Do Solar Air Heaters Work In Winter?

Solar air heaters are cost-effective solutions for room heating. Solar power is changing heating technology and devices rapidly.

If you think that solar air heaters only work in summer, your thoughts are misleading you regarding solar power.

You can use electric air heaters with AC input on a solar system. It makes the system user-friendly in all weather conditions.

Solar panels work in any weather condition. The heaters can easily be powered on solar power during winter.

However, there is a lack of sunlight during the winter, and you can maximize the effectiveness of the panels in winter. To keep them efficient during a snow-covered day, you have to maintain some steps that are not technical.

In this writing, we present the working process of solar air heaters, power production, and efficiency of solar panels.

At the same time, you will get some authentic suggestions to make your panel more authentic.

How Do Solar Air Heaters Work?

Understanding solar air heater technology enables you to get warmer inside during the winter. This technology makes room heating cost-effective and works better for urban and remote areas.

Before installing your first heater that works on solar power, let’s explore more.

What is Solar Air Heating Technology?

With solar air heater technology, you can use renewable power to get heat inside and outside. The technology uses solar power instead of conventional energy, reducing the cost of heating.

This heating technology converts thermal energy to heat, and the solar panel gets power from the sun. Finally, heated air is provided to buildings and houses.

There are two types of solar air heating technology. These are active solar heating and passive solar heating.

Portable Electric Space Heater with Thermostat

Active Solar Air Heating

Active solar heating technology is the latest invention in this field. With a circulating fan, it exhausts air from the environment. It uses thousands of small holes to collect air via metal plating.  A solar absorber uses heat to transfer air into the building.

A solar panel collects heat from the glass-coated surface and delivers the heated air into a metal tube.

This tube works to deliver heat to the buildings. You will get fresh hot air from the tube even during the winter.

In winter, the solar air heating system works better. The sun stays lower in the winter, and the solar panel will get more sunlight than the hot summer days.

However, we notice that the sun provides more heat during the summer. But, solar air heating technology is a matter of sunlight, not heat.

The heating system will remain active during the winter and make your room warmer.

Passive Solar Air Heating

A passive solar air heater is similar to the solar system installed for power production. The south-facing solar panels absorb sunlight and provide heated air to the building in passive air heating technology.

It is straightforward. The heated air is provided via the fan and supply to the building. This technology works in all weather conditions, and you will get sufficient heated air.

What Affects Solar System Efficiency?

The efficiency of the solar panel can be affected by various aspects. The main reason is the lack of sunlight that will reduce productivity.

A solar system depends on the weather for systematic reasons. However, all weather conditions are suitable for solar energy production.

If you want to increase the productivity of the solar system, you should know about these factors.

Snow

Snow can affect the solar energy production system because sometimes the panel is covered with snow. It is hard to ensure sufficient sunlight for the solar system during the winter. 

The photovoltaic cells get power from the sun, and a foggy day will create obstacles to work effectively. 

Besides, the solar panel requires at least six hours of sunlight for the best performance. You can ignore this obstacle by installing solar panels in the best positions. 

The solar panels installed south-facing and have a perfect angle will automatically remove the snow due to its slope.

The snow can only affect productivity in some areas where winter has a long snowy nature. 

Rain

Rain can not reduce the productivity of a solar system directly. You will get electricity during the rainy season.

The main concern is the cloud that generated shades during the rain. Due to the heavy cloud, solar panels cannot get the sunlight required to produce energy.

However, new technologies enable solar panels to generate power from the rain. This advanced technology helps the manufacturer to produce panels with maximum efficiency.

It is important to notice that if there is sunlight after the rain, the panel will generate power without any interruption.

So, rain can affect solar energy production, but it’s not too much.

Kismile Oil Filled Electric Radiator Heater

Less Sun Hours

As discussed in the above paragraph, a solar system needs 5 to 6 hours of sunlight to produce electricity.

Insufficient sun hours can reduce productivity and affect the efficiency of solar panels.

You can expect more from the panel when the surface gets sunlight from the morning to the afternoon.

Due to your location and weather, the average sun hours and cloud can vary the efficiency of an air solar heating system.

Typical modern solar panels are more efficient in generating extra energy for the night hours. You can store the power in a battery. But, this is not the efficiency. It’s the stored energy that comes from the battery.

So, install solar panels where sunlight is available for the estimated hours and can generate sufficient energy for the air heating system.

To understand the energy needs for heaters, you can read our top article about how many solar panels and energy need for heaters.

