Solar Panels in Snow - Just How Practical is a Solar Power Unit in Snowy Climates?

Solar Panels in Snow – Just How Practical is a Solar Power Unit in Snowy Climates?

Dec.02, 2009 in FAQ

When we talk about home solar power, we think about homes in areas that have clear blue skies and bright sunshine all year around. The southern states in USA, Africa and Australia spring to mind. I am an advocate of solar power, but even I have been surprised at where I’ve seen solar panels working to produce power for homeowners and farmers. On a recent trip to cloudy Berlin, I saw solar panels everywhere. Even with cloudy skies and reduced power output, people are obviously enjoying solar electricity. But I had not heard of solar panels being used in locations that are subject to snow and cold winters. I thought that was pushing the limits of solar power too far.

But on further research, I’m finding that people are putting their solar panels to use in even the most unexpected places. Google long enough, and you will come across a family in Maine, USA that are totally sold on solar and have really taken green living to heart. Their home is grid connected so that they can pull power when needed. Their website clearly shows a photo of their home surrounded by snow, complete with roof installed solar panels and some snow sitting on the panels. Interestingly, solar panels operate on both direct sunlight and reflective light. So, as long as the panels themselves are clear of snow, they can take advantage of the significant amount of reflective light when there is snow on the landscape. If you have even been skiing, you will know that you can get sunburnt quite easily, that’s the same principle, ie reflective light.

It turns out that in winter, the solar arrays efficiency does drop back especially under cloudy skies, so the Maine family draw power from the grid. However, during the rest of the year, their power output more than compensates for the few short weeks when power output is lowest. It’s all about the long view and averaging the power usage over the entire year. It appears that not only does the array work well for the family over the course of the year, but they are net metered and sell power back to the grid. What does this mean for the average user? It means that you should not simply discard the idea of going solar just because you live in a northerly latitude with more severe snowy winters.

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