Do Solar Panels Produce Energy When it Rains?

Sunny San Diego, the number two ranked city with the most installed solar PV capacity, has become a hub for solar power. But with all this dreary weather lately, you may be wondering if your solar system is producing anything at all! The short answer is yes.

Although direct sunlight is best, indirect sunlight can still generate power. Estimates differ depending on the severity of the weather and panel placement, however solar panels can generate anywhere from 10-25% their normal production on cloudy and rainy days. Nowadays, monitoring systems for your solar panels are easy to use and understand. Our SolarEdge monitoring capabilities can show you an individual panel production on any given day. You can view a rainy day production right from your phone! If you don’t have monitoring on your system, let us know and we may be able to help.

Remember though, rain isn’t always a bad thing! Rain is a natural and free way to help keep your panels clean, especially in dry, desert areas where dust, dirt, and debris can collect frequently. If you aren’t getting enough free solar panel cleaning, check out our FAQ on how to properly maintain your panels.

Should you be worried about severe weather damage?

San Diego isn’t typically an area of concern for severe weather but it certainly can happen. Strong wind, hail, and lightning are possibilities for causing solar panel damage, though very uncommon. There are various guidelines and codes put in place to prevent such damage:

1. When installing solar systems, equipment bonding and grounding is required, limiting the voltage put on a system due to lightning or other unintentional power surges.
2. Most solar panel companies selling in the U.S. undergo extensive testing for wind and hail. These mechanical speculations can be found on any distributor website. You can take a look at some of the panels we use to get more information.
3. Proper installation and sturdy racking is an important factor as well when it comes to extreme wind and heat sensitivity, which is why we choose IronRidge racking for our roof and ground mounts. They offer a superior, American-made design that will keep your panels in place for years to come.

While most solar panel distributors offer 25 year production and workmanship warranties, these warranties may not cover all weather damage. You can, however, check with your homeowner’s insurance to ensure your solar panels coverage.