Solar panels can only generate electricity when there is sunlight. Solar storage and the use of a backup power source during the night are the main reasons for solar panels not working at night.

We will discuss why solar panels are still a good investment, including net metering and back-up energy use to power your home in the dark.

DO SOLAR PANELS PRODUCE ENERGY AT NIGHT?

Similar to how solar cells won’t work at their peak efficiency in cloudy conditions, they don’t produce any energy at night when there’s not enough sunlight to absorb.

Your panels are hard at work all day long, even after sunset, to generate enough electricity to run your home through the night. However, the photovoltaic cells within your panels require sunlight to produce that power.

Once the sun sets, it’s time for you to use any extra energy your system has produced throughout the day. You can access this energy through your battery or your solar power. You can also use your net meters solar credits to get energy in the dark hours.

Let’s have a closer look at each of these options.

SOLAR BATTERY STOCKAGE FOR ENERGY AT NIGHT

You can access electricity at night when the solar panels are not producing energy. Solar panels can be used as a renewable energy source around the clock thanks to backup power.

Solar batteries can be used to store energy at any time of the day. They are most useful at night when your panels generate the most power.

Your solar panels can charge your battery with excess sun energy that you don’t use for electricity. Instead of sending excess electricity to a grid, you can store it for later use, or even at night.

This energy independence allows you to use your solar battery storage before you draw energy from the grid. You can also use the stored energy for other occasions than nighttime hours.

You can rest assured that there is enough energy to get you through a crisis, even if it’s caused by extreme weather conditions like extreme heat or hurricane .

NET METERING KEEPS YOU CONNECTED AT NIGHT

Many utility providers offer net-metering programs. Net metering works in the same way as a savings account. Any excess energy that you don’t use to power your home is transferred into the grid. Your retail electric provider (REP), in return, will either reimburse you or give solar credits.

You can use the energy credits that you have accumulated during the night to pay your bills while your solar panels are working hard during the day. Solar system owners are able to rely on their abundance of credits when they need them.

Net metering allows electricity to flow to your home via a bidirectional connection. Your panels can produce excess energy during the day and that energy flows to the grid. Your home will also benefit from energy flowing into the grid if your panels are not producing any energy at night.

Grid connection is basically a shared form of solar power storage. It is not available everywhere. Before making long-term investments, such as in a solar system or storage solution, you should investigate the net metering policies within your region.

Check out our complete list of incentives and rebates that are based on your location.

TANDEM CAN CONTAIN NET METERING & BATTERY STORAGE

To take advantage of net Metering benefits, most solar panel owners connect to the grid. Many households are installing storage batteries.

These two solutions don’t have to be mutually exclusive. They can even work together!

You can only program your battery to draw power from the grid once it is completely depleted. You can also configure them to work simultaneously. This will allow you to reduce your electricity bill while increasing your energy security.

This post was written by a professional at Red Solar. https://redsolar.energy/ was started with the mindset of renewable energy being the future. We want everyone to travel through this transition. We can all agree that solar is the best way to reduce your carbon footprint, but it’s not the only way. During a Red Solar energy evaluation, all energy commons in your home will be analyzed for results. Our expert technicians will guide you through the process for better understanding and reassurance. Contact us for more information today!