Do solar panels work when it’s cloudy?

One of the questions that pops up for potential solar customers is whether the sun needs to be out for solar energy to be generated and whether solar panels are able to work if it’s cloudy. The simple answer is, yes, solar panels can generate solar energy in any daylight, but it’s true that a sunny day certainly helps. Solar energy generation is going to be significantly higher in summer compared to winter, but not always for the reasons you might think.

For example, it’s nothing to do with the temperature of a day, as the heat doesn’t factor in to the solar panels ability to generate solar energy. The big factors are related to direct sunlight access, so the less cloud coverage the better, and - most importantly - the number of daylight hours.

These factors are obviously much more present on the average summer day in the UK than the average winter day, so your generation levels will go up and down, but the most important factor in maximising your solar energy usage is being able to store it for when you need it.

Benefiting from solar come rain or shine The real secret to making the most of solar energy in any weather is a solar battery, which you can use to store the solar energy generated during the day in order to put it towards powering your home in the evening and even overnight. The leading solar suppliers will be able to provide you with solar panel and solar battery bundle packages, or some will allow you to simply purchase a solar battery to add to existing solar panels. Another benefit of the addition of a solar battery is that the battery can also charge from cheaper energy offered by time-of-use tariffs. This is of particular benefit during the winter months with less daylight hours, as it means you can continue to power your home from the cleanest and cheapest sources of energy on any given day. In the past, the cost of installing solar panels may have been too high for the average UK household. With technology improving, and the savings offered by solar storage, we have seen an increase in the number of homeowners taking the plunge. Not only that, but solar energy systems can significantly reduce your carbon footprint, which is another growing concern for many. 

How much do you save with solar?

With a 25-year guarantee on solar panels and 10-year warranty on many solar batteries, this is a long-term solution that allows the benefit of your daytime solar panel intake to be made use of whenever suits you best. Many solar panels and solar battery customers experience up to 50% savings on energy bills on average, beginning from the day of installation.

Over the course of a year, overall savings can be between £400 and £800 depending on which system size you install, giving you a real financial incentive to join the green energy revolution!