Solar panels work on cloudy days

Solar power is so advanced these days that Germany, a country known for cloudy days, sets records every year with the amount of power generated through solar panels. The question is, how do clouds influence the performance of solar panels?

Clouds are just little drops of water or ice floating around together. It might cool the temperature down a little, but those clouds do not block the sun from getting to your solar panels. They just obscure it a little. Like I mentioned earlier, if that were the case, Germany, England, The Netherlands and even Seattle Washington would not be the solar hot spots, but they definitely are. Believe it or not, clouds do not completely block the rays of sunshine your solar panels need in order to function. Even on the cloudiest days, your solar panels will continue to generate electricity, albeit at a decreased rate.

Think of it this way, if it is bright enough outside for you to be able to see using natural light, and your panels are not obstructed by shade, your solar equipment is still absorbing all that indirect light filtering through the clouds.
 

How well do solar panels work? 

Solar panels generate the most electricity on clear days with abundant sunshine, not surprisingly, but do solar panels work in cloudy weather?

Yes… just not quite as well On a cloudy day, typical solar panels can produce about 25 percent of their rated capacity. The exact amount will vary depending on the density of the clouds, and may also vary by the type of solar panel; some kinds of panels are better at receiving diffuse light. SunPower solar cells, for example, have been designed to capture a broader range of the solar spectrum. By capturing more red and blue wavelengths, their solar panels can generate more electricity even when it’s overcast. There are advancements all the time too. Scientists are starting to figure out how to power solar cells with light as well as well as with drops of water, so the solar cell would work at full capacity during rainstorms.
 

Most light is still absorbed on cloudy days

Ultraviolet light also reaches the earth’s surface in abundance during cloudy days (if you’ve ever been at the beach when it’s cloudy and gotten a sunburn, you’ve experienced this firsthand). Some solar cells are in development that can capture UV rays, although these are not out on the market yet. Even with a standard solar panel on a cloudy day, though, you will be able to generate some power when it’s daylight. The same thing is true in foggy weather. If you live in a city with frequent fog, like San Francisco, you’ll still be able to generate electricity when the fog rolls in.

If you want to move into the future and join the solar revolution, or if you want to find out what solar panels are right for you, go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. You can see how much a system will cost, and how much you can save over the next 20 years.

For more information relating to going solar, don't forget to visit our solar blog section for more handy guides and articles.