Cold Weather Solar Panels

Plus the more energy efficient a home is the fewer solar panels may be needed.

Cold weather solar panels.

With the recent pineapple express storm pounding california with more rain and more extreme weather than usual homeowners might be left wondering about the effect of weather on solar panels. Solar panels actually produce more electricity in cold temperatures homeowners with solar in snow states actually benefit from their panels increased productivity. However it can present a problem because most renewable energy systems have the shortest days i e. In both cases pv production is lower due to the reduced number of sun hours and the loads in the house are often higher due to active heating.

How solar panels work without sun. Solar panels supply dependable electricity to homes in cold climates extreme weather and outages. Here s what you need to know about how solar panels work and how weather may affect them. Finally in a truly resilient home batteries can store solar power even if winter weather may have gotten the best of you.

While solar panels work best in direct sunlight they still produce energy during the cold and cloudy days. The cold weather problem is compounded with deep cycle batteries used for solar storage because cold weather usually coincides with storms or the shorter days of winter. In fact solar panels seem to perform even better in colder climates. Of course the output won t be as high as during those summer months where direct light is more frequent and extended but you can still make your solar panels work for you even in the coldest of winter months.

Lowest solar production and highest loads during the winter when capacity is lower. Solar or pv cells work by converting sunlight directly into electricity. 1 cold weather prevents solar panels from heating up. As temperature decreases the efficiency of the modules actually increases because the material properties in the panels operate more effectively.

Let s review how cold weather can contribute towards the performance of solar panels. With cold weather blasting in early this year images of snowdrifts and downed power lines are in the news. Tackling weather related challenges is one reason why the sunshot initiative funds regional test centers where solar panel performance can be time tested in widely varying climates. Common battery storage solutions such as tin shelters refrigerators or homemade boxes offer little protection from cold winter temperatures.

Researchers at the test centers have shown that solar can still successfully generate electricity in snowy areas and other harsh environments.