Solar Panel/Energy help?

I’m doing a project for school and I’m a little confused about energy and solar panels. I’m looking to propose installation of solar panels to power the computer lab at my school. From what I’ve read a computer and monitor use roughly 350 watts per hour. I was looking at solar panels and it says they produce various wattage. For example, I was looking at one rated at 200 watts. Does that mean 200 watts in a day? Or per hour? Please help.

The rating of a solar panel is a maximum continuous rating. A 200 Watt panel will give a maximum of 200 watts under ideal conditions.
A computer and monitor use about 400 Watts. not per hour – watts is Volts * Amps and a measure of Power. In 1 hour a computer and monitor uses 400 Watt hours (Wh). Wh is a measure of Energy.

To power a lab of 10 computers you will need 10* 400 = 4000 Watts.
To run this from solar panels through the day only you would need a 4000 Watt panel.
Except – its cloudy, the sun is in the wrong place – many factors reduce the output.

To be reasonably safe you would need about a 12000 Watt panel.
Then you would need
batteries to store power through dull periods AND
a voltage converter to change from low voltage DC from the solar panels to the mains voltage for your computers.

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One Response to Solar Panel/Energy help?

  1. John says:

    The rating of a solar panel is a maximum continuous rating. A 200 Watt panel will give a maximum of 200 watts under ideal conditions.
    A computer and monitor use about 400 Watts. not per hour – watts is Volts * Amps and a measure of Power. In 1 hour a computer and monitor uses 400 Watt hours (Wh). Wh is a measure of Energy.

    To power a lab of 10 computers you will need 10* 400 = 4000 Watts.
    To run this from solar panels through the day only you would need a 4000 Watt panel.
    Except – its cloudy, the sun is in the wrong place – many factors reduce the output.

    To be reasonably safe you would need about a 12000 Watt panel.
    Then you would need
    batteries to store power through dull periods AND
    a voltage converter to change from low voltage DC from the solar panels to the mains voltage for your computers.
    References :
    http://www.solarpanelswork.net/
    http://www.powerbee.co.uk/SolarPanelCalculator.asp