Gemini: To power Sneek with 700-watt solar panels, the required field size depends on whether you are powering only residential homes or the entire city (including commercial, industrial, and public services).
1. Core Assumptions & Panel Metrics
- Panel Output: In the Dutch climate, 1 Watt-peak (Wp) produces approximately 0.90 kWh of electricity per year. A single 700 W panel generates around 630 kWh/year.
- Panel Size: A commercial 700 W panel measures roughly 2.38 m×1.30 m≈3.11 m2.
- Ground Spacing (Solar Farm Footprint): Solar farms require row spacing to avoid self-shading when tilted and to allow maintenance access. Including access paths, a solar farm requires about 7.0 m2 of land per panel (a ground coverage ratio of ≈45%).
2. Scenario A: Residential Consumption Only
- Sneek Households: ≈16,000 households
- Average Electricity Use: ≈2,600 kWh/year per household
- Total Annual Demand: ≈41.6 GWh/year
Panels Required=630 kWh/panel41,600,000 kWh≈66,000 panels
Land Required=66,000×7.0 m2≈462,000 m2=46.2 hectares (0.46 km2)
- Visual scale: Roughly 65 standard football pitches.
3. Scenario B: Entire City Total (Residential + Commercial + Industrial)
- Sneek Population: ≈34,850 residents
- Total Electricity Use: ≈4,500 kWh/capita/year (accounting for municipal services, retail, and light industry)
- Total Annual Demand: ≈156.8 GWh/year
Panels Required=630 kWh/panel156,800,000 kWh≈249,000 panels
Land Required=249,000×7.0 m2≈1,740,000 m2=174 hectares (1.74 km2)
- Visual scale: Roughly 244 standard football pitches (or about 5.8% of Sneek’s total municipal land surface).