Solar panels work best when they’re cool, so hot summer days can actually reduce their efficiency. If your area gets a lot of sunshine but also has high temperatures, you might not see as much of an increase in power production during summer as you would if you lived in a cooler climate.
The other type of solar panel direction you need to consider is the tilt angle. Tilt angle refers to the angle from the ground at which the solar panels are tilted, where 0° is lying flat. During summer, the sun is high up in the sky so a low tilt angle would capture more sunlight.
This means that the best time to generate power is during the daytime when the sun is highest in the sky. However, solar panels can also produce electricity on cloudy days and even during the night, though their output will be lower than on sunny days. Solar panel production typically slows down during the winter months.
Many solar companies will tell you to take your latitude and reduce it by 15 degrees to find your panels' optimum summer angle, then add 15 degrees to your latitude in winter – but this is an oversimplification.
In winter, panels may produce less due to shorter days and lower sun angles, while in summer they may produce more due to longer days and higher sun angles. Factors such as cloud cover and temperature can also play a role. The output of a solar panel is dependent on the amount of sunlight that it receives.
Yes, solar panels do work in winter. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn't need to be a completely clear, scorching hot day for your solar panels to work at maximum capacity. They just need daylight. If you want to know more about how winter weather affects solar panels, why not read our comprehensive guide?