What Happens To The Solar Power Panels When It Is Cloudy?

September 12, 2018

It is to no surprise that solar power panel system work great when the sky is blue and sunny, as light equals power. As a result, the more energy will get produced when solar panel racking systems receives direct rays of the sun. So when the sky is clear, and sunny the contribution towards your system works at peak capacity. However, the production of the solar power system will be much lower than average when the day covered with a thick cloud.

So the question that arises in the mind of individuals who have installed solar panels or are planning to have one is that what does solar panels do at night, and when the sky is cloudy or covered in the shade, what exactly happens to the solar panels racking systems? Do they stop generating power at night?

Well, the answer to this is ‘No,’ as these solar power panels do not stop generating power at night. The panels do allow significant energy generation even though clouds and shade do impact solar energy generation. To create green energy Solar Photovoltaic (PV) racking systems uses the rays of the sun. When the sun makes its daily round across the globe to provide other areas with sunlight, solar power panels at night time go into sleep mode. Out of four seasons, these solar panel racking systems work best during the summer season as the availability of the sun is for a more extended period.

Before we see how solar PV modules handle shading issues, let us first look at cloudy skies or clear sky.

Solar power panels on cloudy days

On dark days, the efficiency of solar panels decreases due to insufficient sunlight passing through the clouds to reach your rooftop solar PV system at the hour of darkness. But, this does not mean that there is zero power production; instead the energy produced is less in comparison to those in the sunny days. Therefore to provide optimal performance maximum sunlight is much needed and this is much applicable to those areas or properties that have a lot of obstruction from things such as trees and other buildings.

So in this case, if trees are causing hindrance, then the best option is to get them trim down for receiving a sufficient amount of sunlight on your solar power panels. Subsequently, it is much advisable to choose the best solar energy installer, who will not only give you a full analysis of your situation but also let you know how much energy can draw with considerations like orientations or obstructions. Apart from this, having a best solar installer provides you with the most excellent designs that will give you maximum output.

A solar panel racking system can generate around 10 percent to 15 percent of maximum energy when the clouds have struck the day. Having a glance at countries like the USA, United Kingdom, and Germany, which lack ideal year-round sun exposure in most of the areas have still become the global leaders in installed solar capacity per capita.

SaveGeo, a growing integrated Solar EPC Solutions Provider, based in India provides high quality solar photovoltaic solutions to its global clients. Harnessing the power of solar energy, we offer efficient, state-of-the-art rooftop solutions to help organizations and homeowners reduce their carbon footprint in a cost-effective and eco-friendly manner.