Smoke from wildfires dims skies, affecting solar energy in Central Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — A veil of smoke continues to coat our skies in a milky hue. While the smoke can create vibrant or hazy sunrises and sunsets, the smoke can also impact our air quality, temperatures, and even solar energy production.

Jake Trubiano, co-founder of Gold Path Solar, explains how smoke can impact energy production.

“When we had the big fires, smoke coming down from Canada in 2023, you could see that June production was less than it was in any other June that we’ve had recently. So that’s really kind of where you see it when you’re looking at more of an aggregate in longer situations.”

Like cloud coverage, the density and location of wildfire smoke can block sunlight and reduce the efficiency of solar panels.

“It’s very similar to clouds,” he said. “The lighter the cloud coverage, the more solar production you’re going to have compared to a very dark, gloomy day. It’s the same thing with wildfire smoke.”

For example, during the 2020 California wildfires, solar energy production dropped about 30% according to the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

However, despite the current smoky conditions, Central Ohio homeowners likely won’t notice any major change in their energy bills.

“You still will get some sort of solar production no matter what the environmental elements are,” said Trubiano. “It just won’t be as much as on a clear-sky day.”

The smoke is expected to linger into Tuesday, so skies will have that milky-white hue.