Do my solar panels work better with more daylight?

Last Updated on 10/03/2025 by owen_2023

Do my solar panels work with more daylight?

The Solarstream in-house team brings expert skills set of knowledge to all the solar projects we get involved in. This includes full project management, technical expertise to supporting our customers grant applications right down to the highest quality products we install. Established in 2017, we have a wealth of knowledge that only experience brings. We have nationwide coverage. Please contact us for your local customer service agent. We have extensive experience in commercial solar panels and residential solar panels.

A lot of people considering solar panels have the obvious question – do solar panels need direct sunlight to generate electricity?  We often get asked about how the weather affects solar panels and in this article, we will discuss if solar panels will work better with more daylight.

How do they work?

Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels generate electricity by capturing energy from the sun. This is why they’re typically installed on roofs. Solar cells in the panels absorb miniscule packets of electromagnetic energy called photons – blips of energy waves that travel at the speed of light. This stimulates the release of electric charges (electrons) that create a direct current (DC) of electricity. A solar inverter turns this into AC (alternating current), which we need to run our homes. Solar panels rely on the photovoltaic principle. This is a phenomenon in physics and chemistry. A semiconducting material, such as silicon cells in solar panels, produces an electric current when exposed to sunlight.

Do they need sunlight?

Solar panels achieve optimal performance in direct sunlight. But they only need daylight – not direct sunlight – to generate electricity. In other words, your solar panels will work from sunrise to sunset, all year long. Solar panels do not need direct sunlight to work and they will generate electricity in cloudy conditions too. Good news, since we generally need to go abroad to get a tan. Ultimately, if you can see light outside, either direct or indirect, the solar panels can generate electricity.

Peak Sun Hours

Peak sunlight hours are key to how much power your solar panels will produce in a day. Ireland gets an average four to five hours of sunlight a day. About half of these are peak sun hours. Peak sunlight hours are essentially the times when sun intensity is around 1,000 watts (W) a square metre. They vary from region to region. Solar energy systems typically have six to 12 solar panels, each producing around 400-450W of energy in peak sunlight.

It is a common misconception that solar panels will not work in grey and cloudy Ireland – despite its reputation for having grey and cloudy weather, Ireland has more than enough sunlight to power solar panels!

Do Solar Panels Work in Bad Weather?

Put quite simply, yes they do! One of the great benefits of solar panels is that you don’t necessarily need the sun hitting hard for solar panels to work.

Even though they will produce more power during a sunny day, they can still produce a considerable amount of energy when the days are cloudy.

If you are interested in Residential Solar Systems or Business Solar Systems then please contact our friendly customer service team on info@solarstream.ie or call 1800 929 009.