Do Solar Panels Generate Enough Power on Cloudy Days?

Do Solar Panels Generate Enough Power on Cloudy Days?

It’s true that solar panels produce less energy on cloudy days than you might expect, but photovoltaic (PV) solar energy is still a popular and effective source of energy in cities like New York, San Francisco, and Seattle that experience a great deal of inclement weather.
Why?

The fact that clouds are not the impediment they seem to be is part of the solution. Many individuals believe solar panels perform optimally in regions with few or no clouds. That’s not quite true. Solar panels generate energy by converting direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC), which is the type of electricity typically used in homes. Cloudy days are estimated to reduce power output by 10 to 25% when compared to sunny days. The weather, however, is unpredictable. Clouds can sometimes make solar panels work better by reflecting or magnifying sunlight.

Moreover, even conventional solar panels generate energy when sunlight filters through a cloudy sky, but SunPower’s ultra-efficient panels shine brightest in such conditions. SunPower’s Maxeon® solar cell technology employs a one-of-a-kind design that captures a broader spectrum of sunlight to provide unprecedented efficiency — the highest of any available panels*.

SunPower utilises an ultra-pure form of silicon and a solid copper base to ensure that its solar panels continue to operate effectively even after prolonged exposure to wind, rain, snow, and other harsh weather conditions. In field testing spanning eight years and 800,000 panels at 264 locations, SunPower® solar panels demonstrated the industry’s lowest degradation rates and nearly four times the reliability of conventional panels. SunPower panels are backed by the SunPower Complete Confidence Panel Warranty, which is the best in the industry.

SunPower’s SunVaultTM storage system can provide backup power to your home in the event of extreme weather that knocks out the electrical grid. But even when the grid is working fine, SunVault lets homeowners store energy from the sun during the day and use it when they need to.

In addition to weather patterns and SunPower technology, economic factors help explain why people in cloudy regions favour solar power. The cost of electricity, not the amount of sunlight a region receives, is the primary factor in a region’s adoption of solar energy. Thus, many of the largest solar cities in the United States are notoriously cloudy locations. The same holds true for solar nations. Germany and South Korea, both of which get a lot of cold, snowy weather, are two of the countries that use solar energy the most.

Qualified solar installers are aware of how to design your system to minimise any shading issues, whether they are caused by clouds or nearby trees. We’ve established a robust dealer network with knowledge of your community’s climate and installation regulations to optimise the performance of your home’s PV solar system. This network consists of Master Dealers, an elite group of local installers.