Just realized my off-grid system in rural Oregon has a major flaw no one talks about

I've been running 400 watts of solar for 2 years now, but last month's winter storm taught me something. The panels stay covered in snow for days and my battery bank drained to 40% before I could clear them. Is it better to mount them steeper at 60 degrees and lose summer output, or stick with 30 degrees and deal with winter losses?

4 comments

4 Comments

baker.holly2mo ago

I angled mine steeper after the first winter and it helped a ton.

gibson.morgan2mo ago

Heard a contractor say angle makes or breaks it with snow load.

gavin4691mo ago

Honestly I used to think a flatter roof was safer cause it looked more solid or whatever. But my buddy in Tahoe had his shed collapse after one big storm and he had it at a standard pitch. He rebuilt it way steeper and said it never even creaked after that. That got me looking into it more and yeah the physics makes sense now - snow slides off instead of piling up like a ton of bricks. I still catch myself thinking the old way sometimes but seeing his place hold up through two rough winters changed my mind completely.

diana_kim662mo agoMost Upvoted

Yeah, steeper angle makes a huge difference in snow country.