Photovoltaic panel unit KWp uppercase and lowercase

What does kWp mean on a solar panel?

Put simply, kWp is the peak power capability of a solar panel or solar system. The manufacturer gives all solar panels a kWp rating, which indicates the amount of energy a panel can produce at its peak performance, such as in the afternoon of a clear, sunny day.

What is kWp & how does it affect a photovoltaic system?

This unit of measurement tells you how much power your panel can deliver under optimal conditions. In other words, the higher a panel’s kWp, the better it performs. Installers also talk about ‘ nominal power ’. Of course, it is impossible to predict in advance the exact amount of electricity that a photovoltaic system can produce!

What is the difference between kWh and KWP?

The kWh, kilowatt-hour, is the power of electricity produced and supplied in an hour by 1 kW. The kWp indicates instead the nominal power of the system, which in turn represents the average power over a year. The calculation conditions regarding the time factor, between kWh and kWp, are evidently different.

What is kilowatt peak in a photovoltaic system?

The unit of measurement used to indicate the nominal power of a photovoltaic system is the kilowatt peak abbreviated as kWp. To avoid confusing this unit of measurement with that of kilowatt-hour, which is instead the unit of measurement of electrical energy, let’s look at the meaning of the letters that make up its abbreviation:

What is the WP of a photovoltaic panel?

The Wp listed by manufacturers makes it possible to compare different photovoltaic panels. For the same surface area, the higher the Wp, the better the panel performs. Do you want to achieve a certain yield with your photovoltaic system? The Wp of each panel will allow you to calculate the surface area needed to reach it.

What is a kilowatt power unit?

In the context of domestic PV installations, the kilowatt (symbol kW) is the most common unit for nominal power, for example P peak = 1 kW. Colloquial English sometimes conflates the quantity power and its unit by using the non-standard label watt-peak (symbol W p), possibly prefixed as in kilowatt-peak (kW p), megawatt-peak (MW p), etc.