You might think of Washington and the Pacific Northwest as a bad place to put solar panels on your roof—but you’d be wrong.

On cloudy days, solar radiation still gets through to solar panels. Some radiation reflects off of Earth’s surface and bounces off the clouds back down toward the rooftops. Plus, rain cleans off solar panels; in sunny, dry climates, dust and dirt accumulates on the panels, reducing their efficiency.

I read these pro-Washington claims in the Snohomish County Business Journal, which quoted Gary Shaver, the president of Silicon Energy—the state’s first solar photovoltaic panel producer. He notes that spring, summer and fall are good seasons for solar power in Washington. A National Climatic Data Center study appears to back him up; it shows that Seattle and Spokane both have a higher average percentage of possible sunshine per year than Hilo, Hawaii.

There are also some great Washington solar incentives, so if you’re thinking about a Washington solar panel installation, fill out our online form to get a free solar evaluation for your site from a local certified solar contractor.

Snohomish county officials are even putting solar panels on the Snohomish County Administration Building West, to power electric cars, according to HeraldNet.com.

Check out solar electric panels or residential solar thermal (solar hot water) and see if it’s right for your commercial or residential site. Solar hot water has the quickest return on investment and solar electric will save you money in the long term.

We can help you whether you’re in western Washington or eastern Washington. Our solar installers can give you an estimate for a Seattle solar panel installation or a Spokane solar panel installation. The time is right to go solar!

(Photo from Paramour Photography's photostream)