Annual output of +/5% due to weather alone is to be expected. +/-10% is also pretty common. That's probably where most of the 0.5 MWh increase 2015 to 2016 came from as well as the 1.0MWh increase 2016 to 2017. Solar generation is much more variable than fossil fuel, nuke or hydro generation.
Unless PV panels change materials and processes, the thermodynamic limit for currently available and marketed panels is ~~ 30-32% or so. Don't expect that to be reached in a production model, reliable fashion for some years.
You have about the most (area) efficient units available today or for the last few years at ~ 21-22%. In spite of what Sunpower would like to have us all believe, efficiency is not necessarily the name of the game in PV. It's more about a safe and reliable way to get the most bang for the buck.
Too bad you didn't find SPT before you bought Sunpower. Your ROI would be about 20% higher today with equally productive, fit for purpose but less expensive equipment.
Welcome to the neighborhood.
BTW, what's your zip (in the NE maybe ?) and array orientation ? 11,000 kWh/yr. from a 9.3 kW system seems a bit on the light side. Any shading ?
Unless PV panels change materials and processes, the thermodynamic limit for currently available and marketed panels is ~~ 30-32% or so. Don't expect that to be reached in a production model, reliable fashion for some years.
You have about the most (area) efficient units available today or for the last few years at ~ 21-22%. In spite of what Sunpower would like to have us all believe, efficiency is not necessarily the name of the game in PV. It's more about a safe and reliable way to get the most bang for the buck.
Too bad you didn't find SPT before you bought Sunpower. Your ROI would be about 20% higher today with equally productive, fit for purpose but less expensive equipment.
Welcome to the neighborhood.
BTW, what's your zip (in the NE maybe ?) and array orientation ? 11,000 kWh/yr. from a 9.3 kW system seems a bit on the light side. Any shading ?
Comment