Do Solar Storms Affect Solar Panels

The 11 year solar cycle is actually a complex beast and it s not the only cycle the sun experiences.

Do solar storms affect solar panels.

A solar storm that hit earth tuesday is now at its tail end experts say. This is not to say that space weather can t affect our planet. You may be surprised to learn that solar storms can affect your emotional health and consciousness. However this same solar cycle has occurred over millennia so anyone over the age of 11 has already lived through such a solar maximum with no harm.

What happens to solar power when you can t even see the sun. But the biggest concern experts say would be disruptions to our power grid as a 2011 oecd report pdf on the impacts of solar storms points out electric power is modern society s. Either way solar flares and cmes are solar events beyond the control of humans. Solar activity is indeed currently ramping up toward what is known as solar maximum something that occurs approximately every 11 years.

Thirdly cmes affect a wider range of technologies like communication systems and power grids and can do more permanent damage. We spoke to our head of solar technologies dr greg wilson to get some answers. Solar panels wouldn t be much good if even a minor hail storm rendered them useless. In canberra hailstorms battered cars houses greenhouses and solar panels.

The biggest danger in a residential area is a long term loss of power. So how do hailstorms dust storms and smoke affect your solar panel performance. There are others that track other solar fluctuations over longer time periods too. A solar storm will mostly affect electric power grids possibly damaging larger transformers.

The solar storm is one of the strongest in years and could cause disruptions in satellites affect radio communications in polar areas and even slightly decrease the efficiency of solar panels. And as far as they know the only effects have been beautiful displays of the aurora borealis along the northern latitudes. However scientific studies confirm the link between solar activity and our physical and emotional wellbeing. Essentially using any type of inverter generator can provide a large amount of protection against solar storms if you have enough fuel on hand to run it.