Performance of solar power plants in Norway

How do Nordic conditions affect the power generation and lifetime of solar power plants?

The performance, reliability and lifetime of solar power plants are strongly influenced by their operating environment. Local climate, latitude, and physical surroundings determine how a system performs over time, influencing both energy yield and component lifetime. Snow, solar irradiance, temperature, wind, and terrain all play a role in how much energy a plant can produce and how fast it degrades. Several effects relevant to Nordic conditions are well known, such as:

• Reduced solar irradiance results in reduced power output, but it can also slow material degradation.
• Low temperatures increase solar cell efficiency, and can additionally slow down material degradation, except in cases with very low temperatures in combination with high mechanical loads.
• Snow on the ground can enhance irradiance, and consequently power output, through reflection, whereas snow covering the PV modules reduces production. High snow loads can in some cases lead to module degradation.

However, the impact of these and other effects characteristic of Nordic conditions is not always straightforward to quantify across different conditions and systems. Accurately modeling influential effects is essential for designing and optimizing PV systems and evaluating project feasibility. Insight into the physical drivers behind performance variations and component reliability supports better system design, technology choice, and operation and maintenance. Much of the existing research on PV performance and reliability, as well as validation of PV performance models, comes from more mature markets in regions farther south, where climatic conditions can differ substantially from those in the Nordics. Experience and empirical data from colder, high‑latitude environments remain limited in comparison.

We have developed a guide on how to account for factors typical for Nordic conditions in PV system modeling: Modelling recommendations for Nordic Conditions

Research in FME SOLAR on impact of Nordic conditions on performance and reliability

In FME Solar we investigate factors impacting performance and reliability of PV plants in Nordic conditions, and we develop methods to improve performance modeling. Our work includes topics such as:

• Quantification and modeling of snow impact
• Modeling of irradiance in systems impacted by shading and/or cloudy weather, including the impact of reflected irradiance
• Degradation of PV systems in cold, high latitude areas

Within this work, we developed a guide on how to account for factors typical for Nordic conditions in PV system modeling. You can find the guide here:

Modelling recommendations for Nordic Conditions

Further reading: