Afternoon Shade On Solar Panels

Because solar panels rarely provide power at their rated output it can make sense to have a panel capacity that is greater than the inverter capacity.

Afternoon shade on solar panels.

This article was originally published in 2012. There are a few things to keep in mind with trees. Many residential properties are situated in green spaces and constantly growing trees and foliage can encroach on solar panel setups. What are some strategies for dealing with potential shading of solar arrays.

Diffuse shade from a soft source like a distant tree branch or cloud can significantly reduce the amount of light reaching a solar panel s cells. Hard sources stop light from reaching solar cells such as debris or bird dropping sitting on top of the panel. Panels equipped with these devices experience fewer negative effects of solar panels in shaded areas and allow electricity to flow around any solar cells currently in the shade. Perhaps most obviously trees near your solar array can cause shading issues.

Trees can also prevent passive solar gains that can keep your heating energy use down in the winter. Thanks to this updated technology the amount of shade eclipsing the solar panel is now directly proportional to the amount of energy production the solar panel. Shade on your solar panels can come from several sources. Not all solar panels are created equal and you can actually minimise the impacts of shading by choosing a better solar panel for your system.

However the shade gets there the result is the same as it restricts the flow of direct sunlight to your panels and limits the reliable operation of your system. Just a little shade can affect a solar panel s power output dramatically. In fact a shadow cast on even just part of one solar panel in your solar array can potentially compromise the output of the whole system. Solar panels work best when there is no shade cast upon them.

They could shade your solar panels more in the colder months when the sun is at a lower angle especially if you live farther north. A visual explanation of how shading affects solar panels to help you understand exactly what is meant by partial shading and how it affects the power output of a solar panel check out this video from the alte store.