Bad weather days
We often get asked the question: "Do solar panels work when it’s rainy, cloudy or snowy?"
The simple answer is "Yes!" As long as there is sunlight there is some energy captured from your solar panels. There are obviously better times of year than others to capture the most electricity possible but even on cloudy days some energy is captured.
You will notice that in the snowy winter months the expected energy generation is lower than in the summer months but that is all adjusted for in the overall yearly estimate of your system. By accounting for the variability in the weather and taking an average predicted days of bad weather we can better assess if solar is a cost effective option for you.
Different regions in Canada
The various regions of Canada experience the seasons a little differently so it is important we consider harsher winters in Prince Edward Island (PEI) and Nova Scotia (NS) and longer rainy/cloudy periods in places like British Columbia (BC). This helps in understanding solar panels Canada better.
Below is a list of some of the main cities across Canada and the average number of “Bad weather days.” This is just a sample of cities as climates change east to west and north to south as the provinces are quite large. The higher bad weather days doesn’t mean the area is not suitable for solar but it does mean we should be adjusting expectations for those climates.
Information sourced from: https://weather-and-climate.com/average-monthly-Rainfall-Temperature-Sunshine-in-Canada
We not only consider the bad weather days but also the average monthly hours of sunshine over the year. Typically all regions of Canada have solar systems overproducing in the summer months and underproducing in the winter months.
What about overproducing summer months?
Overproduction in the summer is not a bad thing. It does not go to waste in a net metering model. It just means that the overproduction gets fed back into the grid and you will receive credits to use during those underproducing months. So it all evens out in the end to ensure you have a consistently low power bill. So if you’re interested in solar panels PEI, no need to worry about having a larger number of bad weather days.
Our engineers are hard at work
Once we have the location of your house and have plotted out the most ideal solar system for your roof our engineers use sophisticated modelling software to estimate out the average annual production of those solar panels. The software is able to take into account many factors including average snowfall, rainfall and the amount of sunlight you would receive at any given time of year.
The end result
At the end of the day we hope to provide you with a pretty accurate estimate of exactly how much energy you produce. Associating that energy production with the cost savings on your electricity bill can help you better assess if the energy savings outweigh the monthly cost to install a system.
Contact us to get a free customized assessment for your property