With everyone talking about solar power and many homeowners making the switch, the name “solar” power might be a little bit confusing. Does that mean that our homes will only be powered when the sun is shining? What happens if it’s raining or when it’s night time?

Residential solar power works for your home around the clock—regardless of how sunny it is at a given moment.

It would not be a very well-designed system if we were only able to use power when the sun decided to shine! Thankfully, the engineers behind solar energy figured that out for us.

Does solar work when it’s cold outside?

Solar panel efficiency is not affected by the temperature outside. Solar panels use the energy from the light of the sun, not the heat. So as long as the sun is shining, your panels are producing some energy. And even when it’s not, your’e still covered–as we’ll see in the next section.

How do solar panels work when it’s raining, snowing, or cloudy?

Because solar panels use the energy from the light of the sun rather than the heat, the amount of energy they will produce in given weather conditions depends on how much cloud cover there is and how much light is still getting through to the panels.

Although you can likely expect the panels to be producing some energy in cloudy conditions, it might be as little as 10% of what you normally expect.

Thankfully, this doesn’t mean that the lights are going to go out in your house every time a cloud rolls by. Residential solar systems are set up so that they produce excess energy during the sunny times that can continue to power your home around the clock.

The energy is either banked with your local electric company, often in a program called “net metering,” or some homeowners opt to use their own battery storage system.

What are the optimal weather conditions for solar panels?

Interestingly, the most blazing hot summer months are not necessarily the best months for solar energy production like you might expect.

In very hot climates, the best months for solar production are May and September. During these months the panels receive the same amount of light but not as much heat as during the mid-summer months. Solar panels can work 20-30% less efficiently in extreme heat.

The surface temperature of solar panels is about 20 degrees hotter than the outside temperature, so about 75 degrees outside is the optimal temperature for their production.

How do solar panels work at night?

Here’s a cool solar fact you probably didn’t know!

Solar panels produce a very small amount of energy from the light of the moon on a night that it is particularly bright.

Since solar panels obtain their energy from light, not heat, sometimes the moon is reflecting enough of the sun’s light onto your roof that the system is able to capture some of it’s energy.

Aside from that small amount of production, a residential solar system will continue to power your home throughout the night by using the credit from the excess energy you added to the grid during the day–the process called Net Metering.

It seems like everyone is making the switch to solar energy. It’s a great way to make a positive impact on the environment while also making a good investment for your home!

But what if you don’t have a roof that is compatible with a solar system, or you just don’t like the look of panels on your roof?

Well, that’s where a ground mount might be the right choice!

Ground mounts can be a good alternative to a roof system if you don’t like the look of panels on the roof or there is not enough usable surface area on your roof. Although there is some additional upfront cost associated with a ground mount, in some cases they may end up being a cheaper option in the long run.

There are lots of rumors floating around about whether or not this type of system is a good option for homeowners, so let’s look at some of the pros and cons of ground mounts.

Cons of A Solar ground mount

Additional permitting may be required

Depending on where you live and what your local and neighborhood laws are about zoning, you may have to get approval to build a new structure on your property before moving forward with building a ground mount. This can take a few days or a few months depending on your exact circumstances!

THe upfront cost may be higher

While panels that are installed on the roof are installed directly to the rafters already on your roof, a ground mount will require a new structure to be built to the right specifications for your needs. Because of this, there is some additional upfront cost when compared to a roof solar system.

It takes up space on your land

This may seem obvious but it is certainly a point to consider! You will have to be sure that you have the space on your property to fit a ground mount where it is not going to be in the way or cause any headache down the line. You will likely work closely with your project manager to make sure your ground mount is designed and place exactly as you’d like it to be!

Pros of A SOlar ground mount

The overall cost may be lower than a roof system

This is a big one!

Although there is more upfront cost associated with having a ground mount built, in the long run you will often pay less than you would for a roof system because you likely won’t need as many panels as you would if they were on the roof.

This is because your project manager will work with you to make sure that the ground mount is placed and designed to work as efficiently as possible. With a ground mount you have more freedom to make sure that the panels are not shaded, there are no obstructions, and the panels can be angled to the most optimal position. You don’t get this kind of freedom when designing a roof system which is why you may end up needing more panels in that scenario.

Because of the possibility of optimization that a ground mount offers, you may be able to use fewer panels to produce the same amount of energy that more panels would be needed to produce on your roof.

