Will Partial Shading Of A Solar Panel Reduce Production

To compound the problem multiple solar panels are wired together in a series.

Will partial shading of a solar panel reduce production.

In fact the solar photovoltaic panels consist of a number of cells which are wired together into a series circuit. Although it probably goes without saying shading is not good for solar panels. Though the numbers will vary depending on how much shade the panels are facing the general rule with clouds and shade is that solar panels will produce about half as much energy as they would with direct sunlight. Solar panels will still work producing electricity even when they are partially shaded.

Sometimes even if the shade does not completely block the solar panel it can make electricity production stop. If helioscope could provide an estimate per module in terms how many kwh a specific module would produce in the shaded area that would be a great tool for designers to use. Similar principles apply to pv modules connected together. If they are completely blocked by an object however then the solar panel will stop producing electricity.

What fewer people understand however is just how important it is to avoid shading as much as possible. A shadow cast on even just part of one solar panel in your solar array can potentially compromise the output of the whole system. The impact of partial shading on a string of 17 modules where the shaded panel might reduce the production of the entire string is more drastic. Therefore only a small amount of shading can have a dramatic effect on the power output of a solar panel.

For us non geeks this means that a shadow falling on just ten cells of a solar panel or even fewer can reduce the electricity production of the entire panel by 50 or more. A common misconception is that partial shading does not affect the output of solar panels. Because of this the performance of the solar panel is significantly reduced even if a smallest section of the panel is in shade.