Solar panels are touted as a sustainable way to lower your electric bill while also helping out the environment. But these panels can be a big investment for many, which means some homeowners have high expectations when they have them installed.
Take one Redditor whose solar panels didn’t quite meet his expectations, for example. They shared data from their system on the popular r/solar subreddit, asking whether there was an “issue” with it.
Fortunately, some of the more seasoned solar panel users were able to quickly jump in and explain what was happening with the system, offering reassurance and a bit of a crash course on how these panels work.
The good news is that it sounds like the panels are working as designed. Whether that is the answer the Redditor was looking for remains to be seen.
Homeowner Asks Reddit About Lackluster Solar Panel Performance
Reddit user @skaw3334 shared a screenshot from their 8kW solar panel system in the r-solar subreddit, asking why they weren’t getting the “sustained generation” they had expected. “I’m located in central Mass. Maybe this is just what it is in this area,” they wrote, asking if there might have been an issue with their system.
“For example, today, it’s been quite sunny out without a lot of cloud coverage, and I haven’t peaked above 6 kW,” the post continued. “Then you can see on June 27. There were spikes up to 7 1/2, close to 8 kW, but they were very brief.”
One of the top-rated comments was from someone who was able to share that the system was working as expected, explaining the difference between the ratings and what you can realistically expect from a residential panel.
“The thing is, ‘400W’ panels don’t often actually output 400W,” they wrote. “That’s a lab rating called the STC rating. In the real world, you expect around 80 percent of that number, which is published as the NOCT rating.”
Hot Weather and Other Conditions Change How Much Solar Panels Produce
Other solar panel users were quick to jump in and explain what was happening, with one Redditor sharing how hot weather and your own home’s electric usage can change things. “Hot weather makes them produce less,” they wrote. “And they can only produce what your house can consume, or the grid will accept.”
The story went viral, and The Cool Down reported on the story, furthering the explanation and sharing that while a system could be listed as “8-kW,” that rating is used to document what was found in lab conditions. In the real world, conditions will vary, which will cause that figure to fluctuate.
That being said, The Cool Down says that people who feel like their solar panels aren’t living up to their expectations should review the installer’s paperwork for the exact specifications and projected production, and then use several days or months’ worth of actual data from the panels to see if they meet those expectations.
It sounds like, more often than not, this information matches up over the long run. But when it doesn’t, homeowners should call the company that installed the panels to troubleshoot their issues.