Snow on the roofs, on the sidewalk and on your car. The winter landscape looks beautiful. But snow on your solar panels can be annoying. Snow does not let light through, so the efficiency of your solar panels decreases. But is that something to worry about?
Alexander Plantenga, branch manager at Kemkens Solar in Oss, explains what happens to your solar panels in the winter: “In the winter, the yield of your solar panels is already very low, only two or three percent of your annual consumption. So it is not the case that you lose a lot of yield with one snowfall. You have to compare it with at night, when there is of course no sunlight.”
Better wait a while
There’s really nothing you can do about it, says Plantenga: “I wouldn’t recommend removing the snow yourself. Due to the slippery conditions, you can fall off your roof and cleaning your solar panels with a scraper, for example, can only cause damage. The snow will eventually fall off on its own, so my advice is just to wait a while.”
Cold and sun is the perfect combination
Your solar panels contain solar cells that work best in the cold. The combination of cold winter weather with a nice sun is perfect for the panels. You can use the app that comes with your solar panels to keep track of exactly how much energy they generate. Alexanders’ biggest tip? “Keep track of what you use with an app or a device such as the HomeWizard and do your laundry when the most solar energy is generated. This way you get the best out of your solar panels even in winter.”
Join the discussion: how are your solar panels doing this winter?
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