{"id":969,"date":"2019-01-11T12:10:13","date_gmt":"2019-01-11T12:10:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/?p=969"},"modified":"2021-09-28T16:58:36","modified_gmt":"2021-09-28T16:58:36","slug":"will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Solar Panels Work in the Shade?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"969\" class=\"elementor elementor-969\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-47224ff lead-section elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"47224ff\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-2264836\" data-id=\"2264836\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e3ee610 article-title elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"e3ee610\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Will Solar Panels Work in the Shade?<\/h1>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-4eac2f1 toc-and-author-bio-section elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4eac2f1\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-63acc79 left-column\" data-id=\"63acc79\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6719d29 table-of-contents elementor-widget elementor-widget-shortcode\" data-id=\"6719d29\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"shortcode.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-shortcode\"><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_55 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Page Contents<\/p>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/#Shadings-and-Solar-Irradiance\" title=\"Shadings and Solar Irradiance\">Shadings and Solar Irradiance<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/#Will-My-Solar-Panels-Produce-Electricity-on-Cloudy-Days\" title=\"Will My Solar Panels Produce Electricity on Cloudy Days?\">Will My Solar Panels Produce Electricity on Cloudy Days?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/#The-Effect-of-Near-Shadings-in-Solar-Panels\" title=\"The Effect of Near Shadings in Solar Panels\">The Effect of Near Shadings in Solar Panels<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/#Bypass-Diodes-and-Solar-Panels\" title=\"Bypass Diodes and Solar Panels\">Bypass Diodes and Solar Panels<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/#Remarkable-Solutions-in-the-Industry-to-Mitigate-the-Impact-of-Shadings\" title=\"Remarkable Solutions in the Industry to Mitigate the Impact of Shadings\">Remarkable Solutions in the Industry to Mitigate the Impact of Shadings<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-0549cc0 right-column\" data-id=\"0549cc0\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4fd64e5 author-bio elementor-widget elementor-widget-shortcode\" data-id=\"4fd64e5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"shortcode.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-shortcode\"><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  \"name\": \"Carlos\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  \"url\": \"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/author\/carlos\/\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  \"image\": \"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3c18d5a96d3725994be378321295fd4b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  \"jobTitle\": \"Author\"  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/script><p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"author-bio-avatar\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3c18d5a96d3725994be378321295fd4b?s=50&amp;d=mm&amp;r=g\" alt=\"Carlos\" width=\"50\" height=\"50\" \/><\/p><p class=\"author-bio-text\"><span class=\"written-by-text\">Written by<\/span> <span class=\"job-title\">qualified solar engineer<\/span> <span class=\"author-name\">Carlos<\/span><span class=\"written-by-period\">.<\/span> <span class=\"last-updated-text\">Last updated:<\/span> <time datetime=\"2021-09-28 16:58:36\">September 28, 2021<\/time><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4caed31 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4caed31\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-b3770e9\" data-id=\"b3770e9\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5ff3f74 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5ff3f74\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Solar panels will still work producing electricity even when they are partially shaded. If they are completely blocked by an object, however, then the solar panel will stop producing electricity. Sometimes, even if the shade does not completely block the solar panel, it can make electricity production stop.<\/p>\n<p>To understand how this works, we must dig further into the impact of shadings on solar power production, the <a href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/what-are-solar-panels-made-of\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">components of the solar panels<\/a>, and how they work when shades are present.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Shadings-and-Solar-Irradiance\"><\/span>Shadings and Solar Irradiance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Solar radiation is generally expressed as the sum of two components. The first is called Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) and represents the irradiance (power that can be obtained from solar energy by square meter) on a surface perpendicular to the Sun. In other words, is related to the solar radiation that directly impacts the solar panels<\/p>\n<p>The second component is known as Diffused Horizontal Irradiance (DHI). This concept is related to all the solar radiation that was reflected by clouds, lakes, or mountains\u00a0 that indirectly impact the solar panels.<\/p>\n<p>The image below can better express how these two factors reach the solar panel.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Ecotality-diagram.webp 432w,https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Ecotality-diagram-300x162.