Experiments were carried out to determine the effect of reflection by snow on solar cells. It was found that the inclination of the solar cells to obtain maximum power was nearer towards the snow surface rather than towards the Sun itself. The maximum power was 1.1 times that obtained from the most favourable inclination of the solar cells without snow.
To simulate the above effect an approximate equation was constructed for the solar radiation spectrum with the inclination angle, the azimuthal angle and time as parameters. From the measurement of reflected solar radiation, the reflected solar radiation is assumed to be that due to a perfectly diffused reflection and the spectral distribution of reflection rate, R(λ), is appoximated by the equation R(λ)=0.6λ
-0.65 It is found that the above equation agrees fairly well with experimental values.
Since snow cannot accumulate on solar panels inclined at right angles to the snow, there is some meaning in calculating the output power of the solar cells for the long period of six months of the winter season. As a result of the calculation, it is found that the output power for this period is more than 83% above that without reflection from snow.
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