First of all, do solar panels even work during winter?
Have you been thinking about saving energy and planning to have the best renewable energy and thinking about how solar panel work even in winter. Perhaps the most common misconception about solar panels is that they don’t work during winter. Surprisingly, a cold temperature actually contributes to an improved solar panel output.
Believe it or not, solar panels are actually much more efficient in a cold temperature. Not everyone is aware that winter conditions improve the performance of solar. The photovoltaic (PV) technology which is found in solar panels surprisingly converts sunlight to power more easily when they are colder. Contrary to what people think, solar panels can still catch sunlight that reflects off the snow during winter season, adding to what the solar panels receive for the entire day. Sure, they cannot produce electricity when covered in snow but the panels can actually absorb the sun’s heat and light because they are actually mounted to face the sun in a sloped position.
Do solar panels work better on hot days?
Another misconception about solar panels is that they function better during the hottest days. Surprisingly, this isn’t true. It was actually the opposite. Perhaps the biggest enemy of solar panels is… the heat. Yes, you read that right. While it is easy to assume that the heat of the sun will improve the performance of solar panels because they generate more power, that is simply not true. In fact, solar panels produce less power because the solar panel gets so hot.
How can winter affect solar panels?
Problems involving snow and solar panels are just minimal. Listed below are some pointers you should know about the effects of a winter season if you are considering installing a solar panels on your house:
- All solar panels are created to carry a specific amount of weight which means that snow usually won’t be heavy enough to cause problems on your solar panels. After all, all solar panels are required to undergo pressure tests to test how durable they are in all weather conditions.
- In case you decide to purchase solar panels during the winter season and the next day, you find snow covering your solar panels, they won’t be able to produce power but it will be easy to clean them right off using the right equipment. Most solar panels are tilted at a specific angle which means that the snow will slide right off on its own but that might take up too much time. So one thing you can do is get a solar panel snow rake or any tool created to remove snow from solar panels which won’t damage them in the process.
- Winter months are actually really helpful for solar energy production, provided that your solar panels aren’t covered by snow. Imagine the electronics that you have at home or at the office, they are somewhat similar to solar panels because these electronics and equipment usually function better in cold conditions compared to hot conditions.
Is it time to go solar?
Now that you know that solar panels and winter weather work well together and that the winter weather produces electricity in the winter, think about it… winter is actually the best time to shop for solar panels! Solar panels can give you some serious savings. In fact most solar system users experience huge bill drops. Each month that you put off buying a solar panel system, you also lock yourself into electricity bills. Think about it- solar panel systems are not a new thing. They have been around for a long time and their effectiveness has been proven. According to the Clean Energy Council, there were over 1.15 million solar power systems installed in Australia during the end of 2015. So if you’re a homeowner wanting to switch to solar energy and in need of more convincing to purchase solar panels, it is best to contact a number of installers to get options in finding the perfect solar panel system depending on your needs.
The industrial world might be incredibly confusing for some people. If you want to know more about loads in solar panels such as load cells or the weighing industry in general, the dedicated engineers from Gedge Systems will be pleased to help you out.
GEDGE SYSTEMS
27 Rhur Street,
Dandenong South VIC 3175
Australian Contact (03) 9791 8944
International Contact +61 3 9791 8944
