How Does Snow Cover Affect Solar Panel Power Output?

Summary

Areas of Science

Energy & Power

Difficulty

Method

Scientific Method

Time Required

Short (2-5 days)

Credits

Ben Finio, PhD, Science Buddies

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNInPsajx9E

Abstract

What happens when solar panels get covered in snow in winter? Does some sunlight make it through the snow? Does the power output of the panels drop considerably? Is it worth it to go scrape the snow off the panels if temperatures will remain below freezing? How hard is this to do for rooftop solar panels or a large solar farm?

These are all questions you can answer yourself in a science project using a small solar panel and a multimeter (Figure 1). You can follow a procedure similar to those described in our solar panel and light intensity and solar panel temperature projects. Try covering a solar panel in a layer of snow of even thickness. How does the output change compared to the uncovered panel? Does snow cover affect voltage, current, or both? Make sure you keep other factors, like the time of day and solar panel orientation, constant as you change the thickness of the layer of snow. 

Note: the project procedures linked above have you separately measure the panel's open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current. If you want to calculate power output in watts, you need to connect a load resistor to your solar panel's output. Use your multimeter to measure the voltage across your resistor (in volts) and then measure the current through the resistor (in amps). See our multimeter tutorial if you are not sure how to do this. Multiply the voltage in volts times the current in amps to calculate power in watts. How does snow cover affect the power output?

Image Credit: Ben Finio / Science Buddies

Figure 1. A small solar panel partially covered in snow and connected to a multimeter. For your experiment, you should try to cover the panel with a more even layer of snow. Make sure exposed electrical contacts do not touch snow, as this may cause a short circuit.

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Global Goals

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) are a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.

This project explores topics key to Affordable and Clean Energy: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy.

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