For photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into usable electricity for your home, you need sun. Fortunately, there’s plenty of that here in Arizona. But what happens at night and on cloudy days? This is a question, we’re asked a lot.
During the Darkness of Night
At night, solar panels go into standby mode, and power needs to be pulled from one of two sources. Power can be switched to be drawn from the utility grid, or it can be drawn from a battery bank that stores energy throughout the day in order to be used at night. Both options are convenient. But, in the case of the battery bank, you’ll also have a source of power if there is a blackout. At Cool Bew Solar, we’re here to analyze your situation and provide you with the best solutions to optimize solar energy and save money.
And on Cloudy Days
Like during the dark hours of night, solar pane efficiency drops on cloudy days because sunlight can’t pass through the clouds to reach your solar roof. However, this doesn’t mean there is no power being produced. Rather, it’s reduced, similar to if you have panel obstructions like trees and other buildings that prevent complete absorption of the sun’s rays.
On a cloudy day, solar panels will typically produce 10 to 25 percent of their capacity. Thus, the Phoenix area is one of the top-rated places to go solar. With an average of more than 300 sunny days each year, most homeowners obtain more than enough power from their solar panels. And on those rare gloomy days, clouds can sometimes improve panel performance by magnifying sunlight, resulting in additional power output.
Where Solar Performs Best
Professional planning is essential when considering a solar installation. Contact the solar experts at Cool Blew Solar to find out what you may be able to generate up on your roof whether it’s a sunny or cloudy day. You may be surprised by how much you can save! Call us today.
