Specific Yield
Specific yield (also called specific energy production or specific generation) is the annual energy output of a solar PV system divided by its rated installed capacity. It's expressed in kWh per kilowatt-peak per year (kWh/kWp/year) and is a location-normalized metric that allows meaningful comparison of solar resource quality across different system sizes and geographies.
Specific Yield = Annual Energy Production (kWh/year) ÷ System Rated Capacity (kWp)
A 100 kW system producing 160,000 kWh/year has a specific yield of 1,600 kWh/kWp/year.
Interpreting Specific Yield
Specific yield reflects both the solar resource quality and the system's overall performance ratio:
Excellent (Southwest US, Middle East, North Africa): 1,700–2,200 kWh/kWp/year
Good (Southeast US, California, Mountain West): 1,400–1,700 kWh/kWp/year
Moderate (Midwest, Northeast US): 1,100–1,400 kWh/kWp/year
Lower (Pacific Northwest, Northern Europe): 900–1,200 kWh/kWp/year
Why Specific Yield Matters
Specific yield allows developers and investors to compare solar projects across locations and technologies on a normalized basis. A 5 MW project in Arizona with 1,900 kWh/kWp/year produces significantly more electricity — and revenue — than an equally-sized project in Ohio with 1,200 kWh/kWp/year, even with identical capital costs.
For utility-scale projects, specific yield is a primary input to financial modeling alongside installed cost ($/W) and power purchase agreement price ($/kWh).
SolarScope calculates and displays specific yield for each project, allowing you to compare solar resource quality across multiple site locations.