Solar output taking a dive this October

[Boss_Nimzo]

I’ve noticed my solar input dropping fast this month up here in Alaska. Even with clear skies, the panels just aren’t pulling the same numbers they did in early September. My 10 kWh battery bank is dipping below 60% most nights unless I top off with generator power. Curious what others are seeing around this time of year like how much usable solar are you managing daily? Are you adjusting tilt angles or just riding it out until winter really hits?

 

[blu3 li4m]

I’ve noticed my solar input dropping fast this month up here in Alaska. Even with clear skies, the panels just aren’t pulling the same numbers they did in early September. My 10 kWh battery bank is dipping below 60% most nights unless I top off with generator power. Curious what others are seeing around this time of year like how much usable solar are you managing daily? Are you adjusting tilt angles or just riding it out until winter really hits?

Are your panels fixed or adjustable? This time of year, you absolutely need to adjust. For our latitude (Fairbanks area), we are already set to a minimum of 65 degree (Latitude + 15degree to 20 degree) from horizontal. This angle is important to catch the low angle sun and also helps with early snow shedding, which will be your next big problem!
Try angling them much steeper, you should see an immediate bump in production on clear days

 

[King_Troad]

That’s just the seasonal slump like nothing wrong with your setup. Tilting helps, but you’ll still end up relying more on the generator or grid during fall and winter. Solar just can’t keep up once the days get short and shadows stretch across the panels.

 

[LeaderSchneider]

This is my first full fall with the setup, and it’s been a wake-up call for sure. My 8 kW system was cruising all summer, now I’m lucky to get 10 kWh on a clear day. I didn’t expect the sun angle to make that big a difference, but it’s huge. I’ve been thinking about adding a manual tilt system next year just to help through the shoulder seasons like probably cheaper than running the generator so much.

 

[Alan]

That drop sounds pretty normal for this point in the year in Alaska. Even with full sun, the panels are working with less daylight and colder surface temps. Some people adjust tilt to a steeper winter angle to squeeze out a bit more, but most just mix in generator top-offs like you are. Have you tracked how much production changed when the angle shifted, or are you still using the same summer tilt?