Auswell Energy explains how an upcoming El Niño summer will affect your solar panels.
It’s looking highly likely this summer will be an El Niño. This pattern, often spanning months to even years, means a lot of different outcomes – including surprising effects on solar panels. As solar power installers in Brisbane, Auswell Energy can help shine a light on how solar panels and El Niño interact.
What is El Niño?
El Niño and El Niña are powerful players in Australia’s weather. For El Niño, it means less rain, hotter and more extreme temperatures, fewer cyclones, a later monsoon season, decreased alpine snow depth, and perhaps the most worrying of all, the possibility of worse bushfires.
El Niño occurs when sea surface temperatures increase substantially, which results in a shift in atmospheric circulation and weakened trade winds.
Australia’s last El Niño was 2015-16, during which nearly the entire country experienced less rainfall than average, with a few areas experiencing the least rainfall on record. In Queensland, during the summer of 2015-16 the maximum, minimum, and mean temperature all notably increased.
The Effects on Solar Panel Efficiency
Perhaps the most noteworthy way solar panels can be affected negatively by El Niño is by increased temperatures, as a solar panel’s efficiency decreases above 25°C. Another way solar panel efficiency can be affected during El Niño is by the increase in dust caused by less rainfall. During El Niño, dust will accumulate more quickly on solar panels, blocking sunlight from being absorbed.
However, less rainfall also means clearer skies—which means your panels will be generating a lot more energy.
Additionally, the hotter weather means more people will be using air conditioning. This puts a lot of pressure on the electricity grid, which means increased electrical outages. Solar power installers in Brisbane can teach you how you can use your own solar power during a blackout.
How to Prepare Your Panels for El Niño
To prepare your system for the effects of El Niño, make sure you are cleaning your solar panels regularly so that dust does not accumulate enough to block sunlight absorption. You can also ensure your panels are installed with proper spacing and angling.
Finally, opt for panels with a low-temperature coefficient, which will reduce the loss of efficiency that comes with higher temperatures.
Solar panel installers in Brisbane like Auswell Energy are familiar with high summer temperatures and have specific products and installation techniques that can improve your panel’s efficiency in the Queensland summer heat.
Seeking Expert Advice
Finally, solar panel installers are your go-to experts in solar power. Installers in Brisbane like Auswell Energy are open to any questions you have about your panels, and they’re ready to help you prepare for El Niño.
Auswell Energy can help you power your home with solar energy. We are trusted solar power installers in Brisbane, Tweed Heads, and the Gold Coast. (See our solar installation options)
ALSO READ: Buying Solar: Some Technical Tips
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