Experimental implementation of reverse-current-based snow removal for high-voltage series-connected PV arrays using a grid-fed boost converter

Snow accumulation on photovoltaic (PV) panels significantly reduces energy generation, particularly in cold regions with prolonged winters. In severe snowfall conditions, snow coverage may reduce electrical production to near-outage levels for extended periods. Mechanical cleaning and external heating methods for removing snow on solar panels are inefficient and not cost effective. In this study, a reverse current-based heating method is proposed with a boost converter driven PV array. The proposed system is experimentally validated on a PV string consisting of 25 series-connected modules, operating at approximately 800 V with a controlled heating current of 8 A. To test the proposed system experimentally, panels are connected in series and the converter is designed to feed the string. Thermal and electrical measurements demonstrate that applying reverse current produces a uniform surface temperature increase. Experimental results show that the PV surface temperature increases from 25 °C to 37 °C within 7.5 min, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed heating mechanism. The total electrical energy consumed during the heating process is approximately 0.8 kWh, while the converter operates with an overall efficiency of 93.5% under continuous conduction mode (ccm). Results show that the energy consumed for heating is significantly low when compared with the energy loss caused by snow coverage. A techno-economic assessment further indicates that the recovered energy exceeds the heating energy for relatively short snow-covered durations in high-voltage PV strings. This approach provides a low-cost, scalable, and electronically controllable solution for snow removal from PV panels, with potential integration into smart renewable energy systems.