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NREL says snow tends to slide off solar arrays tilted more than about how many degrees?

About 30 degrees; lower tilts hold snow until it melts.

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  1. About 2 degrees
  2. About 10 degrees
  3. About 30 degrees ✔

Why: Steeper panels shed snow on their own. On lower tilts, snow stays put until it melts.

Huh, didn't know that: NREL says microinverters or horizontal strings lose less output when snow only partly covers an array.

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References

Answer: About 30 degrees. Steeper panels shed snow on their own. On lower tilts, snow stays put until it melts.

  1. NREL: Best Practices for O&M of PV and Energy Storage Systems, 3rd ed. (2018) docs.nlr.gov/docs/fy19osti/73822.pdf
    Snow may slide off of arrays tilted more than approximately 30 degrees but will remain on lower tilts until it melts.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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