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4.3 Cloud Cover versus Snow Cover
Although it was hypothesized that snow cover would have a similar but greater effect on power output than cloud cover, it was determined that snow accumulation actually causes smaller and shorter lasting effects. The reduction observed between a cloudy day and a sunny day was 77% whereas decreases in power output due to snow accumulation were as low as 3.2% and as high as 69%, and it was only that high on one occasion. Even though cloud cover was not a focus of this study in the beginning, it was realized throughout the study period that it caused drastic drops in the power generated. On a cloudy day, snow covering PV panels will have a less crucial impact since the power generated is already so low due to decreased solar radiation reaching the panels due to cloud cover. Snow cover becomes more of a problem on clear, sunny days where there is the potential to generate a lot of energy. In addition, cloud cover can have an impact throughout the entire day or for multiple days at time whereas snow accumulation only seems affect the PV panels for about half of the day.
Since it would take multiple cloudy days to equal the power generated by one sunny day, it is important to ensure that PV panels are free of snow on sunny days. This is especially important for residential systems or any system relying on solar power in an off-grid, battery based application, to generate electricity because it would be detrimental to the system to lose that potential power needed to either run the system or charge the battery due to a build-up of snow on their panels.
41
4.3 Cloud Cover versus Snow Cover
Although it was hypothesized that snow cover would have a similar but greater effect on power output than cloud cover, it was determined that snow accumulation actually causes smaller and shorter lasting effects. The reduction observed between a cloudy day and a sunny day was 77% whereas decreases in power output due to snow accumulation were as low as 3.2% and as high as 69%, and it was only that high on one occasion. Even though cloud cover was not a focus of this study in the beginning, it was realized throughout the study period that it caused drastic drops in the power generated. On a cloudy day, snow covering PV panels will have a less crucial impact since the power generated is already so low due to decreased solar radiation reaching the panels due to cloud cover. Snow cover becomes more of a problem on clear, sunny days where there is the potential to generate a lot of energy. In addition, cloud cover can have an impact throughout the entire day or for multiple days at time whereas snow accumulation only seems affect the PV panels for about half of the day.
Since it would take multiple cloudy days to equal the power generated by one sunny day, it is important to ensure that PV panels are free of snow on sunny days. This is especially important for residential systems or any system relying on solar power in an off-grid, battery based application, to generate electricity because it would be detrimental to the system to lose that potential power needed to either run the system or charge the battery due to a build-up of snow on their panels.
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