WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON PV SOLAR PANEL OUTPUT IN THE UK?
How much variation does temperature cause for generating electricity from Solar PV Panels?
With one of the hottest days in the UK so far this year it is interesting to compare the output for a hot sunny day with a cooler sunny day earlier in the year. The best generating day in April was 19kWh for a clear sunny day with temperature of 12C. Yesterday generated 17kWh for a clear sunny day with a temperature of 27C despite the longer generating time with the lengthening days.
You can see from the graph above that the cooler day in April generated a higher peak of electricity than the longer, sunnier day in May with a peak of 2.6kW compared to 2.3kW in May.
Do solar panels generate only on sunny days?
No. PV Solar panels will generate on cloudy days and do not just need sun shining on them. However the amount of electricity generated on a cloudy day is a fraction of that generated in the sun. In the winter this can be as low as 5% of the amount for a sunny day. In the summer a cloudy day may generate as much as 10% and even on a day with mixed cloud and sunny spells you can get as much as 50% of the output of a clear sunny day.
What output will my solar panels give?
The output of your solar panels will depend on a number of factors such as the direction they face, the angle of your roof, your location in the country and if they are affected by shading. The output is significantly higher during summer months and can be around 3x higher than the maximum obtained during winter.
What is the maximum electricity my solar panels will generate?
For our panels which are virtually south facing in South East England the electricity output generated equates to around 7kWh per kWp per day. So for 3kWp of solar panels you would get a maximum of 21kWh of electricity on the best sunny days of the year. A sunny day during winter would only generate a maximum of 7kWh of solar electricity so you can see the difference that the longer days make. Temperature has an impact and less electricity is generated from solar panels on hot days than cooler days.
What direction should my solar panels face?
In the UK the best output from solar panels will be achieved if they are south facing.
What is the difference in generation between sunny and cloudy days?
The amount of electricity generated on a cloudy day is a fraction of that generated on a sunny day. In the winter this can be as low as 5% of the amount for a sunny day. In the summer a cloudy day may generate as much as 10% and even on a day with mixed cloud and sunny spells you can get as much as 50% of the output of a clear sunny day.
How can I make the most of the electricity generated by my solar panels?
A member of MoneySavingExpert has created circuit diagrams for a device to monitor the output from PV Solar panels and to enable households to use the maximum output from their solar panels. You can view the information on Dave Fowler's website here
What effect does temperature have on the electricity output generated by solar panels?
How can I check on my panels remotely?
Can I view data from my Sunny Boy inverter on my laptop?
How much will I get from the Feed in Tariff? (UK only)
What is the best position for my solar panels?
Where should my solar panel inverter be located?
