Portable Solar Panels Work In Shaded Areas

The purpose of a bypass diode is to allow electricity in a solar panel to flow around the shaded cell.

Portable solar panels work in shaded areas.

In fact a shadow cast on even just part of one solar panel in your solar array can potentially compromise the output of the whole system. Solar panels work best when there is no shade cast upon them. Panels equipped with these devices experience fewer negative effects of solar panels in shaded areas and allow electricity to flow around any solar cells currently in the shade. Portable solar panels have emerged as a popular option to address this issue for the following reasons.

In a shaded solar system without optimisers the inverter still does its best to harvest as much energy as possible from the solar array. The first and most common is to use an electronic component called a bypass diode. Exposure to less powerful sunlight is the obvious contributor to lowered efficiency but the design of your solar installation specifically the panels and their inverter s also matters. A good feature about this module is that it comes integrated with kickstands that will allow you to tilt your solar panel to increase energy production across the day.

Now for the good news. The module has been manufactured with tempered glass an aluminum frame and reinforced corners that make it ideal for outdoor situations. For any panels in shade their internal bypass diodes may be on bypassing the part of the panel that is in shade. However the shade gets there the result is the same as it restricts the flow of direct sunlight to your panels and limits the reliable operation of your system.

Shaded solar panels produce less power than those in direct sunlight. What are some strategies for dealing with potential shading of solar arrays. There are two approaches that manufacturers take to build solar panels that work better in partial shade conditions like this. Portable solar panels can be moved around for optimal sunlight.

Thanks to this updated technology the amount of shade eclipsing the solar panel is now directly proportional to the amount of energy production the solar panel. Shade and solar panel efficiency. In short the answer is yes solar lights will work in most shade but not as effectively and you may not get a full nights charge. Even if you park your rv in the shade you can place the portable solar panels in direct sunlight with the help of an extension cable.

This article was originally published in 2012.