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Ecotality-diagram.png\" height=\"233\" width=\"432\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Ecotality-diagram.png 432w, https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Ecotality-diagram-300x162.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-804 size-full sp-no-webp\" alt=\"diagram explanation of how shading impacts solar radiation\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  > <\/picture><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\">(Source \u2013 A.Walker. \u201cSolar Energy: Technologies and Project Delivery for Buildings\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>There are\u00a0two main types of shadings. One type is called far-shadings and the other type is called near-shadings.<\/p>\n<p>Far-shadings (also called horizon shadings)\u00a0 refer to the losses in solar radiation due to shadings caused by large objects like mountains, valleys or high buildings. Far-shadings are quantified as losses in DHI.<\/p>\n<p>Near shadings are\u00a0nearby objects such as trees, walls, chimneys, antennas, houses, or\u00a0 other modules that cause shadings on the solar panel. These are quantified as losses in DNI and are the most significant ones.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Will-My-Solar-Panels-Produce-Electricity-on-Cloudy-Days\"><\/span>Will My Solar Panels Produce Electricity on Cloudy Days?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The short answer to this question is yes.<\/p>\n<p>Clouds reduce the amount of sunlight, but they specifically reduce the direct component of solar radiation. Based on the concepts that we described before, they radically reduce the amount of DNI that reaches your solar panels.<\/p>\n<p>However, despite the cloudy day, we can still see sunlight, right?<\/p>\n<p>That is because the DHI component is still present on cloudy days. Therefore, your solar panels will still produce electricity using the DHI component of solar radiation. The only difference is that they will indeed produce less electricity than on sunny days.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The-Effect-of-Near-Shadings-in-Solar-Panels\"><\/span>The Effect of Near Shadings in Solar Panels<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Once an object causes shades in a solar panel, the effect reduces the power output of the whole string (set of solar panels configured in series) because the obstruction reduces the amount of photons that can be absorbed by the module.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, if a solar panel is partially shaded then the current is reduced. Now, if we have a string of modules and one of them is partially shaded, then the whole string must reduce its current or power output because they are configured in series. That is a physics law that unfortunately cannot be avoided.<\/p>\n<p>Now, what exactly happens when a module is shaded?<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bypass-Diodes-and-Solar-Panels\"><\/span>Bypass Diodes and Solar Panels<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In order to maximize the energy output in the presence of shades, solar panel manufacturers decided to include bypass diodes in the junction box (located in the rear side of the module). Bypass diodes are electronic devices that will act whenever there are partial shadings in a module.<\/p>\n<p>With the bypass diodes included, the partially shaded module will still produce electricity, just in a lower amount. Since bypass diodes can be expensive, solar panel manufacturers tend to group a set of cells to a single bypass diode and place three bypass diodes on the junction box of the panel.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/tabla.webp 420w,https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/tabla-300x106.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/tabla.png\" height=\"149\" width=\"420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/tabla.png 420w, https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/tabla-300x106.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-500 size-full sp-no-webp\" alt=\"diagram of bypass diodes within solar panels\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  > <\/picture>(Source \u2013 A.Luque y S.Hegedus. \u201cHandbook of Photovoltaic Science and Engineering\u201d.<\/span>)<\/p>\n<p>That way, whenever a corner or sector of the module is shaded, the corresponding bypass diode will block the production of that sector of cells, but it will still allow the electricity production from the other two bypass diodes. To understand\u00a0 this effect better you can take a look at this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JTDSPjDSrS8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">video<\/a><\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, if one solar panel in a string of modules is partially shaded, then the bypass diodes will act to allow the current flow from the other modules according to the maximum current that the shaded module can produce. Moreover, bypass diodes also help to avoid the presence of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pveducation.org\/pvcdrom\/modules\/hot-spot-heating\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hot spots<\/a> that can severely damage the solar panels.<\/p>\n<p><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/tabla-1.webp 301w,https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/tabla-1-300x77.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 301px) 100vw, 301px\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/tabla-1.png\" height=\"77\" width=\"301\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/tabla-1.png 301w, https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/tabla-1-300x77.