Will solar panels work in winter? Will they be able to generate the needed electricity? The answer is, Yes, they will work. One wrong misconception is that solar panels rely on the sun’s rays and not on the temperature or warmth. Even during the winter season, there are enough sun rays to allow for the generation of electricity, provided that the solar panels are not covered in snow. Keep the surface of the solar panels free from snow and you are good to go. They will work, but the output will be low because the days are shorter in winter with nights being longer. The winter, cool climates are good for solar panels as they won’t overheat and would always remain at the optimum temperature, thus increasing their already long lifespan even more.
The lesser the temperature, the more efficient the photovoltaic technology, and not only that snow is known to reflect most of the sunlight, and having snow around the solar panels helps a lot.
Taking care of Solar Panels In Winter
1. Keep the Surface Open
By open we mean free, the solar panels should not be covered in snow, if they are they could be able to procure the needed energy, and if it is a system that runs on a central inverter then the current generated would be zero as shading in a central inverter would lead to the amount of current generated from any solar panels in the system.
2. Be Careful
You have to be careful when it comes to cleaning the solar panel, be it winter or any other season. The surface of the solar panels is very light and contains various films that can get scratched if you are not careful. When removing the snow make sure whatever tool you are using doesn’t make contact with the solar panel surface, if so it would leave a scratch or even cause it to crack, making you change it in the end. Remove the heavy chunks of snow with the tool and the remaining with your hand itself, after removing the majority of them, you could use a non-abrasive cloth and wipe the rest off.
3. Angle It
During the winter lot of clouds can cause a lot of shading, which is a nightmare for those running a central inverter system, and for those running power optimizers and microinverters, it is not a problem. For those on central inverters angle the solar panels, as most of them can be moved up to a certain angle, move them till all the available sunlight falls on it and the shading is removed, to make sure that you won’t run of current at night or in emergencies.
Conclusion
Solar panels and solar energy is something that works all year long, irrespective of the weather conditions. Even a small amount of sunlight is enough to produce the needed current, only those people with central inverters would face issues, but not for a long time, just angle the solar panels and you are good to go. Make sure to clean and remove the excess snow from the surface. Having good quality solar panels in the first place would be helpful, as the more the build quality, the more efficient the photovoltaic cells and the system would be overall. Care should be taken when cleaning the snow off the surface as not to damage the solar panels’ surface, as having scratches or cracks will affect the efficiency of the system. For more information it is advisable to contact your installation team, professional advice will help you to reduce the damage. While cleaning the solar panels be safe as not to hurt anyone else with the large amount of snow that is to be removed, make sure the area is clear.
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