After three or four days at least overcast, often raining, I got to charge outside today. Since I’ve also been charging through my window, today was my first time outside in longer than just since those rainy days.

Unfortunately for me, it was 40F when I went out (4.5C), rising to 43F (6C) when I went home, but more challenging for charging was the wind. Panels are like sails in the wind, expensive sails that can break.

But those challenges paled compared to the advantages of spring. The sun is close enough to overhead that I could lay the panels flat on the ground and the angle is close enough to right that the charging rate is fairly close to maximum without the wind blowing them around.

Also, I can go out early. The battery reached about half full from totally drained by about noon. Charging in December and January would sometimes take all day to reach that amount, even on a day with no clouds. I didn’t have to move the panels as long shadows covered most of the park.

In other words, having done my reps charging in sub-freezing days with long shadows, short days, etc, I could take today’s challenges in stride. I wouldn’t call charging or rationing electrical power use by weather an art form, but my skills and abilities improve with experience.

This picture isn’t from today, but it is me charging in the park:

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