Posted on 24 February 2026 by Sue Bin Park

Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline.

Do solar panels work in cold or cloudy climates?

Solar panels still generate electricity on cloudy days and in cold weather, albeit less.

Clouds cut output as less sunlight reaches the panels, but they continue producing power from indirect light. Snow cover can temporarily block light, though it is typically not obstructed by thin layers of snow. Additionally, most solar panels in the U.S. run more efficiently in cooler weather, as heat lowers performance.

Winter generation can be lower due to shorter days, notably at middle latitudes; cities like Denver receive nearly three times more solar energy in June than December. This mainly affects what share of a home’s electricity solar covers, especially where heating raises demand. Average winter electricity use of U.S. homes is estimated to be six times that of summer use.

Despite seasonal dips, solar still displaces fossil fuel electricity over the year, delivering large net emissions reductions across a panel’s multi-decade lifespan.

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This fact brief is responsive to quotes such as this one.

Sources

Renewable Energy Journal On the investigation of photovoltaic output power reduction due to dust accumulation and weather conditions

Renewable Energy Journal Temperature and thermal annealing effects on different photovoltaic technologies

ACS Omega Journal Comprehensive Analysis of Solar Panel Performance and Correlations with Meteorological ParametersC

SEIA What happens to solar panels when it’s cloudy or raining?

US Department of Energy Solar Photovoltaics Supply Chain Deep Dive Assessment

US Department of Energy Let it Snow: How Solar Panels Can Thrive in Winter Weather

Columbia Law School Sabin Center for Climate Change Law Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles

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About fact briefs published on Gigafact

Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer "yes/no" answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact — a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all of our published fact briefs here.