You’ve probably seen those grayish panels on the roofs of many homes in your neighborhood. You’re about to see a lot more. Rising electricity bills, power outages and a growing interest in reducing one’s carbon footprint, have all been reasons more homeowners are installing solar panels to generate their own renewable electricity.
In fact, the residential solar market saw its fifth consecutive record year in 2021, and increased 30% over 2020 with 4.2 GW installed, according to Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).
Solar panels can increase your home’s value too. They generate enough electricity to power all of your electrical appliances in your home and allow you to become less dependent on the grid. But how well do solar panels work in locations with more cloudy climates? And do they still work at night? The answers may surprise you.
How Do Solar Panels Work?
Solar panels can help reduce your carbon footprint and lower the cost of energy. The way solar panels work is that as the sun shines directly onto a solar panel, the sunlight’s energy is then taken in by the panel’s PV cells. That energy then sparks electrical charges that circulate due to an internal electrical field in the cell, which generates a flow of electricity. The more panels used, the more energy generated.
Do Solar Panels Work on Cloudy Days?
You don’t need direct sunlight for your solar panels to work. Even on a dark, cloudy day, hues reflected from the sky are being absorbed by solar panel cells to create power. But what does matter is the direction in which the solar panels are placed. Solar panels should not be placed where there is shade from trees or buildings and structures.
Do Solar Panels Work at Night?
Solar panels can still provide electricity to your house at night, but they cannot draw power in the nighttime. The more sciency explanation is the photovoltaic effect—when solar cells get activated from the sun—which is what causes the generation of electrical current. While they can’t draw power at night, they still work from stored energy.