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 301px) 100vw, 301px\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-504 size-full sp-no-webp\" alt=\"Diagram explanation of how to avoid hot spot damage on solar panels\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  > <\/picture><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\">(Source \u2013 A.Luque y S.Hegedus. \u201cHandbook of Photovoltaic Science and Engineering\u201d.<\/span>)<\/p>\n<p>Bypass diodes mitigate the impact of near-shadings on solar panels and allow them to keep producing electricity in the presence of shades. However, near-shadings are still completely undesirable for the performance of a PV system.<\/p>\n<p>That is why your solar installer must design the system appropriately to reduce the impact of shadings, and he\/she must quantify the shading losses to be lower than 10% annually in simulation programs.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Remarkable-Solutions-in-the-Industry-to-Mitigate-the-Impact-of-Shadings\"><\/span>Remarkable Solutions in the Industry to Mitigate the Impact of Shadings<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>To fight against scenarios where shadings cannot be avoided, the industry has come out with several solutions:<\/p>\n<h3>MLPE<\/h3>\n<p>The first and maybe most reliable ones for shading scenarios are the module-level power electronics (MLPE) such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Fzj2a-9M4qo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">microinverters<\/a> from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=d_lyOxPWeDI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Enphase<\/a>,\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=7HZ17ToAIYY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">DC power optimizers<\/a> from SolarEdge, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SnR5kmqVdZw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Tigo Energy<\/a> where power optimization in every module is independent. In other words, shadings on one panel do not affect the others.<\/p>\n<h3>String or Central Inverters<\/h3>\n<p>Another factor that must be taken into account when shadings are present on the solar array is the maximum power point (MPP) tracking.<\/p>\n<p>When solar panels are shaded, the I\/V curve of the string loses its regular shape and two maximum power points appear in the curve: Global MPP and Local MPP.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/tabla-2.webp 565w,https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/tabla-2-300x159.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 565px) 100vw, 565px\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/tabla-2.png\" height=\"299\" width=\"565\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/tabla-2.png 565w, https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/tabla-2-300x159.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 565px) 100vw, 565px\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-507 size-full sp-no-webp\" alt=\"graph chart of how the shade affects the power of the solar panel\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  > <\/picture><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\">(Source \u2013 SMA OptiTrac Global Peak.<\/span>)<\/p>\n<p>As you can see on the graph above, LMPP is lower than GMPP.<\/p>\n<p>Regular inverters could choose the LMPP as the maximum operating point of the curve because their search range is limited. However, remarkable solutions from inverter companies like SMA and Fronius maximize the power output of the array in the presence of shades by selecting the operation point at GMPP, thanks to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=bxIi4GiZakE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">SMA OptiTrac Global Peak<\/a> feature and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=2OmcKqfM5VI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Dynamic Peak Manager<\/a> form Fronius.<\/p>\n<h3>Solar Panel Innovation<\/h3>\n<p>Another interesting solution that allows maximizing energy production in the presence of shades is the solar panel design from Panasonic.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/panasonic.net\/ecosolutions\/solar\/download\/pdf\/HIT_N330_N325_Brochure.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Panasonic HIT N330\/N325 modules<\/a> are the only ones in the industry that incorporate 4 bypass diodes. This allows reducing the number of solar cells that could unnecessarily lose production in the presence of shades, and it also maximizes the energy that the other non-shaded modules can produce as well.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/tabla-3.webp 549w,https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/tabla-3-300x157.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 549px) 100vw, 549px\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/tabla-3.png\" height=\"287\" width=\"549\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/tabla-3.png 549w, https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/tabla-3-300x157.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 549px) 100vw, 549px\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-511 size-full sp-no-webp\" alt=\"explanation of how the panasonic hit n330\/n325 maxamises performance with 4 bypass diodes\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  > <\/picture><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\">(Source \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/panasonic.net\/ecosolutions\/solar\/download\/pdf\/HIT_N330_N325_Brochure.