The Ethos Green Power Cooperative Blog

Investing in Solar Power

Understanding Power in Watts Watts are a unit of power often associated with electricity, but watts also describe the power output of all kinds of work performed over time. This includes relatively simple tasks like lifting a bucket, rowing a boat, and riding a bike! Lifting a bucket: The work is done against gravity, and the power of lifting the bucket depends on its weight and how quickly you lift it. The power output to lift a 5-gallon bucket of water 1 meter off the ground in one second is approximately 185 watts Rowing a boat: The work is done by applying force to move the boat through water, and the power output depends on the rate of rowing. On flat water, the average power output of a canoe rower is typically around 200 watts . Riding a bike: The work is done against friction and air resistance, and the power output depends on how fast and forcefully you pedal. An average cyclist could produce about 150 Watts . Keep in mind that power output is measured every second. This means that the work needs to be done steadily and continuously to keep energy flowing. For example, if you want to power a video game console for one hour using a bicycle, you would need to ride the bike at a steady pace for an entire hour. How Many Watts Does A Solar Panel Produce? Solar panels come in different sizes with different outputs. A typical residential panel will produce between 400 - 500 watts. Ground mount and commercial panels can go as high as 700 watts with higher outputs being released every year. The Znshine 410 can produce 410 watts at peak performance. 1 MILLION WATT HOURS The watt is a small unit of power. Therefore, multiples of the watt, such as the kilowatt (1,000 watts) or the megawatt (one million watts), are often used to describe power outputs at larger scales. In fact, your electric bill is based on how many kilowatts you consume per hour. This measurement is known as a kilowatt hour (kWh). The average household in Wisconsin consumes about 1,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per month. The industry rule of thumb is that 1 kilowatt (kW) of solar installed will produce 1,300-kilowatt hours (kWh) per year. So if your home uses 12,000 kWh per year, we'd estimate you need around a 9kW solar system to meet 100% of your energy needs. That’s about 22 410w solar panels. Or you could just plan on riding your bicycle 6,666 hours to generate enough electricity to power your home for one month! FYI, that’s the equivalent of riding 24/7 for over 275 days! Psst...did you know? A hummingbird uses 1.225 watts of power per second to fly? That’s 2% the energy needed to power a 60w light bulb!

Why Ethos Prioritizes Education and Transparency Above Finance

If you're looking to save money and be more environmentally conscious, consider the many benefits of a solar power system!