The Boat Mill

Solar Harvest Ah Calculator

Estimate daily amp-hours into the battery from panel watts, peak sun hours, system efficiency, and battery volts. You enter sun hours and efficiency — we do not invent location insolation maps. Harvest-only math, not a full array-design tool.

When to use

Enter panel array watts, peak sun hours / day, system efficiency (0–1), and battery bank volts.

Estimate daily amp-hours into the battery from panel watts, peak sun hours, system efficiency, and battery volts.

Calculator

From your location data — not invented here.
Default often ~0.70–0.75 after controller, wiring, angle losses.
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How this is calculated

Daily amp-hours ≈ panel watts times peak sun hours times system efficiency, divided by battery volts.

daily_Ah ≈ (panel_watts × peak_sun_hours × system_eff) / battery_volts

Harvest-only. No location insolation maps or vendor array sizing.

Worked example

Start with the calculator’s default entries: Panel array watts = 200; Peak sun hours / day = 4.5; System efficiency (0–1) = 0.75; Battery bank volts = 12.

With those entries the calculator returns:

56.3 Ah / day
675 Wh harvest · eff 0.75
Wh ≈ 200 × 4.5 × 0.75 = 675.0 Wh
daily_Ah ≈ 675.0 ÷ 12 = 56.25 Ah

Formula used: daily_Ah ≈ (panel_watts × peak_sun_hours × system_eff) / battery_volts

One input at a time. Raise Panel array watts from 200 to 300 and leave everything else alone. The result becomes:

84.4 Ah / day
1013 Wh harvest · eff 0.75
Wh ≈ 300 × 4.5 × 0.75 = 1012.5 Wh
daily_Ah ≈ 1012.5 ÷ 12 = 84.38 Ah

Limits / assumptions

Assumptions: inputs for this solar harvest ah estimate match the hints (soundings, nameplate Ah, marked tank capacity, and so on).

FAQ

What are peak sun hours?

Equivalent full-sun hours for your site and season. Enter a value from a reliable source for your location — we do not invent maps.

Why efficiency < 1?

Controller, wiring, heat, and angle losses. Many planners start near 0.70–0.75 unless you measure better.

MPPT vs PWM?

Reflected in the efficiency you enter, not as a separate OEM table on this page.