Could a new solar project help remote Arctic communities transition to green energy?

Norway has installed the world’s northernmost ground solar panels in its Svalbard archipelago, a region plunged in round-the-clock darkness all winter. The pilot project could help remote Arctic communities transition to green energy.

Why do solar panels work in Isfjord Radio?

The solar panels also benefit from the "albedo" effect, the reflective power of snow and ice, as well as low temperatures that improve their efficiency. On the flipside, the region is plunged into total darkness from early October until mid-February, which makes it impossible for Isfjord Radio to completely give up fossil fuels.

How polar climate affect bifacial solar power production?

The Polar climate have severable favourable characteristics for solar power production, namely the effect of increased solar cell voltage with decreasing temperature, and high-albedo providing significant amounts of ground-reflected irradiance which can be utilized by bifacial solar panels (Frimannslund et al., 2021).

Do snowdrifts affect solar power plants in polar climates?

In this study we show that snowdrifts pose a significant challenge for solar power plants in Polar climates as they can grow to cover the plant, resulting in reduced power production and an imposed mechanical load on the PV arrays.