Does anyone actually get usable solar through a British winter? Sharing my November numbers

I've been running a 400W panel setup on my static shed conversion in Suffolk since March, and through spring and summer it was brilliant — regularly hitting 1.5–2kWh a day even on overcast days. But since mid-October it's fallen off a cliff. Yesterday I got a grand total of 180Wh from four hours of weak sun, and that's with freshly cleaned panels and no shading. Running a 12V fridge, a few LED lights, and charging laptops is starting to feel optimistic.

My setup is two 200W monos wired in series into a Victron SmartSolar 100/30 MPPT, feeding a 200Ah lithium (a Fogstar Drift). The panels are at about 35 degrees on a south-facing roof, which I know isn't ideal for winter sun angles — closer to 60 degrees would suit December better, but I can't easily adjust them.

I'm wondering whether anyone in a similar latitude (I'm roughly 52°N) is managing to stay self-sufficient through December and January, or whether everyone quietly plugs into the grid or runs a genny as a backup? I don't want to just add more panels if the real answer is that the sun simply isn't there — but equally I'd rather not run the genny every other day if there's a smarter solution I'm missing.

DerekMason84 | 847 posts | Shropshire

@SuffolkOffGrid Honest answer — yes, but you have to completely reset your expectations. My 600W array in Shropshire averaged about 0.4–0.6kWh daily through November and December last year. Some days basically nothing. The killer isn't just cloud cover, it's the sun angle — we're talking 15–18 degrees elevation at solar noon, so even a clear day is surprisingly weak.

What saved me was being brutally honest about consumption and shifting heavy loads (washing, battery top-ups) to any sunny window between 11am and 2pm. I also tilt my panels steeper in winter — around 60 degrees rather than my summer 35 — which genuinely makes a measurable difference.

Battery storage becomes everything in winter. What capacity are you running? That's usually where people find the real bottleneck.

MarineOllie | 312 posts | Afloat somewhere

Living on a narrowboat means I've had to make peace with British winters fast — there's no grid to fall back on when you're moored up in a cutting surrounded by bare willows blocking what little sun appears at 15° elevation.

November reality on my setup (600W of Renogy panels, Victron MPPT 100/30): some days I'm seeing 0.2kWh. That's it. Genuinely.

What saved me wasn't more panels — it was ruthlessly auditing my loads. The EV charging dreams go completely on hold November through January; that's just acceptance, not defeat.

The surprise? Clear cold days after a frost can spike beautifully. Low angle, sharp light — I've had unexpected 1.8kWh days in late November that felt like gifts.

Track everything with VRM. The data stops the despair and starts the strategy.

PennineCamper | 634 posts | Yorkshire Dales

November on the motorhome last year genuinely surprised me. Parked up facing south-southwest near Hawes, my 300W Renogy panels pushed out a respectable 400–600Wh on clear frosty days — sometimes more than a grey July afternoon because the low angle actually works when the sky's crisp and blue.

The cold also helps your batteries. My Fogstar 100Ah lithium held charge noticeably better than summer heat cycles.

The killer isn't cloud — it's the hours. You're basically working a 7am–3pm window up here, so I shifted all my heavy loads (laptop, heating pump) to a tight midday slot.

@SuffolkOffGrid Suffolk should actually be kinder than Yorkshire for winter irradiance — check Photovoltaic Geographical Information System (PVGIS) for your specific postcode, it'll recalibrate your expectations properly rather than leaving you guessing.

ShesBeRight | 203 posts | Array

My Fogstar 200Ah lithium laughs at November — it's me who cries when the Victron app shows 0.3kWh for the entire day and I've already boiled the kettle twice like an idiot.

CoastalCruiser | 478 posts | North Norfolk Coast

Suffolk here is pretty comparable to my patch, so your numbers will be similar to mine. Honest answer: yes, you do get something, but reset your expectations firmly. I'm seeing 200–400Wh on a decent November day, occasionally nudging 600Wh if we get that lovely low golden sun cutting through cleanly. The angle matters enormously — that low winter sun actually rewards a steeper panel tilt more than summer ever does.

What's saved me isn't generating more, it's consuming smarter. I shifted any heavy loads to whatever window of generation appears mid-morning to early afternoon, and stopped expecting the panels to do the heavy lifting overnight.

@SuffolkOffGrid what's your current panel angle? That single adjustment genuinely transformed my winter figures more than anything else.

NZ_Marine | 312 posts | Array

Worth factoring in panel angle if you haven't already. Fixed flat mounts that work great in summer are leaving loads on the table come November — sun's barely clearing 20° elevation at midday down south.

Tilting mine up to around 55–60° for winter made a noticeable difference. Not always practical depending on your setup but even a manual seasonal tilt helps.

Also — low sun means long shadows. Something that never shaded you in July will kill your output for half the morning in November. Learned that the hard way with a nearby fence post.