Weather Tips

Seasonal Variations

Q. Help – my solar production just dropped off! What’s going on?

A: Is it October? Monthly production drops significantly — 20-35% — between September and October, and then again in November and December. My blog article Why October is a Trick not Treat for Solar explains in detail, and tells you when to be concerned.

Snow

Q. Will snow accumulate on my panels?

A: Yes, snow will accumulate on the panels. It’s best to leave the snow to melt and “shed” on its own. How fast it sheds depends on roof pitch, temperature, and how sunny it is or isn’t. Usually, once a corner of one panel is exposed, the entire panel heats up fairly quickly and the show begins to shed.

Solar panels are more slippery than shingles, and snow often comes off in a big, heavy mess. When the snow comes off the roof, there will be an audible rumble in the house. You will hear the snow moving across the panels, and a thud as it hits the ground. This is normal.

If your panels are above a doorway, including your garage door, watch for shedding snow! Please, for your safety, be aware of this possibility and take care after a snowstorm.

Also, snow will pile up on the ground, your deck, your driveway – whatever surface is below your panels. Do not park cars, or store grills, tables, chairs or any other items, under your panels. To protect shrubs, place plywood frames over them. You can also ask us about “snow guards” to slow the shedding process if needed.

Q. Should I remove the snow?

A. In a normal winter, sunny, above-freezing weather will take care of a few inches of snow. (The winter of 2015 was not normal!) Still, if you think your panels can be reached safely, you can try to remove some of the snow. We recommend clearing the lower edge of the panels with a lightweight broom. The exposed portion of the panels will heat up and speed the melting.

Q. Should I worry about snow reducing my solar production?

A. No. We factor New England weather into our estimates of your production. While we can all be caught off-guard by winters like the one we had in 2015, our track record of production estimates is excellent.

Read more about solar and snow our our blog, The Energy Miser. 

Lightning

Q. Should I worry about lightning?

A. New England Clean Energy has installed hundreds of systems, and none has ever been hit by lightning (knock on wood!). Solar panels do not appear to make your roof any more or less vulnerable to potential lightning strikes. The inverters New England Clean Energy installs do come with some lightning protection. Still, as the inverter manufacturer states, “nothing is guaranteed with lightning”. Should your system be damaged by lightning, you should bring it up with your homeowner’s insurance company.