Do solar panels work in winter and on cloudy days?

Do solar panels work in Winter and on cloudy days? It’s certainly the query that people who want to use solar energy ask the most. Solar panels are made to produce electricity in any weather conditions, though the amount produced will vary depending on the density of the clouds.

Even on a typical British cloudy, grey day, there is still more than enough daylight to make solar panels a viable option for UK energy consumers, even though it is undoubtedly true that the best electrical production will occur in bright, sunny weather.

Will I lose a lot of solar power in the Winter?

In the UK, we have a lot of days with cloud cover, however, solar panels continue to function on cloudy days. The sun rises and sets later in the winter, making for dark mornings and shorter nights. Shorter daylight hours do translate to lower generation levels of power than they would in the Summer.  Production can be reduced by up to 50% on days with modest cloud cover, and by as low as 10% on days with heavy cloud cover. However, the energy produced will still be sufficient to meet the needs of the ordinary household.

Read more about the myths surrounding solar panels.

How many solar panels will my home need?