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The logical frequently asked question is how will solar panels work in the Irish climate? We are not renowned for being a sun location, rather a cold and wet area in the chilly North Atlantic.
Surprisingly, the answer is quite well considering our northern location. Needless to say, we do not get the sunshine of Spain, Portugal or France, but to heat water and small space areas, which is maximum you can achieve with current mainstream technology, Ireland gets enough of sunshine. The exception to the above limitations is PV technology, which converts solar energy to electricity rather than direct heat. For the moment, we will deal with solar thermal energy.
Our sunshine levels are similar to Germany, Holland, Belgium and Switzerland and in those countries solar energy for both domestic and commercial use is at much higher levels than Ireland.
Cloud density levels are higher in Ireland than in mainland Europe but you must remember that it does not need to be a sunny day to extract energy from the rays of the sun. Sunrays penetrate cloud and still provide energy to the collector receptacle on your roof. This is your solar panel, or in most cases, panels.
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