Do solar panels work in shade?

If the sun isn’t shining on your solar panels, they won’t be able to produce energy. When trees or other obstructions are shading solar panels, efficiency losses and reduced power generation may become problematic. In this article we will examine the effects of shade on solar panel production and efficiency.

Though the output will be reduce, solar panels will still work in the shade – just at less capacity due to lower sunlight exposure. 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.