Could a new solar project help remote Arctic communities transition to green energy?

Norway has installed the world’s northernmost ground solar panels in its Svalbard archipelago, a region plunged in round-the-clock darkness all winter. The pilot project could help remote Arctic communities transition to green energy.

Why do solar panels work in Isfjord Radio?

The solar panels also benefit from the "albedo" effect, the reflective power of snow and ice, as well as low temperatures that improve their efficiency. On the flipside, the region is plunged into total darkness from early October until mid-February, which makes it impossible for Isfjord Radio to completely give up fossil fuels.

What is Unis & Svalbard Energi doing in the Arctic?

The energy company is collaborating with the University of Svalbard (UNIS) and Svalbard Energi in the testing of hybrid renewable energy, battery storage, and diesel generator systems, with a plan to implement them in many of the 1,500 Arctic communities that are off-grid and currently use coal or diesel as an energy source.

How polar climate affect bifacial solar power production?

The Polar climate have severable favourable characteristics for solar power production, namely the effect of increased solar cell voltage with decreasing temperature, and high-albedo providing significant amounts of ground-reflected irradiance which can be utilized by bifacial solar panels (Frimannslund et al., 2021).