How Does Weather Affect My Solar Panels?

Solar energy is the future. It’s sustainable, cheap, and has the potential to get even better with advances in technology. However, there’s a lot of misinformation out there about it, too. Often people dismiss solar energy by questioning the effectiveness during times of inclimate weather. We’ll explain the true ways weather can impact your solar system, so you understand what you’re getting yourself into.

Solar Panels on Cloudy Days

Photovoltaic solar panels generate energy from sunlight. Often people wonder, what happens when the sun isn’t shining, such as during a cloudy day. It may surprise you to hear that this honestly doesn’t have much an effect on the productivity of your system. There is certainly a small drop in efficiency in thick cloud or fog, but it’s fairly negligible. In fact, even in some of the cloudiest, foggiest cities in the U.S., like San Francisco, there is still more than enough sunlight that gets through to power the average home.

Solar Panels During Stormy Conditions

If you’re wondering about weather damaging your system, don’t worry. Solar panels are very durable and can actually protect the roofs they’re installed on. Here are some common weather conditions and how they impact your solar panels.

• Wind: Solar panels are engineered to withstand high gusts of even 90 miles per hour. Your panels won’t get blown off your roof unless the winds are powerful enough to blow the roof off your house.

• Rain: Solar panels have no moving parts. That means rain and water don’t really pose a threat. In fact, rain can effectively wash off any dirt or dust that has accumulated on your panels!

• Lightning: If you’re worried about lightning, there are precautions that can be taken to protect your system. Your panels are designed to be grounded so that lightning will dissipate into the ground should it strike your solar system.

• Snow: It hasn’t snowed in Fresno since 1998, but even if you brought snow back and threw it on your system it won’t cause a problem.

Energy Concepts can handle all of your solar needs. If you’re interested in solar, give us a call at (559) 485-2504 or fill out an online contact form!