Temperature Drops
- Thread starter BillN
- Start date
They go up.
This Victron mppt calculator may help you see what you can expect from your pv as temperatures drop. It was designed as a mppt sizing tool, but has some other good inputs also.
diysolarforum.com
Victron's MPPT Calculator Excel Sheet
Victron provides this downloadable Excel spreadsheet tool for determining compatible MPPTs for your solar panels. You can customize it to match your situation by: Adding the specifications for your panels Exploring different panel configurations...
diysolarforum.com
And if you want to know by how much, that is (sometimes) divulged in the manufacturer's spec sheet. Usually as a "+ so much voltage per degree when temp is lower than 77" and a - number when above.
Solarcabin Channel
Solar Addict
The technical answer "Electrons are at rest (low energy) in cooler temperatures. When these electrons are activated by increasing sunlight (high energy), a greater difference in voltage is attained by a solar panel, which creates more energy. That's why solar cells produce electricity more efficiently when it's colder."
I live in snow and cold country and on cold sunny days my system charges faster than in summer heat and with some snow on the ground in front of the panels you also get reflected sunlight which can increase output as much as 50%. In high temps of summer I will spray my panels off when I water the garden to remove dust and bird shit but also cools them off for better charging.
I live in snow and cold country and on cold sunny days my system charges faster than in summer heat and with some snow on the ground in front of the panels you also get reflected sunlight which can increase output as much as 50%. In high temps of summer I will spray my panels off when I water the garden to remove dust and bird shit but also cools them off for better charging.
That's probably the most technically inaccurate technical answer ever! ? The technical answer involves the widening of the band gap energy of the semiconductors as temperature decreases. You can check out the Varshni equation if you want to dig into it.
Solarcabin Channel
Solar Addict
It isn't inaccurate but enjoy your laugh and have a good day!
It's so inaccurate that I had to laugh. I'm not laughing at you personally.
