Do Solar Panels Work in the Cold Winter? 

Many people feel reluctant about installing solar panels during the winter months, as they worry about the efficiency of their system versus the temperature.  

But unexpectedly, solar panels produce much better in cooler weather than in high temperatures. In this article, we discuss two surprising points about solar panels in winter.  

Sunlight versus Sun heat 

The misconception about solar panels is that they require constant heat to generate electricity. However, the weather does NOT need to be warm at all. 

Solar panels are built to convert SUNLIGHT into electricity. When the sun’s rays shine on your solar panels, the PV cells from your solar panels absorb the sunlight’s energy which is then created into electricity.  

Therefore, if there is sunlight, your solar system will continue to produce electricity, even on cloudy days.  

Improved Energy Production 

The temperature has a major effect on the solar system’s production when it comes to converting solar energy into electricity.  

In fact, solar systems are more efficient during colder climates than when it’s “extremely hot”.  

When the temperature is cooler, electrons are at rest. Once activated by the sunlight, they would produce more voltage which would create more energy.  

Conversely, high temperatures will have a negative impact on your solar system. When fully exposed to “extreme heat”, the current will increase while the voltage will decrease. As the voltage decreases faster than the current increases, that will lower the efficiency of your solar system.