Few of us are probably thrilled by theincreasingly hot summersinduced by climate change.
But all that sunshine is at least good for solar power, right?
Well, not necessarily.
Plus, there are some maintenance issues to be aware of during the summer months.
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Do solar panels work better in the summer?
“Solar is less efficientwhen it gets hot,” Collardson says.
“While the sun is great, the heat … does cause a drop in performance.”
It’s similar to any kind of electronic equipment.
You probably know that computers run best in cool environments.
Solar equipment is the same way.
“The best solar day is a cold, sunny day,” says Collardson.
The summer weather isn’t all bad for solar panels.
But, of course, solar panels have to perform at a whole range of temperatures.
The temperature coefficient is a data point that tells you how that temperature change will affect performance.
Basically, with each increase in degree, the performance will deviate from the mean.
The temperature coefficient is the rate, or speed, that the efficiency changes as the temperature changes.
Different solar panels will have different temperature coefficients, meaning they will be affected differently by the heat.
Summer, however, isn’t the only time to be thinking aboutsolar maintenance.
It’s often an overlooked part of owning a solar system year-round.
