Contrary to Popular Belief: Solar Panels Thrive in Winter Months

The regions around the world that typically have cold, cloudy climates are not ruling out solar. Solar is thriving in places with cloudy, cold weather like Germany, where solar energy makes up for more than a quarter of their total energy usage.  Here are some benefits of solar panels in the winter months:

Solar Panels In Colder Weather

Solar panels perform their best when the sun is bright and the air is cold. The sunlight is measured in watts per meter square and the brighter the sun the more power they produce. Like all electronic equipment the colder the temperature, the better the efficiency. The solar panels are converting photons not heat into electricity. 

Reflection of the Snow Helps to Offset Cloudy Skies: In areas where it snows, the snow scatters the light as light reflects off of the white surface. The reflections will work to help counteract the times when it is cloudy and gloomy. Plus some of the light wavelength that is nonvisible, passes through the clouds to help produce electricity. This all works in your favor with solar energy.

Snow Keeps Them Clean: When snow piles up on a solar panel, it quickly melts away and leaves a shiny, clean pane,l as the snow slides off the solar panel. A great tip is to face your solar panels south in order to get the most light and install them at an angle so that the snow or other soiling slide more easily off the panel when it rains or snows.

You would think that solar panels work better in hot weather during the summer, but excessive heat makes the panels less efficient.  During the summer months, there are longer days, so light shines on the panels for a longer period of time, which can make up for that loss in efficiency.

If you are interested in solar energy for your home, contact our team at New Day Solar at:  855-444-6329 or visit us online at:  www.newdaysolar.com. We have been installing solar systems since 1988 and will always give you honest answers to your solar questions.