Impact of Snow Depth on Single-Axis Tracked Bifacial PV System Performance

Snow-dependent ground clearance affects energy yield and rear irradiance to a similar degree as widely adopted derate factors like structure shading and electrical mismatch loss. As such, snow depth may be an equally important consideration in modelling applications that rely on accurate yield estimates in snowy months such as storage capacity planning for microgrids.
 
Here are key results from the snow depth analysis of 2P SAT bifacial systems in Ottawa and Cambridge Bay, Canada using DUET software:

• The average daily energy yield loss is 0.034% per centimeter of accumulated snow.
• When hourly energy yield loss throughout the snowy season is binned by hour of day, hourly averages peak at 1.2-1.4% loss.
• Modelling snow-dependent ground clearance increases front insolation by 0.02-0.37% and decreases rear insolation by 3.4- 9.6%

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Annie C. J. Russell, Christopher. E. Valdivia, Joan E. Haysom, and Karin Hinzer
SUNLAB, University of Ottawa; Enurgen Inc.; J.L. Richards & Associates Limited