Is anyone in the California Wildfire region?

Roderick
Roderick Solar Expert Posts: 253 ✭✭
in General Solar Power Topics #1
I'm curious as to whether anyone has noticed a drop in solar production due to smoke...
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #2
    Re: Is anyone in the California Wildfire region?

    I did a month of so ago when we had fires in the Sierras--I am near San Francisco.

    I thought I logged the date on my records so I could go back and see by how much--but I guess I did not.

    The fires down south (so far) have not blown up here yet.

    Hope they get those fires out soon.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Is anyone in the California Wildfire region?

    Way down the last week, not much ash in my area, but the smoke has really cut the sunlight.
    Today's been foggy along the coast, and just now burning off.
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #4
    Re: Is anyone in the California Wildfire region?

    I had one full day of smoke. Solar output was 38% of normal (down 62%).
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  • Roderick
    Roderick Solar Expert Posts: 253 ✭✭
    #5
    Re: Is anyone in the California Wildfire region?
    jbsolar wrote: »
    I had one full day of smoke. Solar output was 38% of normal (down 62%).

    I had no idea it would be that bad!
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #6
    Re: Is anyone in the California Wildfire region?
    Roderick wrote: »
    I had no idea it would be that bad!


    Today will be even lower (~26% of normal). No smoke today, just overcast with occasional light rain. This is in comparison to Monday's harvest when we had blue sky all day.
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #7
    Re: Is anyone in the California Wildfire region?

    The Santa Ana winds pushed a lot smoke from several of the inland fires out over us here in Huntington Beach. We've been here 20 years and have never experienced such high sustained winds... some of the gusts were rocking the house. It was really wicked. I can see why mere water would not touch a fire being blown by such forceful winds.

    Thursday morning I happened to awake before dawn and glimpsed the nearly full moon setting on the horizon. It was huge and orange like the setting sun.

    Never saw anything like it before.

    Thank God the winds and the fire have finally subsided.
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