You have made the decision to have solar panels installed on your roof. The winter months have arrived and there is a chance of snow, or it has actually snowed. We understand that you are wondering, “Do solar panels work when there is snow on them? To address your questions and concerns, in this blog we will answer whether snow can decrease the productivity of solar panels and whether snow can be harmful to the solar panels you have installed on your roof.
Effects of snow on solar panels
As you probably already know, solar panels work on the basis of sunlight. Based on sunlight, energy can be generated. In the summer months, we obviously have a lot more sunlight hours in which to generate energy. In the winter months we have a lot fewer sunlight hours at our disposal, which makes sense because the days are shorter in winter as well. This means that the total solar energy generated in winter is slightly lower.
When there is snow on the solar panels, a lower efficiency can be ensured. This is because snow on solar panels causes less to no sun to shine on the panels. As a result, much less energy is released. Using the monitoring app of the panels, however, you can always keep an eye on how much energy is being generated by the solar panels. Should the snow on the solar panels really start to cause numbers that you are not comfortable with, you can always contact us to get questions answered. We are happy to advise you on your situation if there is snow on your solar panels and the output has dropped.
Removing snow on solar panels
Does snow stay on solar panels? If you have snow on your solar panels, in most cases we suggest not taking immediate action. Usually the snow will slide off the solar panels by itself, so it will not affect your energy production. However, if it should happen that the snow stays around a bit longer, you could choose to have the panels swept clean. However, we do not recommend this. There are many risks involved in the removal of snow on your roof while there is only a small chance that your energy production will be lost due to snow on the solar panels.
If you do want to remove snow from your roof, we recommend that you do so only if you want to remove snow from a flat roof. In that case, make sure that you can safely get on and off the roof. You can use a soft brush to clear the solar panels of snow. Using hard objects such as scrapers is strongly discouraged because you can damage the solar panels this way.
Does snow melt on solar panels?
So the snow that stays on the solar panels could cause them to generate less energy. Therefore, what people often wonder is whether snow melts on solar panels. It doesn’t. This is because solar panels themselves do not emit much heat which would cause snow to melt on solar panels. Solar panels primarily absorb heat. If you have a fear that snow would damage your solar panels, we can reassure you. In fact, that is not likely to happen.
If you have further questions regarding snow on solar panels? Then feel free to contact us via the website or give us a call. For more information about solar panels and shade, you can read our other blog. We are happy to answer your questions and help you as well. Even if you suffer from bird nests under your solar panels in the summer!
