If you imagine a solar power plant, do you perhaps think of a row of solar panels in the desert? But these power plants are entering Norway’s power production at full speed. It is good news for the wallet when the electricity price is high. The conditions are also excellent for solar cells in cold regions. But there is one problem: the snow. Covered in snow for large parts of the year, Iver Frimannslund has recently had his doctorate approved, which is about this very thing. – This is a topic that has been little investigated. Solar cells have been mostly used in climates with a lot of radiation where it is traditionally warmer, he explains. ADVANTAGES SNOW: – The biggest challenges are how snow loads settle in ground-mounted solar power plants. In other words, how the snow is distributed on the panela, says Frimannslund. Photo: Iver Frimannslund / NMBU But since the technology behind solar panels has become cheaper, while electricity has become more expensive, it is now much more favorable than before to invest in solar cells in Norway. But there are some challenges when we also in the north of the globe have to use the power from the sun. The snow means that less sun is captured by the solar panels. – Some panels will be covered by snow for large parts of the year. It is therefore important to know how much a facility with snow can produce, says the researcher. – This applies to cold, exposed climates such as in Nordland, for example. In many places in the country, there is also a risk that the solar panels could be covered in snowdrifts. SNØFOND: The panels can be covered in snowdrifts, whether they are part of a solar power plant, or if they are on the roof of, for example, an industrial building. Photo: Iver Frimannlund / NMBU Frimannslund has therefore found ways to adapt the design of the solar cells. It may be to change the distance between the rows, the angle and how high they stand above the ground. – This simply has to be done in every single place, says the researcher. Solar cell melted snow Another obstacle to solar panels on roofs is that they become heavy if a lot of snow falls on them. Very heavy. Frimannslund has researched this solution, which has been developed for Nordic conditions. – You can use solar power to melt snow. If you run power from the grid directly to the solar power plant, the solar panels will generate heat that can be used to melt the snow. MELTING FUNCTION: This solar system has a snow melting function. The solar panels themselves can be quite heavy for a roof. If the snow can be melted away, it can compensate for some of the load. Photo: Fusen – It can be very similar to what you do to melt snow on, for example, a car route, but here you have to melt more snow to reduce the load, says Frimannslund. – The question is whether it is economical to have a solar cell system when you have to melt away a lot of snow, and therefore also use energy. One has to weigh up which is relevant. Positive effect with cold weather Erik Stensrud Marstein is subject group leader at Solpark and head of research at IFE. He says that the sun is about to take over as the biggest energy source in the world. – It has taken some time for us to gain momentum in Norway, but now it is also picking up here. Marstein says that there has been a tripling of solar panels installed in Norway this year. Next year, he expects a bigger increase again. – Solar systems are now starting to become very cheap and solar prices continue to fall. It is possible to do it even cheaper and better. And it is not without reason that he thinks we should bet on solar in the north. The solar cells are very effective in cold weather. GOOD CONDITIONS: – The best conditions are Norwegian Easter. Cold and lots of sun, says university lecturer Frimannslund. Photo: Iver Frimannslund / NMBU – But we lack some knowledge about what, for example, snow has to say over time. That is why it is important to carry out new research into how to adapt the installation of the panels. – The snow fell, but he moves with the wind and how the landscape looks. – It is necessary to play on a team with nature, he says. Therefore, the head of research believes that it will be very beneficial to melt the snow with the solar panel’s own current, as Frimannslund suggests. Marstein has seen examples of this in other places in Norway, including in Oslo and in Grenland and Porsgrunn. – A number of such industrial buildings spend a lot of money on removing snow from roofs. In addition, more and more people are placing emphasis on zero-emission buildings. Therefore, you can win in several fields with solar cells. – Why is it getting so much cheaper with solar cells now? – It is about us now making solar cells on a large scale. A gadget is expensive, but if you make a billion panels, as we do in Norway now, we produce 60 billion solar cells, he explains. – When you first scale production and use raw materials, the price is greatly reduced by volume. In addition, he points out that they have obtained better components. Nevertheless, it is mass production and product with a long life that has created magic in the price. – It seems that solar cells are a good solution in Norway. – Why is that? – Much of what destroys solar systems is temperature. Therefore, solar cells in Norway seem to live longer. Will be important for many Frimannslund at NMBU says that it is now easiest to use large roof surfaces to generate electricity from the sun. – But in order to reach the climate targets, production on ordinary roofs in detached houses is very relevant. Therefore, he believes that the research must eventually also aim to solve the same type of problem on ordinary house roofs. – Then this with snow will become a problem for many buildings. Therefore, this research will gradually become important for many.
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Have found the solution to solar cells in snow – news Nordland
