Solar panels are a burgeoning source of reliable, clean energy. Implemented across the country, many local governments are even offering solar rebates to participating businesses and households. While solar panels have cemented themselves as a lucrative and responsible source of energy, if you live in the Northern US, in a cloudy climate, you may wonder if it’s actually worth it to install solar panels.
At Green Commercial Systems, we get asked questions all the time, one of the biggest being “do solar panels work on cloudy days?” While sunshine is vital to the success of your solar panels, many systems have specific characteristics put in place to account for cloudy days. If you live or operate a business in the Northern US and are interested in solar panel installation, consider the following information when making the shift to clean energy.
Before we answer “do solar panels work on cloudy days?” let’s address the key benefits of solar panels. First, they can instantly increase your property value. As a highly valued resource, solar panels are attractive to any potential buyers.
Second, they have lower overall operating costs. Solar panels continue to provide long-term value in the form of lower energy bills. Since these properties can generate their own electricity using solar energy, they become less reliant on the municipal power grid—leading to a sizable reduction in monthly electric bills—which can be especially large for commercial properties.
Third, you can take advantage of government incentives and net-metering. If your panels produce more energy than your business actually needs to consume, you can sell it back to your local electric company in a process known as net-metering. In addition to net-metering many local governments offer incentives for businesses interested in solar panel installation. Currently, the federal government offers a solar energy tax credit to those installing solar panels as a business or individual. Currently, this tax credit amounts to 30% of the overall cost of the installation. This credit is valid from 2022-2032 and will begin decreasing in 4% chunks—being reduced to 26% in 2033 and 22% in 2034. The credit is set to expire in 2035 unless congress renews it—so it's best to take part while you can!
The short answer to that question is, yes, solar panels do work on cloudy days. However, they are not as effective as they would be on a sunny day. You can expect your solar panels to produce 10-25% of their normal power output on a cloudy day, depending on how thick the cloud cover is.
While this statistic may seem low, your panels will still effectively supplement your energy supply at this rate and lower your monthly energy bill. Additionally, there are a few ways to make your solar panel system work for you and your climate. And don’t worry about inclement weather, rain is actually your best friend when it comes to keeping your solar panels clean.
The best way to install a solar panel system when you live in a cloudy climate, is to have a reliable solar panel company develop and install a personalized solar panel system for your commercial property. To compensate for a lack of regular sunlight in the cloudy months, your solar tech can install larger solar panels that are more sensitive to light, as well as install more of them. Regardless of the climate you live in, solar panels are a valuable addition to any commercial property. Don’t let the uninformed answers to “do solar panels work on cloudy days?” stop you from upgrading your commercial property.
Reach out to the reliable team at Green Commercial Systems to get a quote and set up an installation plan today!
