Q&A: At a certain location, the solar power per unit area reaching Earth’s surface is 200?

by van_mij

Question by Lir: At a certain location, the solar power per unit area reaching Earth’s surface is 200?
At a certain location, the solar power per unit area reaching Earth’s surface is 200 W/ m^2, averaged over a 24-hour day. If the average power requirement in your home is 3 kW and you can convert solar power to electric power with 10 % efficiency, how large a collector area will you need to meet all your household energy requirements from solar energy? (Will a collector fit in your yard or on your roof?

Please Help. It would be much appreciated. Thank so much!

Best answer:

Answer by kirchwey
It’s simple math.
1 m^2 of solar panel generates an average 10%*200 W = 20 W.
You need an average 3000 W, which is 150 times as much, so you need 150 m^2 of solar panel.
An average power of 3000 W is pretty large for a typical house. Is there a sawmill hidden inside?

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