Aric Dyson wrote on May 2nd, 2013 at 10:42pm:I am new to solar panels. I have a question with regards to this topic, If there is no sun or if it is rainy days. Would your solar panels work? Even if they don't get solar energy coming from the sun?
Here's what I tell people...
When it's cloudy outside is it dark as night?
They say "No". And that's why you still get power on cloudy days!
It depends on how dark the clouds are but on most cloudy days look at the light outside and how bright it is, on days like that I get about 50% power from my panels, which isn't bad.
In light "thin" clouds it gets better, almost as much as a good day because the scattered light gets picked up by the panels from all directions all day long.
A lot of times the clouds go away part of the day or there are gaps and it gets a lot of power then too.
It also depends on where you live and if you get a lot of cloudy days.