Fewer panels = lower cost !

They are easier to clean

For the most part, solar panels don’t need to be cleaned very often. But occasionally, something does interfere with the output of a panel and they need to be inspected and/or cleaned. In this case, it can be a bit of a headache to have to get on to your roof or have someone else come out and do so.

With a ground mount, it is much easier to actually take a look at the tops of the panels and see what’s going on!

You never have to worry about moving them

Unfortunately it’s just a fact of life that occasionally roofs need to be replaced or repaired. When this time comes and you have a solar system on your roof, you have to remove the solar panels before the work can be done to the roof. And once it’s over, they have to be replaced.

With a ground mount, you never have to worry about moving the panels if and when something goes awry with your roof. They will be a free-standing system that doesn’t need much attention at all!

You can get creative and start a garden underneath

This is a fun one. A solar ground mount will be a new structure in your yard. Which means, new possibilities! Many homeowners take advantage of the new little ecosystem that is created beneath the ground mount by starting an herb garden. You can get creative and think about what you might do with your space!

Now that you know some of the major pros and cons of getting a solar ground mount, you can be certain that you are happy with your choice to switch your home over to solar power!

If you’re ready to talk to someone about your options for going solar, click here!

Do solar panels harm wildlife?

Switching to solar energy is supposed to be helpful to the environment, right? So what’s really going on with residential and commercial solar, do solar panels actually harm wildlife?

Rest assured, you residential solar system is not going to hurt the environment.

Residential solar panels do not harm wildlife when installed properly. Some large-scale solar plants have caused disruptions in the surrounding ecosystems because of the heat produced by the panels, the increased fire risk, and in some cases the water usage. More testing still needs to be done in order to determine the full long-term effect that these plants might have on wildlife.

How can commercial solar plants potentially harm wildlife?

One of the most obvious reasons these plants can cause harm to wildlife is simply due to the fact that in order to create the space to build the plant, some of the ecosystem will be cleared—leaving the resident animals to find a new place to live.

Other factors that could be possibly damaging to the wildlife are noise and light pollution, fire risk, and water consumption. (pollutant spills, electromagnetic field energy field flows)

However, compared to nuclear plants which produce radioactive waste, these potential impacts seem pretty manageable!

Do my residential panels harm wildlife?

Residential solar does not pose any major threat to wildlife. If you live in an area where there are small animals around your house including birds, squirrels, raccoons etc., and depending on the design of your system, it’s possible that these critters might try to burrow under your panels. However, this probably poses more of a problem for you than it does the critters!

You will likely have an option when installing your solar system to have a “critter guard” installed to make sure that no small animals try to help themselves to your panels as their new home. This will keep them safe from getting stuck etc., and it will help to keep the wiring of your system intact and your panels clean for longer!

Is the disposal of solar panels bad for the environment?

We are making leaps and bounds every year with how we recycle the materials (aluminum, silicon, copper.) It’s not a perfect system yet! But considering your panels will be on your roof for the next 30-50 years, it’s highly probable that by the time your panels are ready to be disposed of we’ll have a much more efficient system to recycle them.

Panasonic Corporation of North America today announced the Customer Appreciation Awards celebrating its recipients for 2020, and Solar Works energy has taken home some hardware!

The awards program recognizes high-performing installers for solar panel installation and exemplary customer service. New for 2020, the Customer Appreciation Awards also celebrate EverVolt battery installers, whose hard work and commitment has led to an extraordinary year of growth and success in the residential battery storage category.

Panasonic Elite, Premium and Authorized solar panel installers, and EverVolt Certified battery storage installers, are recognized in several award categories across each region: Installer of the Year, which recognizes installers who work on both commercial and residential installations,  Residential Installer of the Year, Commercial Installer of the Year, Fastest Growing Installer and Fastest Growing EverVolt ESS Installer.

“This has been an extremely difficult year for companies of all sizes, but it has been an unquestionably challenging time for small businesses,” said Mukesh Sethi, Director, Solar and Energy Storage, Panasonic Life Solutions Company of America, a division of Panasonic Corporation of North America. “We are incredibly thankful to Panasonic’s Elite, Premium, Authorized and EverVolt Certified installers for their fortitude and commend their resilience. It is an honor to recognize our top performers and those installers whose achievements surpassed every expectation in 2020.”

See the full list of winners here: