There’s a lot of terminology thrown around in the world of solar power and with a professional installer, you may not need to know all of it. Still, it’s good to know what a watt is and how it relates to your system.
When discussing any kind of technology, it’s important for consumers to have a basic understanding of the mechanisms behind that technology. In our case, JC Solar believes our customers should enter the world of solar panels armed with knowledge. You may have heard the terms watts or watt hours thrown around, and while they are closely related, they are still two distinct concepts.
What Are Watts?
Watts are used as a measurement of power and are often shortened to a simple W. A more technical definition is that watts are the work done at the rate of one joule per second—but that’s a little more complicated than what the average consumer needs to know. What really matters is that it’s the rate at which energy is either made or used. Take for example a 10W light bulb, which uses 10 watts of power while it’s on.
What Are Watt Hours?
If watts are the rate at which energy is used, watt hours are the accumulation of power over a specific period of time. Let’s take that 10W light bulb example. If you run that bulb for an hour, it consumes 10Wh. In three hours, it would consume 30Wh. A simple analogy is a car: watts would be the speed of your car whereas watt hours are the distance a car goes over time.
Why Does it Matter?
We throw around terms like power, which would be watts, and energy, or watt hours, a lot when talking about our solar panels. Figuring out the right terminology and knowing what you actually mean is an important thing! When working with a professional solar installer, they will be able to determine how many watts your load draws and how many watt hours you use in a day, thus making it much more simple to figure out what kind of solar system you need. Working with a solar expert affords you the comfort of knowing someone else will figure out what your needs are for you, but as a consumer, it’s always good to know the science behind your big purchase.
Contact JC Solar Today!
If you have any solar needs in Maryland, contact JC Solar, LLC. at 443-204-6551 or by email at eric@jcsolarroofing.com. Our solar powered products will help make your life easy, environmentally safe, and cost efficient! We’re conveniently located in Marriottsville, Maryland and proudly serve all of Maryland as well as Virginia, Pennsylvania, Washington DC and Arizona. Contact us today!
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