The number of solar panels installed worldwide increases substantially each year with advancements in technology, increasing environmental awareness, and decreasing costs. Solar is more accessible than ever, making it a more and more attractive energy option for businesses, residents, and utilities. However, as more solar panels are produced, the chances of them malfunctioning or underperforming increases as well. In this article, we’ll explain why your solar panels may be underperforming and the actions you can take to mitigate and monitor your risk.
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Heating and cooling degree days
Degree days are a way to measure how warm or cold a region is. When it comes to energy, knowing about the heating degree days or cooling degree days your location experiences can help you understand how much energy you might need to use for home climate systems. In this article, we take a look at both cooling degree days and heating degree days and their impact on your energy use, plus potential ways to shift your behavior based on the degree days in your region.
Continue readingDo solar panels work in the winter? Solar snow performance explained
Memories of cold, snowy winters past can be discouraging even for the hardiest homeowner. If you’re considering going solar, you might be wondering whether solar panels and snow are a bad combination. On the contrary, EnergySage marketplace data has indicated that solar shoppers can often find the lowest quotes during winter months when competition is reduced. After all, if you look at solar as an investment, then it should be able to generate returns throughout the year as other investments do. Luckily, plenty of people have both solar panels and snow, and some of the most popular regions in the U.S. for solar have snowy winters. Don’t let winter weather discourage you from going solar!
Continue readingHalf-cut solar cells: an overview
Solar technology is improving across all facets of the typical solar installation. In this article, we’ll discuss half-cut solar cells, a variation on standard silicon solar cells that can help improve solar panel performance.
Continue readingDo solar panels work in shade?
If the sun isn’t shining on your solar panels, they won’t be able to produce energy. When trees or other obstructions are shading solar panels, efficiency losses and reduced power generation may become problematic. In this article we will examine the effects of shade on solar panel production and efficiency.
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