A Study of the Effects of Snow Removal from Solar Arrays on Energy Output

During the winter months in northern climates solar arrays are hampered by snow and ice. They are often rendered inoperable by snow accumulation as the sun's radiation is unable to reach the panels. Developing a system to remove the snow will make installing PV systems in snowy climates more economical and make the arrays produce more power. This project investigated one of the three general approaches to removing snow from photovoltaic modules. Mechanical, chemical, and thermal solutions have all been proposed with varying degrees of success. This project primarily focuses on thermal methods to initiate snow sliding off solar modules. The study presents data and quantifies the amount of power lost following a snowstorm when panels are blocked. This will provide an estimate on how much energy is needed to clear the snow from the panels. Two thermal methods were tested to clear snow. The first method focused on conductive heat transfer. A length of heat tape was mounted to the rear to the panel, and following a snowstorm, this was turned on to heat the surface of the panel. The goal is to melt a water layer between the snow and the glass surface to cause the snow to slide from the panel. The second method tested uses convective heat transfer. The panel is heated using forced hot air. This could potentially be recycled ventilation air from the building on which the solar panels are mounted. This method does not require any additional energy to clear snow. The results from the project indicate that additional power can be generated from clearing solar panels using thermal methods.

Union College Schaffer Library Digital Projects

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Union College (Schenectady, N.Y.). Department of Mechanical Engineering