Should solar panels be installed on snow-covered mountains?

The placement of solar panels on snow-covered mountains can boost the production of electricity when it is most needed — in the cold, dark winter. Solar-power systems have long been hampered by a seasonal problem: the panels produce more energy in summer than in winter, at least in the mid-latitudes, where much of the planet’s population lives.

Do solar panels produce more energy in winter?

Solar-power systems have long been hampered by a seasonal problem: the panels produce more energy in summer than in winter, at least in the mid-latitudes, where much of the planet’s population lives. To meet the goal of drawing 100% of energy from renewable sources, planners need to find ways to increase winter output.

Where is a high-altitude solar power plant located?

This high-altitude solar power plant sits in a stunning location, floating on a lake in between the Swiss Alps. This reservoir doubles as a floating solar power plant, smack back in the middle of the Swiss Alps.

Could thin air help fill winter solar-power gap?

Arrays sited in thin air could help to fill winter solar-power gap. Solar panels on a ski-lift building in the Alps. Sunlight reflected off snow adds to the efficiency of high-altitude arrays. Credit: Daniel Schoenen/Getty

What is the Ivanpah Solar System?

The Ivanpah system consists of three solar thermal power plants on 3,500 acres (1,400 ha) of public land near the California–Nevada border in the Southwestern United States. Initially it was planned with 440 MW gross on 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) of land, but then downgraded by 12%.

How much electricity does the Ivanpah solar plant produce a year?

Retrieved 2017-03-07. The $2.2 billion Ivanpah solar power project in California's Mojave Desert is supposed to be generating more than a million megawatt-hours of electricity each year. But 15 months after starting up, the plant is producing just 40% of that, according to data from the U.S. Energy Department