Solar Panel Production Throughout the Year

Solar panel production varies throughout the year based on your location, climate, the direction that they face, etc. Whether you’ve already installed a solar system, or are considering it, knowing more about what impacts solar production is important. This knowledge can give you a better idea of what to expect and what size system you’ll need. There are many different factors that affect how much energy your solar system can produce. This is why it’s important to understand just how much electricity you’ll need to power your home or business. 

Factors that Affect Solar Panel Production

We want to highlight some of the main facts that will affect how much energy your solar panels produce. Here is some insight into what to expect:

1. The Season and Length of the Day

To no one’s surprise, summer is the season that sees the highest levels of solar panel production. This is due to it’s overabundance of sunny days, but also because of the length of the day. Your panels are exposed to sunlight longer than they would be in the winter. In May and June, we experience the longest days of the year, where it may still be light outside at almost 9 pm. This can give us around 15-16 hours of sunlight. During the colder winter months, the sun can set as early as 4:45 pm in the Carolinas. That doesn’t leave much time for sun exposure! You will notice a change in how much energy is being produced in the summer versus the winter. But despite the differences, solar panel production is still effective in winter months. 

2. The Weather in the Area

Not only does winter have shorter days, it also tends to have more cloudy, rainy days, too. This is pretty straightforward – if the sun isn’t out, your solar panel production will go down. While panels can absorb sunlight and produce energy on overcast days, it will be less than it would be on sunny days. 

In certain areas that receive lots of snow, it’s important that your panels are tilted. This is because there needs to be some way for the snow to slide off. If your system is constantly being covered by falling snow, solar panel production will suffer! If you have a flat roof, finding ways to brush snow off of the panels is crucial to maintaining efficiency. 

3. Your Location

Within the United States, the southwest receives the most sunlight, making it a prime location for solar panels. The southeast, western, and northeast regions of the country also receive ample sunlight throughout the year. This makes them great candidates for solar energy as well. If you live in the Pacific NorthWest, it could be more difficult to go solar. In this region of the country, people only see about 155 sunny days a year on average. If you’re looking to go solar but live in an area that doesn’t see as much sunlight as others, adding an energy storage system would help you to store any extra energy to use for rainy days. 

4. The Direction the Panels Face

In the United States, south facing roofs are best for solar panel production, as they are always facing the sun. However, regardless of the direction in which you roof faces, panels can be outfitted or tilted to optimize their position. For those whose roofs are continually blocked by large trees, installing ground-mounted solar arrays may be a better option. With ground-mounts you can place the solar panels wherever there is room on the ground providing the most sunlight. 

5. The Size of Your Solar System

The size of your system will obviously affect your solar panel production – the more panels you have, the more sunlight they can absorb and convert into usable electricity. For example, if you only have one or two panels, you’ll be able to power some appliances throughout your home, but it won’t offset your utility bill drastically. If you find that your system isn’t meeting your energy needs or powering your home in the way you need it to, you should consider adding more panels

Servicing Your Solar System with Sun Service Specialists

At Sun Service Specialists, we strive to make sure each and every solar customer is maximizing their solar investment, so understanding the factors that affect solar panel production is important to us. 

For those interested in expanding or servicing their existing solar systems, we offer financing options so that homeowners are able to utilize our services based on their financial needs. Solar is for everyone – we want to allow you to pay in a way that works for you. Through our services, you can be sure that your solar system will be operating at peak efficiency all year round. If you’re ready to improve your solar panel production, contact us today!