An Enhanced Snow-Shedding Model: The Module Frame as a Key Variable

Snow sliding is one of the primary methods of natural snow removal from PV modules. In this paper, we evaluate and add to an existing model for predicting snow sliding from PV modules and the rate at which that sliding occurs. Specifically, we look at the impact of the module frame on snow shedding, presenting shedding data from two side-by-side arrays that are identical except one set of modules are frameless while the other set has aluminum frames. This team has previously shown that frameless PV modules shed snow faster than framed PV modules, but the difference in the rate of snow shedding was based on a single winter of data (2018–2019). This study augments that earlier work with data from the 2021–2022 winter season and will also include data from the 2022–2023 winter season.