Solar Energy In the North West

We get a lot of questions from customers asking about solar energy in the North West. Does solar energy work in the Pacific North West? Is the Pacific North West a good climate for solar?

The short answer is yes, Seattle and the North West are a great place for solar energy! And the reason why may surprise you.

The power output of solar panels is quite variable due to multiple technical reasons. Factors like solar irradiance, roof orientation, shading, wiring, and the equipment used may directly affect the performance of a solar energy PV system.

Summers in the Pacific North West are generally sunny and clear, and daylight hours can stretch from nearly 5 AM to 10 PM in much of the state. These long, clear and (mostly) cool days produce large amounts of solar electricity.

One of the important factors that affect the efficiency of a solar panel is the operational temperature of the module – the temperature of the air. Each solar panel is manufactured with a specific temperature coefficient that is linked to the performance of that module.

As a rule, solar panels are typically measured under Standard Test Conditions (STC) which have specific lab conditions made to establish the same parameters for all modules and test their performance based on these parameters. One of those parameters is peak operating temperature, set at 25°C (77°F). This is when solar cells can absorb sunlight with maximum efficiency.

That means that if the temperature of the solar power module is above 25°C (77°F), the solar panel will have a reduced power output. The temperature coefficient determines the reduction in power output per every 1°C above 25°C. The higher the ambient temperature of the air, the more thermal losses will be experienced in the PV system (these losses could reach up to 10% of annual solar energy yields, which represents a large amount of energy).

Meanwhile, if the temperature of the location is colder, then thermal losses will logically be much lower. Let’s see this fact with an example.

Let’s take the temperature coefficient of a LG Solar NeON® 2 module at -0.36%/°C.

Let’s compare Seattle, Washington and Austin, Texas. In Seattle and the North West let’s estimate the average summer temperature to be around 23°C (73°F) – coincidentally near the optimal peak operating temperature. We can compare it to a hotter climate location like Austin, Texas, where temperatures are often around 36°C (97°F) during the summer.

Using these temperature values (using Celsius as the normalized measurement for international reference) we can compare them with the temperature coefficient and estimate power losses for each solar panel.

Estimated Thermal Losses(seattle)=23°C x 0.36%/°C =  8.28%

Estimated Thermal Losses(austin)=36°C x 0.36%/°C =  12.96%

As we can see, there are thermal losses of nearly 5% of solar power in the hotter climate. Temperature variations during winter, spring and fall may be bigger, therefore, thermal losses may also be bigger. However, Seattle would still be the best location for solar in this scenario.

Many other sunny locations in warmer climates will generate a similar balance between light and heat radiations in high amounts – ironically reducing the performance of the solar pv module. Meanwhile, colder locations like Washington State and the North West will have a solar radiation balance where light will be more active than heat.

This means – hotter solar panels produce less energy from the same amount of sunlight!

In other words, Seattle and the North West are an ideal climate for solar. Solar energy installations in the North West will experience less thermal loss than warmer locations. The Pacific North West is a great place for solar!

For more information on solar panels, solar energy, EV and electrical installation visit our website https://artisanelectricinc.com/.

Artisan Electric Inc
969 S Nebraska Street Suite A Seattle, WA 98108
(206) 557-4215

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