With autumn just around the corner, many home and business owners who have recently had a solar system installed, may be wondering if their panels will continue to work throughout the winter months.
Fortunately, solar panels do continue to work during the colder months, and can even help you reduce your heating bills when temperatures drop. To understand more about solar systems and their functionality outside of summer, here is a brief guide:
Solar panels can still absorb energy on a cold day
Solar panels are designed to continue working, even on a cloudy day, because they collect energy from the sun’s light, and not the heat of higher, summer temperatures. This means that even on a cold, winters day, solar panels will still absorb energy, helping you to reduce what are typically higher heating bills at this time of year.
Solar output is less than in summer
It’s important to understand that while your solar panels will continue to work during the winter, they will perform at a much lower rate than they normally would in the summer. Here’s the science bit:
When the Earth rotates and is closer to the sun, the temperature outside is higher. This is why the northern and southern hemispheres have opposite weather conditions at different times of the year. During the winter, the Earth is farther away from the sun, reducing the strength of its rays and meaning less output for your solar panels. However, most homes and businesses with solar energy systems don’t notice a huge drop in performance during the winter months, making solar a wise investment for saving money on electricity bills, all year round.
Can ice and snow affect a solar system?
When your solar system is installed, an experienced technician will install them at an angle so that water and snow aren’t able to accumulate on them easily, ensuring that they can continue working throughout most winter weather conditions. Solar panels are also able to withstand extreme temperatures and heavy amounts of precipitation, so whatever the weather chooses to do, you should still be able to access clean, green energy for powering your home.
When your solar system is installed, an experienced technician will install them at an angle so that water and snow aren’t able to accumulate on them easily, ensuring that they can continue working throughout most winter weather conditions. Solar panels are also able to withstand extreme temperatures and heavy amounts of precipitation, so whatever the weather chooses to do, you should still be able to access clean, green energy for powering your home.
What about reduced daylight hours?
The reduction of daylight hours during the winter can affect a solar system, since they’re not exposed to sunlight for as long each day, and while this will impact your systems output, if you consider its performance over the course of the whole year – as in summer when the days are longer – you’ll be able to make up for any losses during winter, and balance everything out.
So, while your solar system will inevitably have a lower output during winter, it will still function and you’ll still have plenty of opportunities for saving money on your energy bills, and protecting the planet for future generations.
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