Solar energy is
in great quantity on earth. And experts believe that using solar energy will
play an integral role in solving the world’s energy problems. One of the best
options is to store solar energy through solar panels.
Solar panels store a fraction of the 173,000
terawatts of solar energy that sun delivers. That’s about 10,000 times more
than the total energy used in the world! Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels produce
the most energy per square meter when they receive direct sunlight.
But what happens when it’s cloudy?
Depending on the cloud formation, not all light
is blocked from entering the earth’s surface. Though sunlight is important in
solar panel output levels, other important factor is radiation. Solar radiation
is the key source of solar panels that
is used to convert to electricity, and will still cut through cloud layers.
Solar cells are made to capture a broad range of the solar light and will
continue to translate the sun’s energy into electricity during cloudy days.
When clouds block the sunlight, the solar panels will still produce clean
electricity. This is true even in the wintertime.
Read More: How do solar panels
work?
Solar panels harness both visible light and
infrared light in order to create usable electricity:
During the greyest days, visible light still gets
through rain and clouds. Since, sky isn’t completely black—it’s just several
shades darker, infrared light gets through easily because it has longer
wavelengths than the visible spectrum does. Therefore, we see distant galaxies
using infrared telescopes, despite all of the interstellar dust spanning the
many light-years in between.
Could adverse weather conditions damage solar panels?
Panels withstand virtually anything that weather
throw at them. So, wind, rain and even hail are unlikely to cause any damage.
Extremely large hailstones may cause damage, but these are rare and are just as
likely to damage your roof.
What happens to solar panels when it’s raining?
How about solar panels
performance in rainy days? The one big difference is that rain
is actually beneficial for your energy output! It washes and cleans the dust,
pollen and leaves off your panels. This helps in improving efficiency when the
sun shines again. Clean panels turn out the most electricity!
Although solar panel systems do not work for
every household, those with unshaded rooftops can benefit greatly from a solar energy system.
Not only you can produce sufficient electricity to power your own home, you can
also sell electricity back to the grid.
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