How can you get the most from your solar panels this winter?
This article looks into how effective solar panels are in the winter, and what you can do to get the most out of your solar panels at this time of year.
How effective are solar panels in the winter?
Solar panels work by reacting to the visible light spectrum. This means, if it’s light enough to see, it’s light enough to generate some electricity.
Late spring and summer in the UK brings around 14 hours of daylight every day, with strong overhead sunshine and fewer overcast days. It’s when households with solar panels see the biggest savings on their energy bills and are exporting the most back to the grid too.
In the winter, we have fewer hours of daylight, and the sun is lower in the sky. We get more overcast days and we may even get some snow. Electricity generation from your solar panels in the winter months might be around 25-35% of the power you would expect to generate in the summer months.
How can I get the most from my solar panels in winter?
Schedule your appliances
If you already have solar panels, you will know that you need to use the electricity in your home as it is being generated, otherwise it will feed into the national grid. The winter gives you a shorter window where solar panels are generating electricity, so you need to make the most out of this time by scheduling your appliances to run in the middle of the day, or when the light levels are greatest.
Washing machines and dishwashers are easy enough to schedule while you are out. If you are at home, you could also consider batch cooking in your electric oven or using a slow cooker to make your evening meal.
Keep your solar panels clean
We recommend regularly cleaning your solar panels to keep them clear of dust, dirt and debris, which can reduce the amount of sunlight reaching them.
If you can access your solar array safely – for example, if your panels are at ground level – you may be able to clean them yourself, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Use low-pressure water and a soft brush, and finish with a squeegee to help prevent limescale drying on the panels.
If your panels are on your roof or aren’t safe to access, leave the job to a professional. Some window cleaners offer solar panel cleaning, or Good Energy customers can sign up to Solar Care, our solar maintenance service for systems installed by Good Energy. It includes professional solar panel cleaning, alongside ongoing care to help keep your system performing as it should.
Reduce shade on your solar panels
If your solar panels are very obstructed by shade or fallen leaves from trees, they will not be working as efficiently. Late winter is a good time to prune back vegetation in your garden – always ensure you have permission to do the work, and get a professional to do it if you can’t safely do it yourself.
If there is some shade that you cannot eliminate, for example from a chimney breast, then optimising your system will help to improve its output. This involves installing a new inverter and optimisers behind every panel, and enables each of them to work individually from each other – maximising your long term savings.
Join a well-paying export tariff
It’s practically impossible to use all of your solar power within your home. That’s why making sure you’re being paid fairly for the power you export is incredibly important. Good Energy’s export tariff, Solar Savings, pays 12p / kWh you share with the grid – which is then added as a credit to your account. This
Combine your solar panels with green technologies
Combining your solar panels with other green technologies is a good way to use as much of the power you generate at home as possible. This could mean charging up your EV in the daytime when the sun is shining, or using your solar panels to help power your heat pump heating system.
Adding a solar battery is another great way to maximise your solar power. If you’re generating more than you’re using, your solar power will be stored in your battery to use later in the day when the sun’s gone down.
You can also join a smart tariff and charge your battery on a cheaper off-peak rate; and use that lower cost power when you need it most, keeping your bills lower all year round.
