A common question is whether solar panels work in winter and how much energy they can produce during the colder months.
One myth about solar panels is that they can only produce energy on sunny days. Whilst it’s correct that solar panels draw energy from the sun’s light, they also draw energy from the sun’s energy on cloudy and short winter days too.
Because solar panels respond to light, it does mean that solar panels will generate more electricity on the brightest and sunniest of days. However the grey low light of a gloomy winters day is still enough to generate electricity.
How much energy do solar panels generate in Winter?
According to the Energy Saving Trust, solar panels on average will generate around one fifth (20%) of their usual energy production in Winter months compared to Summer.
In some cases solar panels can actually produce more energy on colder days than on the hottest days as solar panel efficiency can drop a little bit in very high temperatures, so a cold, crisp, sunny winters morning may produce more energy than a balmy summers morning in some cases.
Does the weather affect solar panels efficiency?
- Snowy Days
Solar panels covered in snow will still generate small amounts of electricity as long as light is still getting through, however usually the UK snow doesn’t tend to last long and the residual heat in the solar panel should mean that any snow will quickly melt and slide off correctly mounted solar panels. - Cloudy Days
The improvements in solar panels over the past few years has dramatically improved how well they can generate electricity, even on the cloudiest of days. - Rainy Days
Rain can actually improve the efficiency of your solar panels as it will help remove dust or dirt that might be blocking light, meaning more light can get to the panel to generate electricity.
Contact us
Contact us today and one of our Renewable Energy specialists will come out to do a free assessment of your home to make a recommendation on the suitability and best type of solar PV system for your home.