What Can a 30 watt Solar Panel Run?

Last Updated: March 3, 2023

This is going to be a complete guide about 30 watt solar panel, I'll explain how much a 30 watt solar panel can produce and what it can power

Table Of Contents show

What Can a 30-watt Solar Panel Run?

30w solar panel can produce enough power to run a small portable fan, Charge cell phones, laptops, and other small appliances in the range of 25w.

first of all, let's discuss how much power a 30w solar panel can generate per day so then it'll be easy to understand for you.

How much power does a 30-watt solar panel produce?

The company claims the maximum output of 30w solar panel at 30 watts per hour under Standard Test Conditions - STC.

STC includes: 1000 watts per meter² of sunlight intensity (peak sun hour), no wind, and 25⁰C temperature

But in reality, you'd receive about 80% of the rated output from your solar panel peak sun hour.

use this PV solar calculator to find out how many hours of peak sunlight your location receives.

Step 1: Enter Address

Enter your complete address or just a city name

Step 2: Click Results

Now here you’d be able to see the total number of peak sun hours per day from Jan - Dec.

The intensity of the sunlight will be different throughout the year. To calculate the average output I will consider the annual average peak sun hours for this example. (as 5.87 are in my city)

On average a solar panel will produce about 80% of its rated wattage capacity in the peak hours. So,

A 30w solar panel will produce on average 25 watts of power per peak sun hour

25W * 5.8 peak sun hours = 145Wh

12v 30w solar will produce 150Wh of DC power per day, considering 6 hours of peak sunlight and 12.5 DC amps @ 12 volts

The above percentage is based on the 30 days of power output from my 200 watt solar panels

DC vs AC watts

Solar panels produce power in DC (Direct current) but most of our appliances required AC (Alternating current).

Watch this video to know the difference between DC and AC power

To convert solar DC into AC, we use inverters and inverters are not 100% efficient.

most of them are about 90% efficient. So,

150 DC * 0.9 = 135 AC watt-hours (Wh)

12v 30 watt solar panel will produce about 150Wh of DC or 135Wh of AC or output per day. Considering 6 hours of peak sunlight.

Video - Testing 30 watt solar panel output

What will a 30 watt solar panel run?

As I have discussed, the solar panels will produce 150wh of power per day with 6 hours of peak sunlight or 12.5 amp-hours. which you can store into batteries.

This power would be enough to run small appliances, especially DC appliances, like charging cell phones, laptops, small fans, & bulbs.

You can't charge large appliances with a 30w solar panel. But yes you can run a LED TV (50w) for 2 and half hours with a 30w solar panel

list of appliances you can run with a 30w solar panel

Light bulb 20w (7.5 hours)
LED TV 50w (2.5 hours)
Phone charger 6w (25 hours)
Laptop charger 50w (2.5 hours)
Electric blanket 200w (40 minutes)
Ceiling fan DC 75w (2 hours)
Portable fan 25w (6 hours)

Note: The number of hours are calculated according to AC or DC current depending upon the appliance.

What Size Battery For 30-watt Solar Panel?

Video - How do batteries work?

Watch this video to understand the basics of batteries and how they work so I'm gonna get involved in those details. so in simple words batteries stores the DC current produced by the soalr panels.

The lithium batteries are the better ones available right now which allows you to discharge them up to 100%.

but the flood acid batteries have a 50% of discharge limit. means you can only discharge them half.

To calculate the size of the battery for your solar panel, multiply the solar panel rated wattage capacity by the highest number of peak sun hours your city receives

Like in my case it’s 6.95 (in April).

30 watt * 7 peak sun hours = 210Wh

Now divide the result by 12 for a 12v battery or by 24 for a 24v battery

210/12 = 17.5A

You’d need a 12v 20Ah lithium or 12v 50Ah lead-acid battery with a 30-watt solar panel and a 5A charge controller to safely charge the battery

Do you really need battery for 30W solar panel?

The short answer is Yes, you'll need a battery to store the DC current so you can use it later on. But I would recommend a small portable solar generator which will make your life easier.

you'll not have to worry about the wiring, batteries, charge controller & inverter. it's a complete package at a reasonable price. I recommend a Jackery Explorer 240 portable soalr power station.

What Can I Use a 30W Solar Panel For?

a 300w solar panel can generate enough power to run small appliances like charging cell phones, charging 12V batteries, and laptops, and best for backpackers and hiking.

Related FAQ's

12v 30w solar panel how many volts?

under ideal conditions, a 12v 30w solar panel will produce 18 volts.

What size battery a 30w solar panel can charge?

A 30w solar panel will charge a 12v 20Ah lithium battery from 100% depth of discharge in 6 peak sun hours.

What size charge controller for 30w solar panel?

For a 30w solar panel, you need a 5A charge controller

Keep Reading

Share This Article

Chris Tsitouris

Chris Tsitouris is a renewable energy professional with 10+ years of experience as Director of Engineering at Solar Spectrum, previously working as Project Manager at SunPower and Energy Analyst at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. As a thought leader, Chris has authored numerous articles and research papers.