As mentioned on the Solar Panel System FAQs page and Home page, standard 60-cell solar panels themselves have a surface area of approximately 17.5 square feet (65" x 39"), and each panel produces between 270-400 watts depending on the brand. For consistency, we will use an average of 300 watts/solar panel in the information and examples below. The 300 watt production of power represent kilowatt hours (kWh), which means that if there is direct sunlight on the solar panel for one hour, that solar panel makes 300 watts of power. Two hours of direct sunlight makes 600 watts or power, three hours of direct sunlight makes 900 watts of power, etc. This is under ideal conditions of no clouds, no obstructions, and having the sun shining directly on the panel.

Below there are two graphs from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) showing the approximate amount of direct sunlight we can expect in southwest Iowa on a yearly average (picture on the left) and at its peak in June (picture on the right). In the examples below this section we will use an average of 5 hours of direct sunlight per day (even though May-August Iowa averages 6+ hours/day) to provide the best estimates, but each home and business can vary depending upon their specific roof angle, obstructions, and angle of the solar panels themselves. The affiliated contractors of Loess Hills Solar Solutions will do a full analysis of your specific situation.