How Do Solar Panels Work At Night?

Solar energy is one of the cleanest and most abundant renewable energy sources available in the U.S. It’s commonly referred to as one of the most adaptable renewable energy sources, as it can be used for domestic, commercial or industrial use, and it’s also becoming a more cost-effective option every day. Learn more about how solar energy can work for you below!

What Is A Renewable Energy Source?

A renewable energy source is defined as any source of energy that replenishes naturally within a human time scale, meaning at a rate that allows the resources to replenish as humans use them. For example, coal and oil take hundreds of thousands of years to form, which means we use them at a much higher rate than they replenish. Solar energy appears and can be harvested every day, making it one of the world’s most reliable energy sources if we have the technology in place needed to capture it. Solar panel systems are one of those technologies.

Is Solar Energy A Renewable Resource?

Solar energy shows up every day, reaching us through the sun’s rays, which means it’s consistently available. According to NASA, the sun is only about halfway through its lifetime, so we have about 5 billion years to take advantage of the daily energy that flows through our atmosphere!

Beyond being a renewable resource, solar energy is also often classified as a green resource, which means many of the harmful environmental side effects that are usually associated with fossil fuels don’t apply to solar. Although there is some concern about the environmental effects of manufacturing solar panels, the zero emissions that solar energy generates far outweigh any environmental concerns. In addition, solar panels can even be recycled. This effectively makes solar energy one of the best options for anyone trying to live a greener, more sustainable lifestyle.

Does Solar Energy Work Well?

Solar energy use is increasing dramatically every year as solar panels and systems become more mainstream. As the panels become better at converting sunlight into emission-free electricity, the downside of emissions associated with manufacturing solar panels will continue to be outweighed by the emissions saved by producing electricity with solar panels rather than from non-renewable resources.

Go Green With Renewable Solar Energy

It might seem like your solar panel system would be less useful to your home at night simply because the sun is not out and therefore it won’t be producing electricity. But in fact, that does not have to be the case! With the proper design and setup, your solar panel system can help power your home at night, and you can reduce your reliance on the grid even further. 

Your solar panel system might not be producing energy at night, but it is far from dormant! To learn more about how your solar system works when the sun goes down, read the post below.

Do Solar Panels Work At Night?

As their name suggests, your solar panels will not generate electricity at night. In order for them to actively generate energy, the sun has to be out. Solar panels work by allowing photons from the sun’s rays to cause a reaction within the electrons of your panels. When the electrons are knocked free, an electrical current is generated, which is how solar energy is created. 

Without sunlight, there is no way for your solar panels to create electricity. However, that does not mean that your solar panel system is useless when the sun isn’t shining. 

How Does My Solar System Power My Home At Night?

Although it won’t be creating any energy, your solar system can be designed and set up to power your home at night. During the day, if your panels produce more electricity than you need to power your home, it is possible to store some of that electricity in a Pink Energy battery backup. This stored electricity can be used any time your solar panels are not producing enough electricity to power your home. It could be during a grid outage, during a cloudy day or, of course, at night!

Without a battery backup, your solar panel system will only function during the day and you will likely find yourself more reliant on electricity from the grid than a customer who opted to install a battery backup to store excess energy.

Keep Your Lights On With Pink Energy Battery Backups

When you combine Pink Energy’s American-made solar panels with a Pink Energy battery backup, you maximize your energy independence and provide your home with clean electricity to help keep your home running even when the sun goes down. This system is designed to be dependable and efficient, and to maximize your solar panels’ potential. If you want to know more about how your Pink Energy backup battery can power your home through the night, contact us here for more information.