What Happens to Your Solar Panels in Winter?
With the days getting shorter and the weather getting colder, winter is almost here. If you’ve been thinking about getting solar for your home, understanding how your system will perform in cold weather will factor into your decision. What happens to solar panels in winter? Will you still get electricity for your home?
The short answer is yes, and we’ll get into some more detail to help you make the right decision.
Solar Panels Work Throughout the Colder Months of the Year
If you get solar panels on your roof, they’ll work throughout the winter in the years to come. Solar panels rely on light to work, so cold weather isn’t a problem. Solar panels in winter are more efficient in most cases because they benefit from the lower ambient temperatures.
There will be less daylight during the winter, so production won’t be as high as in the peak of summer, but you’ll still be able to generate a good amount of electricity to enjoy savings on your utility bill.
The only time that solar panels will shut down during the winter is if the snowfall is so heavy that it blocks any usable sunlight. This is rare. So, you could see some days of low production, but you should still get some electricity from your panels almost every day.
Solar panels are laminated with glass, which protects the cells. This glass also ensures that snow slides off the panels rather than build up. Even if your panels get coated after heavy snowfall, the snow will melt and dislodge without any intervention.
Net Metering Makes Solar Worthwhile at Any Time of Year
If production is lower for your solar panels in winter, does this mean that you won’t get your money’s worth from the investment?
No, because you’ll benefit from Net Metering.
Throughout the year, solar power generation will fluctuate. It will be at its peak during the warmer days with long sunshine hours. During some of the year, your system could routinely produce more electricity than you can consume. The excess will get sent out to the grid and this will spin your meter in reverse. Over time, the energy that you export will build up on your utility account. This is called Net Metering.
Even during the winter when production is lower, you can still save money with solar. The good days help to balance out the bad days. The most important thing is that your system should be designed to suit your home as well as the typical climate cycles in New York. That’s what makes it so important to choose an experienced solar installer.
New York Power Solutions is locally based and has connected more than 5,000 solar panel systems so far. We know how to engineer and install systems that ensure long-term savings. Solar panels in winter might produce less electricity, but this will be balanced by the fact that they work well throughout the rest of the year.
Get a Free Home Solar Estimate and Use New York State Solar Tax Credits for Financing
If you’re ready to learn more, you can get your free home solar estimate today. We can also help with financing for your system. We use a split-financing model where federal and New York State solar tax credits can be applied to an interest-free period. This initial period can be paid in full once you get your tax credits, and then you’ll move to a standard financing plan with a term that suits you.
Solar is one of the best investments for you to save money and generate a return over time. Solar panels in Winter are still better than buying all your electricity from the grid. Talk to the team at New York Power Solutions and start planning your switch to clean solar energy.
