Solar Power and Snow

02 Feb Solar Power and Snow

Do solar panels work if it is snowing? Why go solar in New England with such harsh winters? Generally, when you think about producing solar energy you would be reminded of the “dog days” of summer. The truth is, solar panels do not rely on the heat, rather they require light to generate electricity. We may not get as much of the sun during these months, but the cold season is still quite viable for solar energy production.
If you look at Germany, where the sun access is much like that of Alaska, they are one of the world leaders in solar installations and utilize solar heavily as part of their national energy mix. In certain months, solar contributes up to 30% of their national energy production, while they continue to work toward a goal of 65%.
We can all agree that the summer New England months will provide the most sunshine. However, in some ways, solar arrays can operate more efficiently in winter. Here are a few facts on the matter:

• Efficiency: Solar panels produce energy through light, not temperature. In fact, colder temperatures can reduce energy lost in transfer. So when it is sunny and cold, your panels are still producing energy.
• Snow: Solar panels will not produce much electricity if they are completely covered in snow, however because of their design, a snowstorm may not necessarily hinder energy production. The angle of the array allows snow to slide off more easily, allowing sunlight to reach the panels more often.
• Cleaner Panels: Snow can melt off of solar panels because they are on average 36°F warmer than the air. This melting snow not only uncovers the panels so they can produce electricity, but it washes away debris that would otherwise limit energy production. (See our solar installation in Merrimac, MA above.) Pollen, dirt, and leaves can affect the amount of energy your solar system can produce. Hiring someone for a quick cleaning might sound like a good idea but the snow cleans your panels for free!
• Increased Solar Radiation: No, the winters in New England are not known for their long days, so there is less sunlight available in the winter months. However, snow can help reflect more rays onto the panels, thanks to the albedo effect. Due to the color and reflectivity of snow, it reflects more photons onto the panels thus increasing the electricity produced.

The performance of solar panels will vary from month to month and season to season. Though the winter has shorter days and will affect the production of electricity, the cold season has some surprising benefits that allow the panels to continue to run and last the rugged New England winter. Snow can not only melt and slide off of solar panels, as you can see in the image of Corey Myrbeck’s solar array above, but even clean them and reflect more light onto the array to optimize the output of the system. Not to mention, the solar incentives are unbeatable in New England states like Massachusetts. No wonder everyone is going solar!

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