factors described above. Therefore, 19 to 21 kWh per day (or 578 kWh to 623 kWh per month) would be a more realistic estimate for the above-mentioned 5 kW system.