Will Trees Affect My Solar Panels?

Trees Affect on Solar Panels

Installing a solar panel system is a great way to reduce your reliance on the National Grid and save money on electricity. The energy generated from solar panels can also be stored in solar batteries for use after dark, meaning you can reap the benefits long after the sun has set. But are solar panels suitable for all properties and can trees impact their efficiency? Let’s find out.

Trees and Solar Panels

When installing solar panels, the position of your rooftop and how it’s shaded by surrounding trees must be taken into consideration. Basically, solar panels work best when they’re exposed to direct sunlight. If the solar panels are shaded in any way, their performance can be compromised. This is particularly true for solar panels that are interconnected. When one panel’s efficiency is lower or higher than another’s, it can improve or worsen the surrounding panels, impacting your entire solar panel setup. So if a third of your panels are in shade, the whole system might not work as efficiently as it should do.

There is a way around this, however, and solar PV experts will advise you how to proceed. It involves incorporating microinverters into each solar panel, allowing them to operate independently from each other. This means that if some of the panels are shaded, the efficiency of the entire system won’t be compromised.

Seasonal Variations

A solar panel system can be used all year round. Even when the sun isn’t at its hottest or it’s cloudy, the panels will still generate enough energy to work, particularly on south or south-east facing rooftops. When installing solar panels in autumn or winter, however, it might be difficult to assess just how shaded your rooftop will be in spring and summer when the leaves return to the trees. If you’ve no trees surrounding your garden, this shouldn’t be a concern. But if you’re lucky enough to live in a green area and have plenty of trees nearby, thinking about shade is necessary.

One thing you can do is keep an eye on your roof during the summer months to see if there are any obstructions you need to worry about. If there are, will pruning the branches above your roof work? If the tree belongs to a neighbour, could you ask them to cut it back so it doesn’t obstruct your rooftop?

Trees don’t have to prevent solar panel installation. But it’s a good idea to keep the area around your roof clean and clear. This will also prevent birds from landing in branches and defecating onto your panels, which can again interfere with their performance. While solar panel maintenance is low, you don’t want to be cleaning up regular bird mess.

Also, think about how your roof is shaded during different times of the day. As the sun moves, does it cause bigger areas of shading? This will determine the type of panels you opt for.

Contact solar panel installers in Kent today for solar panel advice. The number of solar panels required will depend on the size of your rooftop as well as your energy needs. Professional installers will carry out the correct calculations for you.