Minne”snow”ta and Solar Panels –
From city houses to lakeside cabins to country pole barns, rooftop solar systems are dotting the Minnesota landscape. With 4 seasons (5 with road construction) that range from swirling snowstorms to torrential rains, you may ponder the question “What season, if ever, should I clean my solar panels?” Well, most experts say to actually not worry about cleaning solar panels at all. Solar panels are basically “self-cleaning”. A general rule of thumb is to let nature take care of it.
During non-winter months Minnesota gets enough rain to clean panels of most pollen and any soiling. During winter your south facing solar panels warm slightly in sunlight to help melt the snow naturally. Whether its sleet, snow, rain or even hail – these weather conditions do a wonderful job keeping all those panels clean.
While accumulated snowfall can temporarily cover panels and reduce production – with your utilities net-metering (https://trunorthsolar.com/net-metering-money-flows-pocket) you store up credits with the power you make in the summer which you then draw from in the winter. So, not to worry if you have snow temporarily on solar panels, you’ll catch up again when the sun shines brightly.
And great news – Minnesotans have some solar-production-bragging-rights: solar panels actually produce better on cold days! This is because when sun energy is turned into electricity, the electrons move along wires creating current. As more electrons fly down the same wire, heat is created due to the resistance of the electrical flow. However, as air temperature lowers, so does the resistance of the material and the electrons can move more freely. Therefore as temperature decreases, solar electric production increases, don’tchaknow!
To chat about how much solar energy you can produce on your Minnesota property and your related cost savings give our Solar Energy Consultants a call at 612.888.9599 or contact us through www.TruNorthSolar.com.
Ya, you betcha Minnesota, we’ve got dis here solar!! #Olieandlenagosolar #MinnesotaBasedTruNorthSolar
