Solar panels are associated with long, sunny summer days, so it is reasonable to wonder how useful they are during a British winter. The good news is that solar panels do not need hot weather or direct sunshine to generate electricity. They work in daylight and can continue producing power on cold, cloudy and overcast days.
What changes dramatically in winter is the amount of light available. Shorter days, a lower sun and heavier cloud cover mean a solar PV system will generate substantially less electricity than it does during spring and summer. Cold temperatures themselves are not the problem and can actually help solar cells operate efficiently.
