Solar in the Winter
Happy December everyone! Now that the weather is finally cooling down and we might have some snow on the horizon, here is some info about maintaining your solar panels through the winter.
First off, it is important to remember that solar panels use the sun’s solar radiation, or the sun’s rays, to excite electrons in the solar cells and produce a current (which turns into your electricity. So, as long as there is sunshine, your solar panels will still produce electricity (even in colder temperatures)! Only when something is blocking the panels, like shade or snow, will they stop producing solar energy.
In fact, solar panels are actually more efficient at cooler temperatures to an extent. Panels begin to lose efficiency at temperatures above 77 degrees. No need to worry about that right now!
What about the snow?
Light snow is not an issue for your solar panels. Since solar panels are dark in color, they absorb more sunlight and heat up quicker, which will quickly melt off a light snow, if the wind hasn’t already blown it away. If there is a heavy snowfall, the snow may block your solar panels for a few hours or even a day or two. However, since most roofs are on an angle, the snow will eventually slide off. So – there is no need to worry about cleaning snow off your solar panels yourself.