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Panasonic HIT N330-N325 Brochure<\/a><\/span>)<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-f0bba71 references-section elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"f0bba71\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-83d6871\" data-id=\"83d6871\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fc0e1d1 references-heading elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"fc0e1d1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">References<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4217de7 references elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4217de7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ol>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pveducation.org\/pvcdrom\/modules\/hot-spot-heating\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Hot Spot Heating<\/a> &#8211; PVEducation<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SnR5kmqVdZw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Tigo Energy<\/a> &#8211; YouTube<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=bxIi4GiZakE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Optitrac Global Peak Shade Mitigation<\/a> &#8211; YouTube<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=2OmcKqfM5VI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Fronius se ani Dynamic Peakmanager<\/a> &#8211; YouTube<\/li>\n<\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-7cbae883 post-rating-section elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"7cbae883\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-2ebb3f05\" data-id=\"2ebb3f05\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-65812e94 post-rating elementor-widget elementor-widget-shortcode\" data-id=\"65812e94\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"shortcode.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-shortcode\"><!-- Rate my Post Plugin --><div  class=\"rmp-widgets-container rmp-wp-plugin rmp-main-container js-rmp-widgets-container js-rmp-widgets-container--969 \"  data-post-id=\"969\">    <!-- Rating widget -->  <div class=\"rmp-rating-widget js-rmp-rating-widget\">          <p class=\"rmp-heading rmp-heading--title\">        We hope you liked this article. Please rate it or leave us a comment.      <\/p>            <div class=\"rmp-rating-widget__icons\">      <ul class=\"rmp-rating-widget__icons-list js-rmp-rating-icons-list\">                  <li class=\"rmp-rating-widget__icons-list__icon js-rmp-rating-item\" data-descriptive-rating=\"Not at all useful\" data-value=\"1\">            <i class=\"js-rmp-rating-icon rmp-icon rmp-icon--ratings rmp-icon--star rmp-icon--full-highlight\"><\/i>          <\/li>                  <li class=\"rmp-rating-widget__icons-list__icon js-rmp-rating-item\" data-descriptive-rating=\"Somewhat useful\" data-value=\"2\">            <i class=\"js-rmp-rating-icon rmp-icon rmp-icon--ratings rmp-icon--star rmp-icon--full-highlight\"><\/i>          <\/li>                  <li class=\"rmp-rating-widget__icons-list__icon js-rmp-rating-item\" data-descriptive-rating=\"Useful\" data-value=\"3\">            <i class=\"js-rmp-rating-icon rmp-icon rmp-icon--ratings rmp-icon--star rmp-icon--full-highlight\"><\/i>          <\/li>                  <li class=\"rmp-rating-widget__icons-list__icon js-rmp-rating-item\" data-descriptive-rating=\"Fairly useful\" data-value=\"4\">            <i class=\"js-rmp-rating-icon rmp-icon rmp-icon--ratings rmp-icon--star rmp-icon--full-highlight\"><\/i>          <\/li>                  <li class=\"rmp-rating-widget__icons-list__icon js-rmp-rating-item\" data-descriptive-rating=\"Very useful\" data-value=\"5\">            <i class=\"js-rmp-rating-icon rmp-icon rmp-icon--ratings rmp-icon--star rmp-icon--full-highlight\"><\/i>          <\/li>              <\/ul>    <\/div>    <p class=\"rmp-rating-widget__hover-text js-rmp-hover-text\"><\/p>    <button class=\"rmp-rating-widget__submit-btn rmp-btn js-submit-rating-btn\">      Submit Rating    <\/button>    <p class=\"rmp-rating-widget__results js-rmp-results \">      Average rating <span class=\"rmp-rating-widget__results__rating js-rmp-avg-rating\">5<\/span> \/ 5. Vote count: <span class=\"rmp-rating-widget__results__votes js-rmp-vote-count\">5<\/span>    <\/p>    <p class=\"rmp-rating-widget__not-rated js-rmp-not-rated rmp-rating-widget__not-rated--hidden\">      No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.    <\/p>    <p class=\"rmp-rating-widget__msg js-rmp-msg\"><\/p>  <\/div>  <!--Structured data -->  <script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{  \"@context\": \"http:\/\/schema.org\",  \"@type\": \"Product\",  \"aggregateRating\": {    \"@type\": \"AggregateRating\",    \"bestRating\": \"5\",    \"ratingCount\": \"5\",    \"ratingValue\": \"5\"  },  \"image\": \"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Solar-panels-in-the-shade-e1590513940749.jpg\",  \"name\": \"Will Solar Panels Work in the Shade?\",  \"description\": \"Will Solar Panels Work in the Shade?\"}<\/script>      <\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Will Solar Panels Work in the Shade? Solar panels will still work producing electricity even when they are partially shaded. If they are completely blocked by an object, however, then the solar panel will stop producing electricity. Sometimes, even if the shade does not completely block the solar panel, it can make electricity production stop. &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Will Solar Panels Work in the Shade?<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":1048,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"right-sidebar","site-content-layout":"plain-container","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"","_glsr_average":0,"_glsr_ranking":0,"_glsr_reviews":0},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Will Solar Panels Work in the Shade? - ecotality.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Will Solar Panels Work in the Shade? - ecotality.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Will Solar Panels Work in the Shade? Solar panels will still work producing electricity even when they are partially shaded. If they are completely blocked by an object, however, then the solar panel will stop producing electricity. Sometimes, even if the shade does not completely block the solar panel, it can make electricity production stop. &hellip; Will Solar Panels Work in the Shade? Read More &raquo;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"ecotality.