A homeowner with rooftop solar panels turned to the internet for advice about why the panels' power output had declined dramatically throughout the year.
The scoop
Posting to the r/solar subreddit, the original poster shared images of their solar panels' power output. The output dropped considerably from spring to fall.
In April and May, the OP's solar panels were generating over 40 kilowatt-hours per day. However, in September and October, that figure had fallen below 30.
Redditors explained several reasons for why the drop in production might have occurred and how the homeowner could figure out the culprit.
"So if you really want to double check to see if something's wrong, you should check out your performance calculation that they gave you in your quote," one explained. "Check to see if it's under or over for the month."
Another person said that the cause could simply be the different angle of the sun in the sky as the seasons changed.
"Basically the sun's rays are coming in at an acute angle, through lots of atmosphere, and since you have a flat roof and east-west panels, hitting less and less surface area of your panels," they wrote.
Still others recommended that the OP make sure that their panels were free from dirt and debris that could limit their productivity.
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How it's helping
With the useful information, the OP was prepared to get to the bottom of their solar production problem.
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Energy consumption ⚡ "Thank you," they wrote. "That's helpful advice."
Understanding whether variations in solar power production are the result of a fixable problem or natural changes in weather can help homeowners ensure they make the most out of their solar systems.
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What everyone's saying
As for the OP, Redditors offered plenty of potential explanations.
"Probably a good amount of bird poop up there in addition to dust, etc.," one commenter suggested. "Has there been much rain this summer?"
"My guess: Air quality was very poor in Chicago Aug and Sept," another added. "In other words, the haze and smoke from the Canadian fires caused significant light refraction, affecting your panel production."
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