Dust

You have to install the solar panels in an open space. The panels will survive against dust, dirt, and other outdoor flying elements like leaves.

A solar panel will run at least for 25 years. So, after a few months, the panel can be covered with excessive dust. If you are living in a dry area, it is common there.

It will affect the efficiency of the solar panel because the dirt prevents sunlight on the solar panel’s surface. Try to keep your panels clean after a few months and get maximum power in any weather condition.

Solar Cells Quality

The quality of solar cells affects productivity too much. If you have purchased the original solar panels with high-graded silicon, you will get the best productivity in all weather. 

Besides, the size and type of solar panels are also important for quality. You can read more on our website to understand the type of solar panel. 

Solar panel Orientation

Pitch and orientation can decrease the power production rate of a solar panel. You have already learned that solar panels should be installed with a south-facing position. In this position, it will get maximum hours of sunlight.

Do Solar Air Heaters Work In Winter?

Solar air heaters work in winter, and you will get warm temperatures during the cold days. Power production and technology are designed to make hot air from the environment.

The air heater technology is connected to the solar panel, and the photovoltaic cells convert energy to heat.

You will get warm air because the heating system is related to the photovoltaic cells and sunlight. In winter, the sun stays lower, and the panels will get more power to provide the hottest air to the building.

If you are worried about the sunlight in your area, you can use active solar air heating technology. It will allow you to collect air through small holes.

What Actually Affects Solar Air Heaters in Winter?

Temperature affects solar air heaters in winter. Similarly, snow and temperature are related.

On a snowy day, your solar panels will not get sufficient sunlight, affecting power productions.

As we discussed, solar panels and their products depend on the sunlight and the quality of the solar panel.

The snow will create much pressure on the environment, and sometimes it is hard to collect normal air for the heating equipment. There is another issue with tubes that are used for the air supply. When the temperature decreases greatly, it can be jammed or blocked.

Besides, your location is responsible for the efficiency of the air heater in winter. But, there is an advantage, you will dry air that can be heated quickly.

4 Ways To Maximize Solar Power Effectiveness In Winter

First, don’t be afraid of the snow when using the solar system at your home or commercial areas.

The production of a solar system can be reduced due to snow, but you can keep the solar panels productive even in the winter.

The panels will provide you with sufficient power on the coldest days with systematic and regular maintenance.

You can maximize the effectiveness of solar panels by keeping them clean, and if you need additional power, you can use extra batteries for storage.

Change Solar Panel Angle

Solar panels are installed in the south for getting sunlight for the whole day. But, the path of the sun frequently changes in different weather.

You can increase productivity by changing the angle and position of the solar panel in the winter.

When you change the position, the panels will get more sunlight. More sunlight means more power.

If your solar panels are positioned on a flat surface, try to enhance the pitch and make them more slider. It will help the panels to remove the snow naturally. You can ask the installer to make these changes during the winter.

Clean the Panel Frequently

The solar panel doesn’t require manual cleaning. It depends on nature when it comes to cleaning. The small dust stored on the panels will be automatically cleaned during rain.

Wind also helps solar panels to keep them clean. But, it is difficult to remove the snow naturally from the panels. It will take more time and decrease the productivity of the solar system.

For this reason, you have to clean the solar panels frequently to maximize their efficiency.

However, whether the snow will cover the solar panels or not depends on your location. You don’t need to clean the solar panels on a foggy day for normal cold weather. It only requires extreme snowfalls.

Use Battery Backup

A powerful battery can store the energy for further use if you are using solar panels in a snowy area. It is the most effective way to enhance the productivity of the solar panel.

It will help you store the additional energy on a sunny day and use that when there is inefficiency due to the weather.

Besides, a battery enables you to run the appliances and devices at night if you are using an off-grid solar system.

Schedule Your Energy Consumption Rate

In winter, you can reduce the use of devices and appliances. It will help you to minimize energy consumption and maximize productivity. 

Your solar panels need more sunlight during the day for a certain number of devices. If you measure the availability of sunlight and energy production of the solar system, it will enable you to make plans to maximize efficiency. 

On the contrary, you can connect the solar panel and make it grid-tied to get unlimited winter access. It will allow you to use solar energy, and there will be no risk for power shortage. 

Wrapping Up

Finally, you got the answer regarding the solar air heater working and productivity during the winter. You can maximize the energy production of a solar panel in different ways.

We suggested the most effective way, and you can learn more in other posts on our website related to this topic.

Scientists and researchers try to make solar panels more efficient in any weather condition. It will be a blessing for you to reduce the heating costs in winter by using solar air heaters.