How Solar Systems Perform During Extended Cloudy Periods
Do solar panels work on cloudy days? We understand why our East Washington and North Idaho customers have this concern. Our solar installation experts will explain how solar panels perform during extended cloudy periods of cloud cover, and how they outshine expectations amid Pacific Northwest weather patterns.
How does cloudy weather impact solar energy production?
Solar panels work without direct sunlight, but output decreases to varying degrees depending on cloud formation.
Other factors affecting solar panel performance on cloudy days
Day length, temperature, and solar panel installation techniques and technology also impact how much energy your system can produce in overcast conditions.
Tips for optimal solar power management in overcast conditions
Installing solar battery storage or taking advantage of net metering programs lets you use energy generated on longer, sunnier days to your advantage.
Impact of Cloud Cover on Solar Panels
Residential solar panels can still absorb sunlight, even on overcast days. Unlike direct sunlight, diffuse sunlight filtering through clouds reduces power production, but your system still generates energy. How much power do solar panels produce on cloudy days? Solar energy generation in overcast conditions depends on cloud thickness and type, with thin, high cirrus clouds allowing more sunlight to penetrate than storm-producing cumulus clouds, with stratus clouds falling in between. Overall, you can expect 50-80% of peak power output in partly cloudy conditions, or 10-30% on heavily overcast days.
Other Factors Affecting Solar Panel Performance in Overcast Weather
Though homes in East Washington and North Idaho enjoy about 260 days of sunshine annually, like many parts of California and Arizona, solar energy production is highly seasonal. You will typically generate twice as much energy during longer spring and summer days than during shorter, cloudier fall and winter days. The Pacific Northwest’s cooler weather also improves performance, reducing electrical resistance. Most important to maximizing production, however, is solar panel installation and technology.
Thoughtful design, including the right number of panels, placement, and tilt angle for your property’s unique characteristics, ensures optimal sunlight capture. Microcrystalline solar panels, such as Talesun tier-1 models, allow for better performance in low-light conditions. Dual-sided, or bifacial panels boost sunlight absorption even more, capturing indirect light (albedo effect) reflected off surrounding surfaces and the scattered, intense light of cloud breaks (edge-of-cloud effect). This technology improves energy production in cloudy conditions by 10-30%, ensuring your system makes the most of every drop of sunshine.
Tips for Optimal Solar Power Management in Cloudy Conditions
Fluctuations in energy production due to weather changes are a normal part of solar energy system operation. Fortunately, there are ways to use the excess energy your system generates during longer days and sunny hours to your advantage on lower production days:
Store it
Add a solar battery backup storage system to store unused solar power for cloudy days, at night, and during power outages, so you don’t have to rely on the grid.
Save it
Take advantage of your utility’s net metering program to bank credits and save money on the cost of utility power you use on cloudy, rainy, or snowy days.
Achieve Maximum Energy Production in Any Weather
Leave worries about how solar panels perform during extended cloudy periods with professional solar energy system design and installation from the experts at PacWest Solar. Contact us at 509-929-2728 to schedule an obligation-free consultation for residential solar installation in Kootenai County (Athol, Coeur d’Alene, Dalton Gardens, Fernan Lake Village, Harrison, Hayden Lake, Huetter, and Post Falls), Spokane County (Airway Heights, Cheney, Deer Park, Liberty Lake, Medical Lake, Millwood, Spangle, and Spokane), or Pullman today.