Afternoon Shade On Solar Panels

Shade on your solar panels can come from several sources.

Afternoon shade on solar panels.

Many residential properties are situated in green spaces and constantly growing trees and foliage can encroach on solar panel setups. Where does solar panel shade come from. Perhaps most obviously trees near your solar array can cause shading issues. The use of half cut solar cells increases the available electric pathways in a solar panel making it more resistant to shade.

This is generally in the afternoon. However the shade gets there the result is the same as it restricts the flow of direct sunlight to your panels and limits the reliable operation of your system. Panels equipped with these devices experience fewer negative effects of solar panels in shaded areas and allow electricity to flow around any solar cells currently in the shade. Solar pv panels should ideally be in full sun from at least 9am to 3pm and are most effective if they can be positioned to operate longer when the household uses most power.

Diffuse shade from a soft source like a distant tree branch or cloud can significantly reduce the amount of light reaching a solar panel s cells. Shade is the enemy of solar. Now for the good news. Hard sources stop light from reaching solar cells such as debris or bird dropping sitting on top of the panel.

Not all solar panels are created equal and you can actually minimise the impacts of shading by choosing a better solar panel for your system. A visual explanation of how shading affects solar panels to help you understand exactly what is meant by partial shading and how it affects the power output of a solar panel check out this video from the alte store.