A Study on the Performance of PV Modules in Snowy Conditions Considering Orientation of Modules

The performance of a photovoltaic (PV) system is significantly affected in snowy conditions. Snow accumulation on a PV module causes the shadow on the module and as a result the irradiance level received by the module and its generated power are reduced. During the snow removal and snow sliding on a PV module, its performance can be different considering the module landscape or portrait orientations, the number and location of bypass diodes, used in the module. In the present study, a snow-covered PV module is modeled using MATLAB/Simulink software considering the snow sliding as the snow removal process. A commercial PV module with three bypass diodes is modeled and its performance is investigated in snowy conditions considering portrait and landscape orientations. The result of the study shows how the module orientation and bypass diodes affect the performance of the PV system in snowy conditions. The results of the study can be considered as practical guidelines for installing different PV modules in snowy conditions.