Do Solar Panels Work at Night? Answering Residential Solar Prospect Questions

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April 4, 2023 | By RGR Marketing Blog

How to Answer Every Residential Solar Client's Questions With Ease

Solar installers are usually asked a lot of questions before being hired by their clients, and one of the most common asked is – do solar panels work at night? While the answer to this question may seem like common sense to you, it is important to remember that not every solar prospect has looked deeply into the subject and in a lot of cases, they can have a lot of misconceptions about the technology.

In this post, you’ll learn how to answer this question with ease and confidence, and even open up the possibility of upselling your prospect.

The Short and Long Answers

The short answer to the question – do solar panels work at night? is obviously “no.” But if your prospect follows up your answer with a “why?”, then you can break down the specifics in a longer and more detailed answer, such as:

Solar panels are made up of several solar cells, which are made of two thin wafers of semiconductive material, usually silicon. But because silicon is not a great conductor by itself, one of the wafers is usually enhanced with phosphorus, so it can create more free electrons. This makes the wafer more negative. The other wafer is enhanced with boron which has more receptor holes for electrons, thus making it more positive. This design allows the two wafers to create an electrical field, in which free electrons move back and forth within the solar cells.

Light from the sun travels in the form of photons, so when the photons hit the solar cell, it releases an electron, and this creates an electron space. The electric field moves the space that’s taken up by the electron to the positive side and the free electron to the negative side.

This forces the electron to travel the long way around to get back and these traveling electrons are what make up the current in the photovoltaic (PV) system, while the electric field creates the voltage. The current from the cells then flows out of the solar panels, through the inverter, and out into the home.

Solar panels don’t work at night because without the sun’s energy, there is no electron flow. And since there is no current, no electricity can be generated for the home.

Options for Powering a Solar Home After Dark

Depending on how energy independent your prospect wants to be, there are a few different options available to them that can help ensure that their home has all the electricity it needs after the sun goes down.

The first option is for them to rely on their solar generated electricity for use during the day and then switching over to grid-generated electricity in the evening. If the prospect lives in an area where net metering is allowed, then any excess energy generated by their solar system can be directed back to the grid, thus earning them credits with their utility company that will help offset the cost of their grid-generated energy use.

The other option is for battery storage to be included in the solar system. During the day, any unused energy is saved and stored in batteries. At night when the sun is down, the home is then powered by the energy that’s stored in the batteries. This setup enables a homeowner to live completely free of grid-generated electricity and all the issues that can come with it, such as high energy bills, rolling blackouts, and storm-related power interruptions.

Be the Solar Installer Your Solar Leads Want to Hire

All too often, the difference between making the sale and losing it lies within your ability to show your prospect that you have the experience they are looking for. And one of the best ways to do this is to answer their questions with authority and accuracy, even when the answer might not show solar’s best side, such as in the question posed in the title of this article.

The key is giving the prospect the information they need to overcome any hesitancy that your answer might produce in them. In this case, you lay out the different options available to them that will help ensure that they have all the energy they need after the sun goes down. Of course, the quality of leads you’re working with also matters.

At RGR Marketing, we specialize in providing our solar partners with exclusive access to high-quality solar leads that are curated just for you based on your unique target demographic. Our leads are not close to making their purchasing decision, but unlike the lead lists that you might have tried in the past from other lead generation firms, our leads are validated and scrubbed to remove any dead leads or incomplete or duplicate contact information before you receive them.

We’re a lead generation firm that has more than 20 years of experience serving the solar industry. We understand your business and your customer. Partner with RGR Marketing and discover the difference our solar leads can make in your sales success in 2023.

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How to Answer Every Residential Solar Client's Questions With Ease

The Short and Long Answers

Options for Powering a Solar Home After Dark

Be the Solar Installer Your Solar Leads Want to Hire

Start making more
money today!

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How to Answer Every Residential Solar Client's Questions With Ease

The Short and Long Answers

Options for Powering a Solar Home After Dark

Be the Solar Installer Your Solar Leads Want to Hire

Start making more money today!

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