What happens to solar panels in a storm
We are now firmly into storm season in the UK. And whether you are a business or a home owner with solar panels fitted, you may be wondering how they will cope with the impending high winds and heavy rain that are the two common features of storms in this country.
As you may or may not know, solar panels are made up of photovoltaic cells. These are specific components that are often constructed of silicon and are used to generate energy. The photovoltaic cells contain electrons which become energised through sun light photons. And this energy is transformed into electric current.
In the winter months solar panels still generate electricity and even in storm conditions, solar panels can still be generating electricity from what sunlight is available at the time. Of course, in the winter months, there are fewer hours of sunshine per day. So in a storm, your solar panels will not come to a standstill. However having a battery storage system fitted alongside your solar panels means that you can easily switch to battery power as and when the light levels drop too low for solar panels to generate electricity.
But can a solar panel cope with a storm?
The solar panels that we fit have been tested under a huge array of weather conditions and are fitted by suppliers globally. That means that in countries like the United States of America, solar panels cope with the blazzing heat of the Arizona sun and the hurricane weather of the Southern States.
Solar PV systems and their fitting components are all rigorously tested in different extreme weather conditions to ensure that they are durable enough to withstand severe storm weather. From high winds to hail, solar panels can cope with the worst of the worst when it comes to storms in the UK.
Of course a properties roof is also designed to cope with he hard hits of winter storms and that doesn’t stop them damaging roofing and stonework when they hit. Nothing can be guaranteed when it comes to storms but the solar panels that we fit are designed to tolerate hurricane force winds that hit the USA.
Solar Panel Maintenance
At Low Energy Services, we can provide solar panel maintenance packages that can ensure your solar panels and their mounting equipment are in optimum condition.
Photovoltaic systems have generally low maintenance requirements, however this yearly maintenance routine will help to reduce faults and system downtime which will maximise the power output yield.