The smoke from wildfires frequently crossing the U.S. West has been found to only slightly impact solar panel efficiency. A recent report published in *Nature Communications* revealed that while there are noticeable effects near active fire zones, the overall solar energy production across the nation remains stable.Researchers focused on the irradiance reaching solar panels, which consists of both direct sunlight and light scattered by the atmosphere. The study noted that although smoke from fires in California, Colorado, and Oregon in 2020 affected solar output temporarily, the long-term implications were much less severe. In fire-affected regions, photovoltaic systems witnessed reductions of 11-17 percent in output, but these numbers rapidly diminished with distance from the flames. ...
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