As more and more homeowners consider solar energy for their homes, a common question many ask is "Do solar panels work on cloudy and night?" Or "Does my solar system need direct sunlight to function?"
These are common questions and the answer is yes, solar panels work on cloudy days because they can generate electricity from the light passing through the clouds. However, solar panels do not generate electricity at night.
The amount of electricity generated depends on how cloudy it is and the efficiency of your solar panels.
How Solar Panels Work on Cloudy Days
Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels can generate electricity using direct and indirect sunlight. This means that they can be productive even when they have cloud coverage. That is, solar panels are most efficient and productive when exposed to direct sunlight on sunny days.
When solar panels operate when the light is reflected and the clouds are partially obstructed, their energy production capacity decreases. On days with heavy cloud coverage, solar panels generate 10 to 25% of their normal power output.
It usually rains with clouds, and here's a fact that may surprise you: Rain helps solar panels work more efficiently. Rainwater washes away the dirt and dust that has accumulated on your panels, so they can absorb sunlight more efficiently.
Do solar panels work at night?
The answer is no. As we mentioned earlier, solar panels need light to generate energy - preferably sunlight. Although they can generate some energy from other light sources such as street lights and even the moon, the output is very low. For this reason, solar panels go into sleep mode at night, which means they become inoperable and stop generating electricity.
So how do homes with solar panels get electricity at night?
As mentioned above, solar panels do not generate electricity at night. But when the sun goes down during the day, they generate extra electricity. To balance things and run electricity after dark, solar consumers use solar battery banks or net meters to store energy.
Solar battery storage
The concept behind solar energy storage is simple. Most solar systems are deliberately designed to generate more electricity than your home needs during the day. Solar battery storage, such as the Tesla, stores the extra power generated during the day.
At night, when your solar panels are in sleep mode, the energy stored by the battery system can be used to power your home. Some houses with his setup are even able to operate off grid, which means it is completely free from utility;
Net Metering - This is similar to using a grid for storage
If you do not have storage in your solar panel system, you can use extra solar energy at night as well. How? By net metering! With net metering, you have no physical energy storage in your home. Instead, the extra electricity your solar panels generate during the day is exported to the utility grid. You get credit for this power that accumulates in your account.
Then, at night - or at any other time you use electricity from the grid - you can use your credits to cover the cost of energy. In other words, net metering allows you to store the economic value of the extra electricity you generate, which can be used to reduce or completely eliminate your electricity bills. Net metering makes solar a very good deal.
