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Modern PV panels [1] are not any better at performing in cloudy. They just put out 5-10x less power than they do in sunny conditions. Furthermore, this is on to
by Manuel_D 4y ago
Modern PV panels [1] are not any better at performing in cloudy. They just put out 5-10x less power than they do in sunny conditions. Furthermore, this is on top of the variance due to earth's inclination. Solar panels near the poles are less effective. Saying "solar panels can operate on daylight, not direct sunlight" is pedantically true, but in practice it'd mean building 5-10 times as many solar panels. Weather is a big contributor to solar's intermittency, not just day/night cycle as well as the geographic variability in output.
1. If you mean solar thermal panels, then yes, PVs are better in cloudy conditions. Solar thermal panels only collected the specular light from the sun, not the diffuse light from the rest of the sky.
- tchaffee 4y agoThey are better at performing in cloudy conditions compared to older technology. In the past, it was not viable to install solar panels in cloudy areas. With the higher efficiency panels of today and the drops in price, it's now viable. This is why you're seeing commercial large scale installations in places like the UK - with no subsidies.
- Schroedingersat 4y agoNewer chemistries are more linear in low light, and bifacial modules perform better in poor weather. Additionally a module without bypass diodes or one which is not strung for varying voltages will effectively produce no power under uneven shade. Vertical bifacial modules produce significantly less energy overall, but more during morning/evening and during snow or cloudy conditions. This latter fact combined with the much lower module costs mean that -- in practical terms -- they perform vastly better in cloudy conditions.