Do Solar Panels works on Cloudy and Rainy days?

Many homeowners worry about whether their solar panels will work on cloudy and rainy days. No one wants to invest in solar panels and then be screwed on a cloudy day or rainy day. Well, luckily solar panels work perfectly fine during cloudy or rainy days. Though they are most efficient during sunny days because of the direct sunlight that comes from the sun. Solar panels can actually still generate power during rainy or cloudy days since the solar cells on the solar panels are powered by light and not by heat. High heat can even cause your solar energy system to work less efficiently.

Thanks to today’s technology, solar panels now undergo rigorous testing to ensure that they run efficiently and effectively.

For a solar panel to be UL certified, they go through rigorous reliability tests including:

Damp Heat Tests – Induces stress from high humidity at high temperatures.
Tests for: Corrosion, Discoloration, and Connector Issues
Solar Panel Simulation: Constant temperature of 185* F, a constant relative humidity of 85%

Thermal Cycling – Induces stress with high and low temperatures
Tests for: Cell Cracks, Mechanical Instability
Solar Panel Simulation: 200 cycles of high heat to low from 185F to -40F

Humidity Freeze – Combines Thermal Cycling with High Humidity
Tests for: Cell Cracks, Mechanical Instability, Delamination
Solar Panel Simulation: High heat to low from 185F to -40F with 85% relativity humidity at 185*F.

These reliability tests help determine if your solar panels can survive in their respective applications. For Solar PV Systems in California, the thermal cycling test, in particular, provides great peace of mind that your panels will continue to contribute energy without failure. Therefore, it is important to ensure that your solar panels are UL certified.