Walton, Bill. \”How does weather affect my solar power production?\” NRG Home Solar. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2017. Originally posted by NRG Home Solar ~
Snowy mountains solar panel picture cited from:
\”Contrary to popular belief, Mother Nature doesn’t play a huge role in solar production. Take a look below at how solar panels work in different weather scenarios.\”
\”Will solar panels produce energy when it’s cloudy?\”
\”Photovoltaic solar panels will produce energy on cloudy days and will produce significant energy through the clouds. Although it might seem counter-intuitive, consider that solar panels on a rooftop in foggy San Francisco produce nearly the same as the ones in nearby sunny Sacramento. Consider too that Germany leads the world in residential solar right now, and it is generally an overcast climate.\”
\”Will solar panels produce energy when it’s rainy?\”
\”As we just talked about, the cloudiness that comes from a rain shower doesn’t hinder solar production. Furthermore, think of rain as a free wash. Rain actually rinses away dirt that may have accumulated on the solar panels, which allows the solar panels to work more efficiently.\”
\”Will solar panels produce energy when it’s snowy?\”
\”Automatically, you may think that if snow covers the panels, you won’t generate energy. The snow’s life cycle on a solar panel is usually very short-lived. The panels’ dark surface will gather sun and actually help melt the snow, causing it to slide off the system’s glass surface. In an effort to not scratch or damage the panels, it is recommended to not shovel the snow off of your roof.\”