NAIT Solar Array
Curious to know how the winter works with your solar system?
Should I shovel my system?
Does the snow prevent my system from producing?
These are common questions but don’t worry, a local NAIT research has shown the world the annual impact of snow on Solar panels.
Get Your Instant
Free Quote Now
“A five-year study led by Northern Alberta Institute of Technology’s (NAIT) Alternative Energy Technology program found that the impact of snowfall only results in three per cent loss of solar energy.
Tim Matthews, technologist in charge of the NAIT study, said “Previous predictions expected as much as a 20 per cent loss in energy production due to accumulating snow”
Instead, the study found that the tilt of solar panels has a bigger impact than the amount of snowfall. According to Matthews, accumulating dirt and dust on panels can affect the production loss more than snow.
“We had no idea,” says Matthews. “Obviously, we were overestimating dramatically.”
The reference array snow study was launched in 2012 in collaboration with the City of Edmonton and Solar Energy Society of Alberta. Twelve solar modules were installed on the rooftop of Shaw Theatre at NAIT campus, to measure the impact of snow on the system and how the tilt of each panel affects energy production.”
-Referenced by “The Star” For more information check out the NAIT Solar study here