How Functional is Solar During the Rainy Season?

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Getting a solar home system installed is an amazing investment that will guarantee any householder comfort and 24 hours electricity. But after installation, you may begin to wonder if you will still get the maximum energy you need when the rains come. Is it still possible to get energy when it rains or when the weather is cloudy?

Fact:

Solar home systems are designed to work on sunny, cloudy and even rainy days!

How do we know?

solar home system has solar panels as part of its major component.

Solar panels are made up of Photovoltaic cells that use direct (majorly) or indirect( infrared & diffused) sunlight to generate power.

Photovoltaic cells are built to work under a much wider spectrum of visible, infra-red as well as ultraviolet wavelengths. This makes them less sensitive to the unavailability of direct sunlight.

Hence on cloudy days, solar panels can produce electricity from both visible light and infrared light. The rain doesn’t make the atmosphere completely black. There will always be visible light even during the harshest weather conditions and it will penetrate through clouds and rain.

Infrared light is even more effective in reaching your solar panels because it has longer wavelengths than the visible spectrum does.

Diffused Light from the sun bounces off the ground and tall buildings. It collides with clouds, dust, and haze. It also reflects shiny or light-colored surfaces such as snow and bodies of water. These are all diffused light that your solar panels will absorb during the rainy season.

During this season, solar power production may be reduced but will not come to a halt. Although diffused or reflected light is less intense than direct sunlight, it still helps your photovoltaic system produce electricity

Do the rains help when they come?

Rains are actually good for your solar panels. They wash away dust, bird droppings, pollen grains off your lighting system – which in-turn keeps your photovoltaic panels clear of dirt and debris and helps your solar panels to operate and get energy more efficiently.

How can electricity generation be further improved in rainy seasons?

Proper positioning of your solar panels ensures that it will absorb as much energy as possible. Check if there are trees or buildings blocking the sun rays from reaching your solar panel. There should be no shadow anywhere on your panels.

If you wish to know more about Solar Home System and what it takes to own one, click here