The reality of solar panels in the Canadian winter is that they face the same ice and snow that our cars, our houses and we, ourselves, face. How this affects you – the solar panel owner – depends on whether you have a rooftop installation or ground-mounted panels.

If you have rooftop solar panels, mounted on your house or barn, they will face the same challenges that the roof faces. The steeper the roof, the more likely the snow is to clear itself.

I will relate my experience with ground-mounted solar panels, which will be of interest even if yours are roof-top mounted.

If you have ground-mounted solar panels, mounted with a tracking system, you *should* never have to worry about snow. Of course, “should” and “reality” often disagree on the details.