Do Solar Panels Work When it Snows?

Snow hasn’t been a barrier to installing solar in these snowy places, and it need not be a barrier for your nonprofit.

Unexpected benefits of solar in cold climates

Cold climates can actually be helpful for solar, because colder temperatures increase panel efficiency, improving energy generation. Even if it snows, that’s not usually a significant issue; shading tends to be a much bigger problem for solar panels than snow.

With a light dusting of snow, some sunlight can still get through to the panels, allowing them to continue generating energy. Because solar panels are slick and are installed at an angle, the snow will often simply slide off the panels. This can help clean your solar panels, as dirt and dust on the panels bonds with the snow and is washed away when the snow melts off. Solar panels tend to generate their own heat as they produce energy; this, along with their reflective quality, accelerates melting of the snow. In fact, if there’s a lot of snow near your panels, the reflective nature of the snow itself can also help speed up the melting.

After severe winter storms, solar power can fare better than the power grid if it’s paired with energy storage. While the panels may experience some down time, that’s likely to be shorter than an extended grid power outage. The solar panels may still continue generating some power, and the battery can store that energy. With solar plus storage, your nonprofit may be able to stay online longer than other buildings in the area.

All of this doesn’t mean that snow can’t be an intermittent issue for your solar system, especially during heavier snowfalls. Fortunately, there are ways to mitigate snow-related issues.

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– 2024 News –

CollectiveSun Establishes First-Ever Credit Facility to Fund $4 Million of Solar Projects Exclusively for Faith-Based Organizations

The groundbreaking fund, established in partnership with Interfaith Solar Campaign, will be piloted with projects in Oregon and Washington and then expanded across the U.S.

SAN DIEGO, CA — [December 12, 2023 Press Release]

CollectiveSun Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and philanthropic arm of CollectiveSun dedicated to advancing climate-friendly projects, announced today that it has established a credit facility to fund $4 million of solar projects for faith-based organizations. The credit facility was created in partnership with the Interfaith Solar Campaign, whose mission is to promote solar energy adoption within faith-based organizations and their surrounding communities.

With support from BQuest Foundation, an impact investing based private family foundation, and Cornerstone Fund, a nonprofit financial institution that finances faith-based impact projects, the credit facility will be guaranteed by the Community Investment Guarantee Pool (CIGP). It is intended to expand access to solar project financing specifically for faith-based organizations.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has greatly increased opportunities for faith-based organizations and other nonprofits to benefit from solar energy. But it’s still challenging for nonprofits and especially houses of worship to access funding. These faith-based organizations are often excluded from traditional financing options or have limitations on the amount of funding they can obtain. This new credit facility, the first ever to be dedicated to faith-based organizations, addresses this issue.

CollectiveSun Foundation will manage construction, own, and operate the solar systems. Funding will be provided via the credit facility’s landmark three-party funding structure, which includes capital from two nonprofit foundations and a loan guarantee from a third nonprofit foundation. When a project is placed in service, CollectiveSun Foundation will…

At CollectiveSun, we understand that every nonprofit is unique, and that’s why we offer a diverse range of financing options. Whether you’re considering a loan like our SunForAll Solar Loan designed to support your purchase of a solar system while allowing you to benefit directly from the Direct Pay Tax Rebate; exploring leasing options like our SunForAll Solar Lease; or seeking a hybrid funding model like our Solar Power Agreement (the SPA), we have the perfect solution to match your solar financing needs.

For information about the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and new bonus adders we invite you to watch our informative bonus adders webinar series tour.

You’ll discover how these incentives can make solar energy even more accessible and cost-effective for your nonprofit organization.

Together, let’s harness the power of the sun to fuel your mission and create a brighter, more sustainable future for all.

Let’s connect and start the conversation!

The U.S. power sector is crucial for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, with wind and solar technologies leading the way more effectively than electric cars and heat pumps:

• The U.S. Energy Transition Explained in 8 Numbers | Scientific American

With a new tranche of federal funding for electric school buses just unveiled, more districts across the country will likely follow suit:

• A small Texas town is home to the state’s first all-EV… | Canary Media

New research has shown that solar parks can play a positive role in promoting bird diversity in the agricultural landscape:

• https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/01/10/utility-scale-solar-farms-contribute-to-bird-diversity