Interesting Observation...

[FB.]

Not being "one of the trade", I said that I would stop posting on here - but I found this observation to be too interesting to not mention:

Two adjacent solar PV arrays, mounted on near-identical houses, facing near-identical direction (SouthEast) and neither with shade issues, taken at 9.45am (mostly bright and clear since daybreak), today (10th February 2012), after a couple of cm snowfall overnight.
Very interesting to see that one of the arrays has cleared the snow much better than the other.

One array is 15x250W panels, the other is 18x190/200W panels (I think).

 

[synergy power]

Looks like someone has got the polish out on the left house so the snow slides straight off!

 

[dansk]

interesting, i wonder if one has a special coating.

 

[ruston]

More likely one house has better insulation than the other.

 

[grandfortune]

a few factors could solve this, if the house on the left has a new born baby in, the people will be running the heating on alot more and higher, that could cause alot more heat, also depends on the insulation in the loft, and just one small slip of the snow at the top is all it would take for the whole column to come sliding down.

just my thoughts

 

[mogga]

one might have an attic room ? you get "Selfcleaning" Glass coating could it be applied to panels?

 

[FB.]

Panels have not had special coating (other than anything applied by the manufacturer). Both arrays of very similar age (a few months).
Neither house has any major changes in the loft such as an attic room to affect heat exchange - and the amount of snow remaining on the tiles beside the panels is very similar for both houses; suggesting comparable heat loss through the roof.

 

[wstevew]

Has the clear one got a tl inverter and the other not?

 

[Earthstore]

Maybe, due to orientation, as the sun came up it hit the roof on one house just a little before the other. because of shading from neighboring houses,
The sun is still very low in the sky, just a thought..
Have a look early tomorrow if the sun is shinning.

 

[SolarCity]

Not being "one of the trade", I said that I would stop posting on here

That's no reason not to post. Don't let disagreements worry you - we all have them.