Polar solar power plants – Investigating the potential and the design challenges

•The function of solar power plants in Polar regions can be jeopardized by snowdrifts.•PV array snowdrifts exhibit a similarity with snow fence snowdrifts.•Snow fence theory can be used to minimize the accumulation from the PV arrays.•Yield measurements emphasize the potential of solar power in Polar regions.•The design of solar power plants should be adapted to be sustainable in Polar regions. The potential for power production and the climatic effects imposed on ground mounted solar power plants in Polar climates are scarcely documented and limit the use of solar power in Polar regions. The study investigates the potential and the design challenges of Polar solar power plants through field measurements of a small-scale solar power plant with modules facing both sky and ground in Adventdalen, Svalbard. The climate is characterized by significant horizontal redistribution of snow due to little shelter and strong winds, causing snowdrifts to develop in the aerodynamic shade of the PV arrays. 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. The snowdrifts produced by the PV arrays exhibit a similarity with that produced by porous snow fences and it is argued that snow fence theory can be applied to PV arrays to control the accumulation. The results from solar power production indicates that the module yield is enhanced by the low temperatures as a seasonal performance ratio of 92.5% in combination with below-STC backsheet temperatures are measured. The bifacial gain displays a strong seasonal variation due to the presence snow cover and averages 14.7% annually. The findings indicate that the Polar climate enhance the module performance and that an adaption of solar power plant design is necessary for the system to be resilient to snowdrift development.