SEE A LIVE FEED OF OUR SOLAR PRODUCTION HERE
NOT AN EXPERT IN ELECTRICAL JARGON? HERE’S A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT THE INFO MEANS.
Watt: a watt (W) is a unit of power, and power is the rate at which energy is produced or consumed. Think of watts as a measure of electrical flow.
Watt Hour: A watt-hour (Wh) is a unit of energy; it’s a way to measure the amount of work performed or generated. Household appliances and other electrical devices perform “work” and that requires energy in the form of electricity. Utilities typically charge you for electrical energy by the kilowatt-hour (kWh), which is equal to 1,000 watt-hours.
Kilowatt-hour (kWh) = 1,000 watt-hours
Megawatt-hour (MWh) = 1,000 kilowatt-hours
Gigawatt-hour (GW-hour) = 1,000 megawatt-hours
A common analogy for watts and watt-hours is speed and distance. Speed is a rate of how fast you drive at an instant in time (watts); distance is the length, or amount that you drive over a period of time (watt-hours). For example, if you drive at a constant rate of 60 miles per hour for one hour, then you will have traveled 60 miles.
CURRENT POWER = Realtime output of the solar energy system in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW = 1,000 watts).
ENERGY TODAY = This number represents the total number of watt-hours (Wh) or kilowatt-hours (kWh) the solar energy system has produced today.
ENERGY THIS MONTH = This number represents the total number of kilowatt-hours (kWh) or mega- watt-hours (MWh) the solar energy system has produced this month to date.
LIFETIME ENERGY = This number represents the total number of Megawatt-hours (MWh) or gigawatt-hours (GWh) the solar energy system has produced since it was installed on December 16, 2019.
CO2 EMISSION SAVED = A representation of the positive impact the solar energy system has made on greenhouse gas emissions. Each kWh of electricity generated by the solar energy system could have been generated using fossil fuel, which generates CO2 emissions. The number shown is the weight of CO2 emis- sions that would have been generated by an equivalent fossil fuel system. (Lifetime)
EQUIVALENT TREES PLANTED = Trees absorb CO2, thus reducing CO2 environmental pollution levels. The number shown is the equivalent of how many trees would need planted to achieve the CO2 savings the so- lar energy system has produced. (Lifetime)
The average home in Maine consumes approximately 550 to 600 kWh per month or 18 to 20 kWh per day. Since moving to our 70 South Street location, the Co-op electricity usage averages approximately 850 kWh per day. During the winter months, on a sunny day the solar energy system can produce upwards of 350 kWh per day. This represents a direct electricity cost savings of 40%
