Summer’s coming, and that means a few things if you’re looking to invest in a solar panel installation for your home or business.
As we get ready to kick back and enjoy the warmer weather, you might be wondering whether summer means peak performance—and a lucrative few months—for your solar energy production.
While solar panels do generate more energy in summer than in other seasons, it’s helpful to understand how our power consumption changes during the hotter months, how the heat will affect your array’s solar power generation—and the overall benefits of switching to solar in summer.
Why solar panels perform better in hot weather
To understand how summer affects energy generation, we first need to understand how solar panels work.
Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels generate energy by absorbing the sun’s radiation through silicon cells. As those silicon cells absorb the light, a movement of electrons occurs, creating a flow of energy—known as the PV effect. This energy gets sent from your solar panels, via a wire, to a solar inverter, where it’s turned into usable electricity.
Now, with summer bringing more sunlight hours, that means an increase in solar power generation. But, there’s also a drawback. The additional sun exposure also brings additional heat exposure, and the warmer your solar panels get, the more their performance can suffer.
How the heat affects solar panels in summer
In the solar industry, how heat affects your solar panel generation is called the ‘temperature coefficient’—the percentage of power output your solar panels lose for every degree celsius it gets warmer.
So, if your solar panels have a temperature coefficient of -0.20%, they’ll produce 0.20% less power for every one degree it gets hotter.
While this may sound like a cause for concern, it shouldn’t be. The positives far outweigh the negatives—with the long daylight hours of light exposure making up for any perceived performance loss on those hot days.
Can your solar system overheat?
As we mentioned in our previous article, some sunlight that’s absorbed by the solar panels will be converted into heat, and this causes the panels to get warmer.
In Australia, we test solar panels at 25°C. Some solar companies have created their panels specifically for the local climate—with a lower temperature coefficient than others—ensuring summer really is the best time for solar production.
So, while solar systems perform best during the warmer months—let’s look at what happens to our own power consumption.
Why does energy usage skyrocket in summer?
Going off-grid and installing a solar power system is the most effective way of generating enough renewable energy to keep your home or business powered—without relying on a traditional (and expensive) energy provider.
In summer, power consumption hits its peak—and that’s when relying on traditional energy lands you the biggest bills—for a few reasons:
More people are at home
Humans tend to be paralysed by hotter climates. As the mercury rises past 30-degrees, we crave relief from the heat—and that means more time indoors. Combine that with the fact kids are home from school and college during summer, and your home power consumption tends to go through the roof.
We use more electronic devices throughout the day—and if they’re not already plugged in, they’ll soon need charging. We leave lights on, do more laundry, go in and out of the house, crank the AC, and generally burn up power as we go about our day.
And all of that has a big impact on your power consumption—using up to twice the electricity than a normal day.
Your air-con is hungry for power
In Western Australia, heating and cooling account for roughly 40% of household energy consumption. That’s a significant percentage, pushed even higher if you keep the AC running for a pet, or to come home to a cool house.
And, the greater the difference between your thermostat setting and the outside temperature, the harder your AC system will work to reach your thermostat’s set point. So energy consumption from your AC obviously hits its peak during summer—and burning huge amounts of energy from your solar system.
Your appliances are working overtime
Not only are your electrical appliances working longer hours during summer—but they’re also working harder too.
When the air around your fridge is hotter, for example, the refrigerator needs more electricity—especially if you frequently open and close it, or leave it open entirely. As the fridge works harder, more warm air enters the cold inner chamber, which then has to be cooled down again—drawing yet more energy.
Pools demand excessive energy
Pools are a lifeline on those hot summer days. But, like your AC, they’re incredibly energy-intensive—and expensive.
Homes with pools typically use up to 49% more electricity each year than homes without—consuming between 2,000 and 3,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity, at a cost of between $800-$1200 per year. Those costs are made up of a number of factors, from running the pool filters, replacing evaporated water (especially prevalent on hot days), and the biggest culprit of all, running pumps.
Fortunately, there’s good news for homeowners with solar panels. While gas pool heating can cost anywhere between $4 and $17 per hour to run, solar heating is far cheaper, costing just $0.18 and $0.26 per hour.
How to maximise your solar generation in summer
Switching to off-grid, renewable energy is the most effective way of lowering those summer energy bills. Follow these tips to fully maximise the electricity generated from your panels when there are more daylight hours.
Optimise the orientation of your solar panels
During the summer, the sun is highest in the sky—and therefore moves directly overhead. Because of this, solar panels work best in summer when installed on either slightly angled or totally flat roofs.
Conversely, a steeper angle is optimal for winter solar production, when the sun sits lower in the sky.
So, while solar panels will always perform better in summer, to truly optimise their performance, consider their angle and orientation—and how it best suits your local climate.
In Australia, the optimal solar panel angle is equal to the latitude angle of the location of your property. If you live in Perth, for example, a roof pitch of 31.9° would be considered ideal, as this is equal to the city’s latitudinal angle (31.9°).
Consider solar battery storage
Solar panels can only generate energy when the sun’s out, so to truly take control of your power, you need a solar storage solution.
And this is where solar batteries come in—offering a huge range of benefits, from saving on your energy bills and reducing your carbon footprint, to increasing your property value.
While the option to buy home energy storage has been around for many years, the cost and level of knowledge required to operate them put people off. But, a rapid price decrease—and improved, user-friendly technology, makes solar battery storage far more accessible to homeowners in today’s market.
Make sure your solar array is in good shape
In most cases, especially for residential installations, day to day solar panel maintenance is incredibly low. But, to keep your solar PV panels performing at their best—and make the most of the summer sun—you should be vigilant of any problems.
The two common checks are to make sure your inverter is working correctly—and whether your solar panels need cleaning. While rainwater generally does a good job, dust, dirt and bird poo can still build up—and that’s when manual cleaning can help optimise their performance.
If you do need to get anything cleaned or repaired, always contact a professional. Your solar array is still a live electrical system—and most panels sit on a rooftop, high above the ground.
Pre-cool your home in the day
We discussed earlier how energy-intensive your air-conditioning unit is. But should you need to use it, there is one solution to cooling your home while using less energy.
Try running your air-con during the day when your solar production is at its peak. This should ensure your house is nice and cool by the time the sun goes down—so you can turn it off and save energy at night.
Take advantage of solar energy production this summer
Residential solar energy offers homeowners an affordable, clean, and convenient solution to rising electrical bills—especially during the summer months.
And, as summer approaches, the time to invest in solar has never been better.
Technological improvements have increased the efficiency of solar panels and battery storage—so you can take advantage of a low maintenance, versatile energy source that increases your property value.
And, because solar panels are far kinder to the planet than traditional energy—moving to an off-grid lifestyle offers a huge step forward in lowering your carbon footprint, away from dirty fossil fuels.
Go solar with Renew Energy today
With thousands of solar panel installations happening across Australia, Renew Energy is a name you can trust. Not sure of the best solar panel for your home? Contact us today and we’ll help you find the perfect system for your needs.