When solar panels were first introduced, most Brits appreciated the energy-saving device could make a difference when used somewhere hot, and of course, sunny. However, the UK is certainly not known for its tropical climate.

Over the years though, more and more homeowners in Britain have opted for solar panel system installations, whether because they want to do their bit to slow down climate change, or because they want to reduce their energy bills.

This begs the question that most people want to know - is it worth installing solar panels in the UK when it is hardly the sunniest country to live in?

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Work in cloudy weather

The answer to this question is ‘yes’. Luckily for Brits, solar panels actually do not require hours and hours of sunshine to work.

As uSwitch explains: “While it’s true that the UK isn’t exactly bathed in sunshine, solar panels, despite their names, don’t need direct sunlight - they also work in cloudy or overcast weather.”

While cloudy weather does, in fact, reduce the amount of energy generated by solar panels by half, compared with direct sunlight, it does still produce something.

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Rain can actually help energy generation

According to the Energy Saving Trust, rainfall can actually boost energy production as it clears away dirt from the panels. This debris might be blocking the light from getting through, so rain can actually improve access to the light.

Brits could also use a solar battery, which enables energy generated on sunnier days to be stored, making up for the grey, duller times.

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How do they work?

Solar panels work by using photovoltaic (PV) cells to transform sunlight into electricity.

Homeowners can then directly use this energy to power electrical appliances in their property, meaning they do not have to pay extra for electricity from the National Grid.

Anything surplus they do not use can be sold back to the grid, which means they can even earn money with their solar panels, instead of having to pay steep electricity bills.

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Save £420 a year

In fact, despite the cloudy, rainy and sometimes snowy weather in Britain, homeowners could save between £175 and £420 on their energy bills by using solar panel technology.

The Energy Saving Trust came up with these estimates based on a typical household with a 3.5 kilowatt-peak system and the currency Energy Price Cap rates.

According to Ofgem, this is £2,074 per year for a typical dual fuel household. Therefore, homeowners could slash their bills by as much as one-fifth with solar panels.

What’s more, they might be able to earn up to £145 a year (assuming a rate of 5.5p per kWh) on surplus energy produced. So even in rainy, cloudy Britain, there is the opportunity to make money from solar panel installations.

Just think how much more could be made on a sunnier-than-average year as well. With temperatures rising year-on-year, there is certainly scope for this extra cash to increase in time.

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