What is the wattage of solar power generation

What is solar wattage?

Wattage refers to the amount of electrical power a solar panel can produce under standard test conditions (STC), which simulate a bright sunny day with optimal solar irradiance (1,000 W/m²), a cell temperature of 25°C, and clean panels. In simpler terms, a panel’s wattage rating tells you its maximum power output under ideal conditions.

What wattage does a solar panel produce?

Under STC, the tested panel produced the rated wattage under 1,000 watts per square meter of sunlight, 25°C cell temperature, and 1.5 air mass. Simply put, the solar panel wattage directly determines how much electricity a rooftop solar system can produce.

What is the difference between solar panel wattage and output?

Solar panel wattage is the lab fixed rating. Solar panel output, on the other hand, is the actual DC power the panel will generate in the real world. In general, the solar panel output is usually lower than the rated solar panel wattage. What factors affect the solar panel output? Heat, shade, dust, tilt/orientation, weather, and sunlight strength.

How much wattage does a solar panel use in 2025?

However, real-world applications require more sophisticated calculations accounting for environmental factors, system losses, and performance degradation. Most residential panels in 2025 have a solar panel wattage rating between 350 and 480 watts, with installers offering panels ranging from 390 to 460 watts on average.