As environmentally friendly technology is on the rise, solar power is quickly becoming the fastest growing home energy solution. While the technology and popularity of solar paneling is rapidly advancing, however, public knowledge of it is not. So here are some of the most common questions about solar panels answered.

How Do I Decide How Many I Need?

A common misconception, it’s important to understand that you won’t be buying a certain number of solar panels. Instead, you will buy a certain amount of electricity output, to make sure your energy needs are taken care of. The first step is working out exactly how much electricity your household uses in a month, and finding the amount of paneling that will be required to handle that. How many actual panels you have can depend on several factors, including how high-quality the type of paneling you install is, how efficient it is at collecting solar energy, and how much space you have in your home to safely install solar paneling.

Will My Home Not Have Any Electricity When it’s Cloudy?

Solar paneling will still collect, use, and store solar power as electricity when the sky is overcast or in low light, but the efficiency will be affected. If you live in an area with a cloudy climate where it you can’t rely on sunshine all of the time then it is important to consider this as different types of panels are better suited to this type of weather. Traditionally used crystalline silicon are the most efficient panel you will be able to install on your home, but it is considerably less effective in low light conditions than the alternative thin-film solar panel. Research your home’s weather patterns to understand which is best for you.

What if My Roof Can’t Support Enough Panels?

Solar paneling does not need to be installed on your house’s roof, this is simply the most common place to put them. It isn’t even necessarily the best option. If you cannot fit any or enough panels on your roof then you will just need to install them somewhere else. Using a mounting for your solar panel array means you can put them anywhere, as long as it is somewhere that will capture sunlight. Using a solar panel mount rather than installing them on the roof also gives you the option of installing equipment that will automatically turn and tilt the array so that as much sunlight as possible reaches your panels to increase your electricity output.

Will I Not be Able to Use Electricity at Night?

A worryingly common question, you can rest assured the answer is no. A solar panel will only be able to collect and output electricity during the day when the sun is out. However, the solar energy will then be stored in batteries so it can be used at any time, not just when the sun is shining.