How Well Do Solar Panels Work in NYC During the Winter?

One of the biggest myths about solar panels is that they don’t work in the winter. Solar panels need light, not heat, to produce electricity, which means they can still power your home through every season—even in the colder winter months.

Of course, there’s less daylight in the winter, which reduces the amount of electricity solar panels can generate. But solar panels are still very efficient in the wintertime, and a great way to reduce your energy bills throughout every season. And in New York City, net metering helps even things out even more.

Here’s a closer look at what you can expect from your home solar panels during the winter in NYC.

Will You Still Save on Your Electric Bills in the Winter?

Solar panel performance varies by season. In the winter, you’ll likely see the lowest output that you do all year due to the shortened days and overcast skies. But even though your output will drop, you’ll likely still save money on your electric bills every month. It’s possible that they’ll even be as low, or close to as low, as they are in the summer. This is because solar panels continue to produce electricity all year-round, and because of net metering.

How Net Metering Keeps Solar Savings Steady Year-Round

Net metering is a NYC solar incentive that allows you to use the electric grid to store solar energy, kind of like a big battery.

Here’s how it works:

1. During the long, sunny summer days, your solar panels often generate more electricity than your home needs.
2. The excess power is automatically sent back to the electric grid.
3. You earn utility credits for the extra electricity you send to the grid. Anything you don’t use rolls over month to month.
4. In the winter, when your system produces less power, your home draws electricity from the grid as needed.
5. Con Edison automatically applies your banked net metering credits to your bill, helping keep your costs low year-round.

The great thing about net metering is that it all happens automatically. A special electric meter will keep track of what you send to the grid, and Con Ed will apply your credits to your account when you need them.

It’s even easier when you go solar with Brooklyn SolarWorks. We handle all the setup for you so you can start earning net metering credits the minute we turn your system on.

What Impacts Winter Solar Performance?

A few key factors impact solar panel performance in the winter, including:

1. Limited Daylight Hours

   Solar panels use light to generate electricity, not heat. That means they’ll continue to produce power no matter how cold it is outside. However, the days are shorter in the winter, which means your solar panels have less time to generate electricity than they do in the summer.

2. Overcast Skies

   There are more cloudy days in the summer, which impacts performance. Solar panels still work on cloudy days, but output is lower than it is when there’s direct sunlight.

3. Snow on Panels

   In the winter, snow can accumulate on your solar panels and block sunlight, reducing their output. But this isn’t as big a problem as people tend to think. Panels are sloped and slippery, allowing snow to slide off easily, and because of their dark color, they tend to melt snow relatively easily.

4. Cooler Temperatures Boost Efficiency

   Surprisingly, the cold is actually good for solar panels. According to the Department of Energy, very high temperatures can actually cause a decrease in voltage, which reduces the amount of electricity a solar panel can produce.

Why Winter Is a Great Time to Go Solar

If you’re thinking about installing solar panels, winter is actually one of the best times to get started. The solar process typically takes 1-3 months from proposal to installation. If you start the process in the winter, your system will be up and running by the time the longer, sunnier spring and summer days roll around.

Plus, since fewer people are thinking about solar in the winter (even though they should be!), we tend to have a more flexible schedule. That makes scheduling easier and could result in a faster installation.

At the end of the day, however, there’s no bad time to go solar. The sooner you get started, the sooner you can start powering your home with clean, renewable energy and saving money on your electric bills.

See if solar is right for your home. Call 929-977-0058 or schedule your free solar consultation today!