One of the questions we receive most frequently at Sungate Energy Solutions revolves around solar energy systems and how they work on cloudy days, as well as how they keep your appliances working at night.

Solar energy systems work quite well on cloudy days, though they may not produce as much energy as on bright sunny days. But, your solar power system can work quite well with the diffused light that the sun provides on even the most overcast days. In addition, most solar applications include a back up system that reverts to the regular electrical grid in the event that your solar panels just can’t keep up with the demand. This way, you’re never out of power because the weather is not cooperative.

Solar electrical systems are also typically equipped with a battery that absorbs the energy from the sun on the sunniest days. This energy is stored by the battery for use when the sun isn’t shining. So, on those very sunny days, it’s likely that you won’t revert to electricity on the grid even in the evening, after the sun goes down. Instead, you’ll use the energy stored during that day.

Very few people who have solar energy systems live entirely “off the grid” with no hookup to the power company, though it is possible. Instead, they produce most of their own power through their solar energy systems and get the rest from the power company as needed. However, since there will be many days when your solar system will produce more energy than you need, your electric meter may actually turn backwards. This means you’re selling energy to the electric company, and they’re offsetting your power bill for doing so. With a system like this, you will very rarely actually owe them any  money at the end of the month, because you wind up sort of “trading in” the excess power you generate for power from the electric company when you need it.

You needn’t be concerned that you can’t get enough power from a solar energy system. Your Sungate Energy Solutions representative can design the perfect solar energy system to fit your home’s energy requirements.