Category: Site & Climate Assessment

Picture this: your solar panels are producing clean energy under bright sunshine, yet your electricity output reads 30% lower than your neighbor’s identical system just down the street. The culprit? That hill to your east casting shadows across your roof each morning—a phenomenon called horizontal shading. Horizontal shading occurs when nearby terrain features like mountains,…

Wildfires burning invisibly beneath snow and ice throughout BC’s winter months are creating a new threat to solar energy production that few homeowners see coming. These “zombie fires”—holdover blazes that smolder underground during cold months and resurface in spring—are fundamentally changing how we predict wildfire smoke patterns and their impact on solar panel performance. Traditional…

Measure the shadow patterns across your property at four key times: 9 AM, noon, 3 PM, and during winter solstice when shadows stretch longest. Use stakes and string to mark areas where tree shadows fall during these periods, then photograph each location to create a visual baseline. This simple assessment reveals which trees pose immediate…

Snow accumulation on solar panels reduces energy production by up to 100% during winter months, but understanding hazard assessment protocols protects both your investment and safety in British Columbia’s diverse climate zones. Request a detailed snow load analysis from your installer before committing to any solar project. In BC, snow loads vary dramatically from coastal…