Based on historical Forest Lake, MN data, solar panels that are tilted towards the equator at an angle equal to the latitude will produce the maximum solar energy output in Forest Lake.[1]
Forest Lake has an average monthly Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI) of 3.78 kilowatt hours per square meter per day (kWh/m2/day), which is approximately 6% less than the average monthly Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) of 4.03 kWh/m2/day. [1]
Solar installations in Forest Lake that are always titled at the latitude of Forest Lake (Average Tilt at Latitude or ATaL) average 4.49 kWh/m2/day, or about 19% greater than the average monthly GHI of 3.78 kWh/m2/day and approximately 11% greater than the average monthly DNI of 4.03 kWh/m2/day. [1]
Solar Energy Glossary
Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI)
Global Horizontal Irradiance: The total amount of solar radiation that is received per unit area by a surface that is always positioned in a horizontal manner.
Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI)
Direct Normal Irradiance: The total amount of solar radiation received per unit area by a surface that is always perpendicular to the sun rays that come in a straight line from the direction of the sun at its current position in the sky.
Average Tilt at Latitude (ATaL)
Average Tilt at Latitude: The total amount of solar radiation received per unit area by a surface that is tilted toward the equator at an angle equal to the current latitude. ATaL will often produce the optimum energy output.
Solar Radiation Levels in Forest Lake
Solar Radiation Data in Forest Lake, MN
See the chart below for monthly solar radiation levels in Forest Lake.
* Amounts listed in kWh/m2/day (kilowatt hours per square meter per day)
Solar Radiation Analysis for Forest Lake, MN
Forest Lake, MN has a average annual solar radiation value of 4.78 kilowatt hours per square meter per day (kWh/m2/day). [1]
The month with the highest historical solar radition values in Forest Lake is July with an average of 6.28 kWh/m2/day, followed by August at 6.08 kWh/m2/day and June at 5.79 kWh/m2/day. [1]
The three months that historically average the lowest average solar radiation levels in Forest Lake (Minnesota) are December with an average of 2.73 kWh/m2/day, followed by January with an average of 3.19 kWh/m2/day and November at 3.23 kWh/m2/day. [1]
Solar Power Comparison: Forest Lake vs. the U.S.
Solar Power Levels in Forest Lake
The average monthly solar radiation level in Forest Lake, MN, of 4.78 kilowatt hours per square meter per day (kWh/m2/day) is approximately 22% greater than the average level of 3.93 kWh/m2/day in a city with historically low levels (WA) and is approximately 28% less than the average level of 6.61 kWh/m2/day in a city with historically high levels (NV). [1]
→ Values listed as 0 (zero) are not available (N/A).
Solar Power: Forest Lake vs. the U.S.
Below is a month-by-month comparison of how average Forest Lake solar radiation levels compare to average levels in a city with historcially high levels (NV) and a city with historically low levels (WA). [1]
→ k/m/d = kWh/m2/day = kilowatt hours per square meter per day.
→ Values listed as 0 (zero) are not available (N/A).
We do not currently have data on solar panel installations in the city of Forest Lake, MN at this current time.
Solar Power Output in Forest Lake
The Power of Solar in Forest Lake, MN
Monthly AC solar system output averages for Forest Lake (mn). Month-by-month solar power, as ranked by AC output, in Forest Lake. [2]
* Amounts listed in kWhac (kilowatt hours (AC))
Solar Output Analysis for Forest Lake, MN
Forest Lake (MN) has a average annual solar AC output value of 5549.11 kilowatt hours (AC). [2]
The month with the highest historical solar power output in Forest Lake is July with an average of 583.54 kWhac, followed by August at 566.63 kWhac and June at 533.25 kWhac. [2]
The three months that historically average the lowest average solar output levels in Forest Lake (Minnesota) are December with an average of 293.87 kWhac, followed by November with an average of 324.03 kWhac and January at 343.86 kWhac. [2]
Cost of Utilities in Forest Lake
Forest Lake Electricity Costs
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Solar Power Poll: Forest Lake
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Forest Lake Natural Gas Costs
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More about Forest Lake
About Forest Lake
The city of Forest Lake, MN in Washington County has an approximate population of 18,375. [6]
Forest Lake, MN Solar Energy
To learn more about solar energy and solar power Forest Lake, MN, or for more solar-related resources for Forest Lake, visit the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Did you know?
Nineteen-year-old Edmund Becquerel, a French experimental physicist, discovered the basis of solar energy in 1839.