Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Open Access Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MS)
Administrative Home Department
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Advisor 1
Ana Dyreson
Committee Member 1
Stephen Morse
Committee Member 2
Alden Adolph
Abstract
This thesis investigates the effects of frame material selection, module orientation and module gaps on photovoltaic energy production in a snowy environment. These factors are easily implemented in new PV installations at minimal or no extra cost. These experiments are installed as fixed tilt arrays at 35° with DC current, DC voltage, and meteorological monitoring. The frame material and module gap experiments both produced actionable results. In the frame material experiment, consistent event level energy production gains resulted in seasonal production gains favoring aluminum framed modules. In the module gap experiment energy gains are independent of atmospheric conditions. The orientation experiment has event level energy gains but inconsistent results overall, indicating that one orientation is not preferred over the other in snowy conditions. Future work in this area should expand the experiments to investigate wind loading effects of the module gap and the root cause of the snow shedding difference in the frame material experiment.
Recommended Citation
Wallis, David B., "Minimizing Snow Loss on Fixed Tilt Solar PV Installations Through Frame Material Selection and Installation Layout", Open Access Master's Thesis, Michigan Technological University, 2026.