A common solar panel query is whether the panels are effective in winter months - when the days are shorter and the sun is lower in the sky.
I happened upon a very useful post at the TheGreenAge website on this subject.
The answer? Yes, solar panels (both solar PV and solar thermal) will continue to produce energy, but they will not provide all your energy needs in winter.
No surprise there then. So just how much energy will they provide in winter time? The typical domestic solar PV system will produce around 75kWh of power in a winter. Whereas solar thermal will provide 25% your hot water needs in the winter months.
Check the TheGreenAge blog post in full at "How Effective is Solar in Winter?"
A useful tip from the Energy Saving Trust website is that a wood burning stove with back boiler and solar thermal are a good combination as the stove can heat your home and provide hot water in winter and the solar can heat your hot water in the summer when no central heating is required.
Check out the House-Saver website for more information on the benefits of solar panels and wood burners.