Do You Need Direct Sunlight For Solar Panels To Work

You then express that in terms of the equivalent number of hours with 1000 w m 2.

Do you need direct sunlight for solar panels to work. Solar panels use daylight energy to generate electricity so panels do not need direct sunlight to work. That means that just like on a cloudy day at the beach when you get a worse sunburn daylight is the source of solar energy. Depending on where you live and the amount of sunlight you get throughout the year you may choose to either store your lights for some part of the year or strategically place them so that they receive the maximum amount of sunlight. Well the reason is that the photons in natural daylight get converted into electricity by solar panels.

Heat isn t a factor in how much electricity pv solar panels can generate either so a cool spring day can be as productive if not more than a hot. Heat has no effect on the production of electricity. Do solar panels need direct sunlight to work. Solar panels use the energy from daylight not necessarily direct sunlight to produce the energy that they then convert into useable electricity.

It is photons in natural daylight which is converted by solar panel cells to produce electricity. Instead you need to add the total amount of solar irradiance received by the location. The matter of fact is solar panels use daylight energy to produce electricity and they do not need direct sunlight to work. For example solar panels are approximately 40 percent as effective on a cloudy day as they are on a sunny day.

So while direct sunlight provides the best conditions for solar lights and panels to produce electricity the cells also work in all daylight conditions although at reduced efficiency. Amorphous panels will work best in shady or cloudy conditions but will not compete with monocrystalline or polycrystalline panels will when the sun comes out. However when calculating the total amount of peak sun hours received at any location you don t just consider hours with 1000 w m 2 of solar radiation. All solar panels will perform better in open south facing locations that get direct sunlight.

A surprising answer isn t it.