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-01-11T12:10:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-09-28T16:58:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Solar-panels-in-the-shade-e1590513940749.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"740\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"381\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Carlos\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Carlos\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Carlos\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9286753bf10b704984dcc61610649395\"},\"headline\":\"Will Solar Panels Work in the Shade?\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-01-11T12:10:13+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-09-28T16:58:36+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/\"},\"wordCount\":1155,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Technical\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/\",\"name\":\"Will Solar Panels Work in the Shade? - ecotality.com\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2019-01-11T12:10:13+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-09-28T16:58:36+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Will Solar Panels Work in the Shade?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/\",\"name\":\"ecotality.com\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"ecotality.com\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/ecotality.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/ecotality.png\",\"width\":212,\"height\":44,\"caption\":\"ecotality.com\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9286753bf10b704984dcc61610649395\",\"name\":\"Carlos\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3c18d5a96d3725994be378321295fd4b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3c18d5a96d3725994be378321295fd4b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Carlos\"},\"description\":\"Carlos is a trained solar engineer deeply involved in the solar industry with a background in the design of photovoltaic systems for the residential and commercial sector. He is a promoter of sustainable technologies and solutions with a passion for renewable energy.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/author\/carlos\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Will Solar Panels Work in the Shade? - ecotality.com","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Will Solar Panels Work in the Shade? - ecotality.com","og_description":"Will Solar Panels Work in the Shade? Solar panels will still work producing electricity even when they are partially shaded. If they are completely blocked by an object, however, then the solar panel will stop producing electricity. Sometimes, even if the shade does not completely block the solar panel, it can make electricity production stop. &hellip; Will Solar Panels Work in the Shade? Read More &raquo;","og_url":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/","og_site_name":"ecotality.com","article_published_time":"2019-01-11T12:10:13+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-09-28T16:58:36+00:00","og_image":[{"width":740,"height":381,"url":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Solar-panels-in-the-shade-e1590513940749.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Carlos","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Carlos","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/"},"author":{"name":"Carlos","@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9286753bf10b704984dcc61610649395"},"headline":"Will Solar Panels Work in the Shade?","datePublished":"2019-01-11T12:10:13+00:00","dateModified":"2021-09-28T16:58:36+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/"},"wordCount":1155,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#organization"},"articleSection":["Technical"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/","url":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/","name":"Will Solar Panels Work in the Shade? - ecotality.com","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2019-01-11T12:10:13+00:00","dateModified":"2021-09-28T16:58:36+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/will-solar-panels-work-in-the-shade\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Will Solar Panels Work in the Shade?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/","name":"ecotality.com","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#organization","name":"ecotality.com","url":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/ecotality.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/ecotality.png","width":212,"height":44,"caption":"ecotality.com"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9286753bf10b704984dcc61610649395","name":"Carlos","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3c18d5a96d3725994be378321295fd4b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3c18d5a96d3725994be378321295fd4b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Carlos"},"description":"Carlos is a trained solar engineer deeply involved in the solar industry with a background in the design of photovoltaic systems for the residential and commercial sector. He is a promoter of sustainable technologies and solutions with a passion for renewable energy.","url":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/author\/carlos\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/969"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=969"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/969\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1048"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=969"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=969"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecotality.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=969"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}