Estimating Snow-Related Losses for Solar Photovoltaic Systems in Northern Territories of Canada

Photovoltaic (PV) systems have recently gained significant attention in the northern provinces and territories of Canada. With the long daylight hours in summer, these regions benefit from an increase in PV power production. However, heavy snowfall during winter can cover the panels for extended periods and reduce or fully disrupt the performance of the systems. Therefore, having an accurate estimation of snow-related losses, known as snow loss, is essential to better understand the true potential of PV systems in these areas. In this paper, the power production data from four ground-mount utility-scale PV systems located in Yukon and the Northwest Territories, covering a combined period of nine years, are analyzed. A method to estimate the monthly ratios of snow loss is developed for each system based on the available data. The results show that snow can impact the system performance in these regions for 6 to 8 months each year. These estimated snow loss ratios can be used to adjust the monthly soiling rates in PV system design tools such as Helioscope and PVsyst.