{"id":74309,"date":"2026-02-24T06:53:30","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T06:53:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/megasol.ch\/photovoltaics-in-winter\/"},"modified":"2026-08-18T08:09:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T08:09:34","slug":"photovoltaics-in-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/megasol.ch\/en\/photovoltaics-in-winter\/","title":{"rendered":"Photovoltaics in winter"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row gap=\"4\" background_type=\"\"][vc_column width=\"2\/3\" css=\".vc_custom_1750684629812{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;}\"][vc_custom_heading text=\"Photovoltaics in winter: the problem that isn't really a problem.\" font_container=\"tag:h1|text_align:left\" use_theme_fonts=\"yes\" css=\".vc_custom_1771858395128{margin-bottom: 20px !important;}\"][\/vc_column][vc_column width=\"1\/3\"][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row background_type=\"\" css=\".vc_custom_1744627684538{margin-bottom: 20px !important;}\"][vc_column width=\"5\/6\"][vc_column_text css=\".vc_custom_1771858414892{margin-top: 10px !important;}\"]The most common argument against the large-scale expansion of photovoltaics is as old as the technology itself: \u2018What do we do in winter?\u2019 It is true that electricity demand rises during the cold months, while the yield from traditional rooftop systems falls. However, this argument is not an objection to PV; rather, it is proof that the placement of PV systems is not being thought through sufficiently.<\/p>\n

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In order to minimise the seasonal difference in electricity production, we need to take a holistic view of the building envelope. The solution, as you may have already guessed, is the solar fa\u00e7ade.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=\"1\/6\"][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row background_type=\"\" css=\".vc_custom_1738059033532{margin-bottom: 20px !important;}\"][vc_column][vc_single_image image=\"74300\" img_size=\"1920x900\" image_hover=\"\"][vc_column_text css=\".vc_custom_1771915456684{margin-top: 10px !important;}\"]Thanks to the PV fa\u00e7ade of this residential building in the Netherlands, 91 kWp of electricity is generated on a perfectly integrated 500 m\u00b2 surface area. Image source: Stijn Poelstra<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=\"yes\" background_type=\"\" css=\".vc_custom_1727442328776{margin-bottom: 10px !important;background-color: #ffffff !important;}\"][vc_column width=\"5\/6\" css=\".vc_custom_1738058725229{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-bottom: 40px !important;}\"][vc_row_inner css=\".vc_custom_1620800857392{margin-top: 30px !important;}\"][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text css=\".vc_custom_1771917157342{margin-bottom: 30px !important;}\"]<\/p>\n

The fa\u00e7ade as superstar<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The problem with conventional systems in winter is primarily due to the position of the sun: While in June the sun is at its zenith and flat-roofed systems are optimally exposed to sunlight, in winter its path drops to a flat angle.<\/p>\n

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The consequences are drastic: a module on a typical flat roof often produces more than five times less electricity in December than in June \u2013 even though the amount of daylight has only halved. The reason for this is the unfavourable angle of incidence.<\/p>\n

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This is where the fa\u00e7ade<\/a> comes into its own. As the sun is low on the horizon in winter, the sun's rays hit the vertical modules at the perfect angle. While the roof system struggles in December, the fa\u00e7ade delivers significantly higher yields throughout the winter months. The fa\u00e7ade thus acts as a highly efficient supplement, delivering exactly when the residual load on the grid is at its highest.<\/p>\n

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Additional effects such as the albedo effect \u2013 the reflection of the sun's rays by a blanket of snow on the ground \u2013 further increase the yield of vertical surfaces in winter, while the modules are never covered by snow due to their vertical orientation.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_single_image image=\"74314\" img_size=\"full\" image_hover=\"\"][vc_column_text css=\".vc_custom_1771858788857{margin-bottom: 30px !important;}\"]The graph clearly shows how the modules' performance is distributed over the course of a year. The fa\u00e7ade generates the most electricity during the winter months, thus perfectly complementing the roof system. <\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=\".vc_custom_1771917263690{margin-bottom: 30px !important;}\"]<\/p>\n

Added value throughout the year: harmony in generation<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Moreover, the solar fa\u00e7ade<\/a> is not purely a winter specialist. In summer, too, it offers a decisive advantage for load management: the temporal shift of production peaks.<\/p>\n

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While rooftop systems often produce a surplus at midday, facades take advantage of the low morning and evening sun. They produce electricity when demand in households and businesses (breakfast and after-work peaks) is at its highest. In combination with a storage system and a rooftop system, this creates a generation profile that massively increases a building's self-sufficiency rate.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=\".vc_custom_1771858879445{margin-bottom: 30px !important;}\"]<\/p>\n

Political foresight: additional subsidies for winter electricity<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The strategic importance of fa\u00e7ade PV has now reached the political level. In Switzerland, this is rewarded by specific subsidy instruments such as the tilt angle bonus (additional bonus for systems with a tilt angle of at least 75 degrees).<\/p>\n

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There is also a lot of movement in our neighbouring countries: Germany offers incentives for building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) through various subsidy programmes and tax exemptions, while in Austria, the EAG investment subsidy is often supplemented by innovation bonuses for architecturally integrated projects. Local initiatives such as the climate bonus in Frankfurt or cantonal fa\u00e7ade subsidies such as those in the canton of Obwalden show that the fa\u00e7ade is recognised and subsidised as the power plant of the future.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=\"74290\" img_size=\"900x540\" image_hover=\"\"][vc_column_text css=\".vc_custom_1771858928465{margin-bottom: 30px !important;}\"]Even a small area can make a big difference when renovating a house, as shown here by the MATCH Slate Creek Gratine fa\u00e7ade with an output of 3 kWp. Image source: Dachdecker W. Porstendorfer<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=\".vc_custom_1771922122977{margin-bottom: 30px !important;}\"]<\/p>\n

Aesthetics meets high technology: Megasol solutions<\/strong><\/h2>\n

At Megasol, we don't see the fa\u00e7ade as a compromise, but as an aesthetic opportunity. Our systems prove that highly efficient energy generation and modern architecture can merge:<\/p>\n

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