1. What is a Solar System Usage Calculator for Home?

Definition: This calculator determines what percentage of your home's total energy needs are being met by your solar system.

Purpose: It helps homeowners evaluate the effectiveness of their solar installation and understand their energy independence.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the formula:

Where:

• \( \text{Usage} \) — Percentage of energy needs met by solar
• \( \text{Generated} \) — Energy produced by solar system (kWh)
• \( \text{Total} \) — Total energy consumed by home (kWh)

Explanation: The solar-generated energy is divided by total home energy consumption, then multiplied by 100 to get a percentage.

3. Importance of Solar Usage Calculation

Details: Monitoring solar usage helps assess system performance, calculate potential savings, and determine if system expansion is needed.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the energy generated by your solar system and your home's total energy consumption (both in kWh). Generated value cannot exceed total.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Where can I find these energy values?
A: Check your solar inverter monitoring system for generated power and your utility bill for total consumption.

Q2: What's a good usage percentage?
A: 70-100% is excellent, 30-70% is good, below 30% suggests your system might be undersized for your needs.

Q3: Why would my generated exceed total?
A: This shouldn't happen unless you're feeding excess back to the grid. In that case, your usage is 100%.

Q4: Should I use monthly or yearly data?
A: Monthly gives current performance, while yearly accounts for seasonal variations.

Q5: Does this include battery storage?
A: No, this calculates direct usage. For battery systems, you'd need additional calculations.