March was gloomy and very wet. But in April things immediately changed course, with bright blue skies and bright sun. Because the sun is already high above the sky, people with solar panels will notice a significant difference in the yield.
Anyone who has had those panels for a few years knows that results achieved in the past are no guarantee for the future. On an annual basis, the number of hours of sunshine is fairly similar, but considerable differences can occur from month to month.
So March 2022 was the sunniest March ever measured. This not only gave the production of solar energy a significant boost, but also meant an early end to the heating season. Because when the bright spring sun shines through the windows, many houses can heat up for free.
Last March was cloudy and wet. The sun shone for a total of 120 hours, 25 hours less than normal. And the amount of rain was almost even twice as big.
Record amount of solar energy despite clouds
But the yield of sustainable energy hardly suffered as a result, according to the statistics of Energieopwek.nl. March even broke a record: more than half of all electricity came from renewable sources – for the first time.
This is because the wet weather was also accompanied by quite a lot of wind. Because new wind farms have also been added, the amount of wind power almost doubled compared to March last year.
The lower yield of solar energy was not too bad in comparison: only 10 percent less than in the sun-drenched March of last year.
This is due to the rapid growth in the number of solar panels, explains energy expert Martien Visser. Total assets increased by 25 percent in one year. This makes the Netherlands a European and even global leader.
For a private individual with a sunroof, the difference is greater, says Visser. “Per-panel yield in the last month was about 35 percent less than a year ago.”
High probability of new solar records in April
But then April arrived and the heavens opened. “On a sunny day like Monday or Tuesday, panels supply four times as much power as during the weekend before, when it was still heavily cloudy.”
The KNMI expects less rain than normal in the first two weeks of April, with a high chance of extra hours of sunshine. This means that April – immediately after the sustainable energy record of March – could immediately set a new solar energy record, partly thanks to the 25 percent extra panels.
And as long as the number of solar roofs continues to grow sharply, there is a good chance that that record will also be broken again the following year.
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