Why Winter Solar Panel Output Is Reduced In Northern Climates

There has been a lot of discussion about my solar panel output in winter. Many people seem to think that there must be something wrong with my system because I bring in so little power in winter. But what they forget is that in summer my 800 watts of solar panels were bringing in up to 750 watts.

Now that is a loss of 50 watts capacity which could have been in the wires or due to heat in the solar panels. Hot solar panels are less efficient that colder ones.

So, with these same solar panels I am not only getting 800 watts total - per day!

That is 800 watts of usable energy in an entire day. I see a max peak of up to 300 watts sometimes but the output generally stays down around 150 watts on average during peak winter sunlight hours.

Most off grid solar homes in Northern climates see reduced solar panel output in winter. The reason for this is that the sun is farther away in winter than it is in summer. This means reduced solar panel output.

If the sun was as strong in winter then we would not have the cold or the snow. It just makes sense that if it is so cold out because the sun is lower in the sky and farther away then the solar panels would have less solar radiation on them.

Another big problem in winter solar panel output is that it is generally more cloudy in winter. The sun may be shining brightly at times but there are often clouds passing over and interrupting the maximum solar power output.

Another important factor with solar panel output is location. If you are located in a meadow as my off grid solar homestead is, then you will have reduced solar panel output at any given time. But especially in winter when the sun is lower in the sky the trees block the sun from shining on the solar panels for most of the day.

Do not let this discourage you from getting solar panels or going off the grid. I have lived out here for three years now and am getting along just fine. Actually most homes could get by with less power than I use because I am working on the laptop a lot uploading videos and answering comments.

To overcome the reduced solar panel output in winter all you need is more solar panels. This means of course that in summer you will have too much power but in winter you would have enough to get by.

Too much power is always better than too little. And if you live near a power grid you can always sell your excess solar power production back to the power grid for some extra money.

Follow my daily progress on the path to self sufficiency on my off grid solar homestead.
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