 Anyone who has ever suffered sunburn from time on the water or day on the slopes knows that Wyoming has strong sunshine. Increasingly, this solar resource is being used to generate electricity through photovoltaic systems, commonly known as PV. Still, many people do not appreciate the quality of Wyoming solar resource. Despite our northern location, in many Wyoming communities, the year-round solar resource is actually better than Miami, Florida. As the chilly beaches of El Cove Reservoir are seldom compared to Balmy, Florida, how can Wyoming have a better resource? The amount of solar radiation energy that reaches a surface is called insulation. Insulation in Wyoming is increased by two principal factors, limited cloud cover and elevation. Although we often hope for rain, our generally sunny skies are great for solar electric production. Elevation is a bit more complicated. Being 3,000 or 13,000 feet closer to the sun has virtually no impact on insulation, but the reduced amount of atmosphere does. In addition, solar electric panels also produce more electricity when they are cold. Like all electric devices, increasing temperatures increases resistance, reducing overall efficiencies. Wyoming is one of those special places where it can be negative 40 degrees Fahrenheit and still be sunny. Solar panels perform marvelously in these conditions. All these factors allow a typical panel in Laramie to produce 33 kilowatt hours in June and 24 kilowatt hours in December. Of course, different locations have different levels of production. The same panel in Jackson would produce 2 to 5 percent less electricity over the course of a year. Next time you're sweating in the strong Wyoming sun, be sure to appreciate the potential to generate electricity from this robust resource. From the University of Wyoming Extension and the School of Energy Resources, I'm Milton Geiger, exploring the nature of Wyoming.