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> Washington and Oregon aren't just cloudy skies. The eastern half of both states is a rain shadow with a desert climate and plenty of sunshine. That's not the
by axiolite 5y ago
> Washington and Oregon aren't just cloudy skies. The eastern half of both states is a rain shadow with a desert climate and plenty of sunshine.
That's not the only reason solar panels aren't a good investment. Higher latitudes also have peak electrical demands at night, in winter, when solar is not producing anything. It's a much better fit as you approach the equator, where peak electrical demands are from air conditioning, during the afternoon, in the longest, brightest days.
- seanmcdirmid 5y agoPeak demand for electrify is still during the day in Washington and Oregon, even in the winters (which aren’t that cold even east of the cascades). Solar isn’t popular in those states because hydro and wind are much more appealing. I suppose for personal homes, solar might make some sense, but electricity is already pretty cheap in the PNW (due to cheap hydro and wind), so it would take longer for that investment to pay off. Also, in the main population areas, overcast skies would dissuade a lot of personal solar investments (even given our sunny summers).
- pydry 5y agohttps://www.researchgate.net/figure/Wind-and-solar-production-complement-each-other-during-a-year-as-there-is-more-wind_fig3_330753587 https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Wind-and-solar-productio... Solar complements wind, though.