Can solar roof tiles work in winter?

The sun has immeasurable energy, and with it came the photovoltaic power generation system, a new type of power generation system that uses the photovoltaic effect of the semiconductor material of the solar cell to convert the sun's radiant energy directly into electrical energy. This captured energy can power our daily lives and needs. With solar power, we can use unlimited energy while moving towards a cleaner, friendlier society.

Of course, they undoubtedly do. It is often thought that solar roof tiles need sunny conditions to work properly, but what you don't know is that they can work even on cloudy or rainy days, or even on snowy days.

In fact, solar roof tiles are effective all year round. This includes solar tiles installed in the northern hemisphere and in rainy climates. but how do they work in these conditions?

First of all, two important conditions need to be met for solar power generation: temperature and light.

Temperature determines how efficiently solar roof tiles generate electricity, while light determines how much electricity they produce.

It is often assumed that higher temperatures produce more energy from a solar system, however this is not the case. Higher temperatures affect the efficiency of power generation, so colder conditions help your solar roof tiles to run more efficiently. This means that your tiles will generate an average of twenty per cent more power per hour on sunny days in the winter compared to the summer months, producing more electricity for everyday needs. Due to the movement of electrons, output is higher and often optimal in colder conditions. All in all, power generation is more efficient in the winter than in the summer.

Solar power roof tiles rely on light to generate energy, not heat. Therefore, as long as sunlight hits the solar roof shingles, they generate electricity.

Although solar roof tiles are more efficient in direct sunlight, the process of generating diffuse sunlight also causes your shingles to generate energy for you. Diffuse sunlight is sunlight that is scattered by particles in the atmosphere but still reaches the earth's surface. In this case, the clouds are denser and your shingles will continue to generate power, but at a lower rate than they would perform in direct sunlight.

The hours of light in the summer are more than in the winter, which means that your shingles will generate more energy for you in the summer. On average, you can generate 67% more power than in winter!

During the winter months, due to heavy snowfall and shorter hours of light, they are unable to reach their maximum generating efficiency. However, they still do not stop working and continue to obtain energy.

According to official data reports, the power generation of solar roof tiles is significantly reduced during the winter months, with only about half of their efficiency being demonstrated.

On the bright side, winter rains are good for energy production. solar roof tiles usually work even better when it rains because they are washed clean by the heavy rain, which is a pleasant surprise, but also something that should be taken care of during the rest of the year - keeping the tiles clean!

We know that solar shingle roof tiles photovoltaic works in the rain and even when it's cloudy, so does it still work well in the snow?

Fortunately, solar panels can still generate electricity even if they are covered in snow, because the sunlight still reaches the solar tiles.

If you are wondering whether snow in the northern hemisphere can damage the tiles, Sgbsolar has already taken this into account and therefore recommends T MAX O. The double-layer tempered glass construction makes the tiles impervious to footsteps, snow, wind and other adverse weather conditions. In addition, we usually require shingles to be installed on roofs with 15-60 degrees, which also prevents the accumulation of too much snow.

So, back to our original question, can solar roof tiles work in the winter?

Of course, they perform well.

As a manufacturer of solar roof tiles, sgbsolar's goal is to make clean energy available to everyone without worrying about high electricity bills. We provide you with customized roof solar solutions based on your roof space and power needs. If you need technical assistance, sgbsolar has professionals who will help guide you through the installation and commissioning process to start your cost-saving initiatives.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to open the chat window and say hi.