Midwest winter weather can be hard on the roads, your car, and your body. However, is winter weather hard on your solar panels? Does the cold, snow, and ice affect your solar panels and their electricity production?
The short answer is yes. The cold, snow, and ice do affect your solar panels. But these effects can be both good and bad.
Snow: Snow can be both good and bad for solar panels. Accumulation of snow on solar panels can decrease electricity production because is blocks the sun from getting to the solar cells. Fortunately, most solar panels are at a steep enough angle that snow will soon slide off or melt.
However, snow can be beneficial to solar panels as well. Not only can snow clean solar panels as it melts, it can also reflect sun back onto the solar panels, increasing energy production.
Ice: Ice normally does not cause problems for solar panels. Since ice is clear, it does not block sunlight and allows solar panels to continue electricity production. A problem can arise if ice finds its way into crevices in the solar panels. Since water expands when it freezes, any water that finds its way into solar panels can cause damage. Fortunately, solar panels are designed to be waterproof and prevent any damage from ice.
It’s important to remember that your safety is of prime concern here at Tick Tock Energy. Do not attempt to clean solar panels on your own. There are too many factors that could lead to your injury, as we have written here.
The bottom line: Your safety is not worth the risk of losing a few days of electricity savings. You can always wait for the snow to melt or slip off the solar panels, or you can call a professional service to clean the snow off your solar panels.
If you have any other questions about solar energy, contact Tick Tock Energy here!