Snow no bother to solar panel owners, installers

Rick Way - January 10th, 2011

As the Delaware Valley braces for another winter--snow is falling as I write this--the region's photovoltaic solar system owners and installers can relax. Diane Mastrull of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes about the relationship between snow and solar panels:

As the sweating and panting through hours of oh-my-back shoveling played out Monday across snow-laden sidewalks and driveways, one industry sat idled - and was delighted to do so.

Solar installers were calling Sunday's storm a nonevent. The proof: Their phones were not ringing with customer complaints or pleas for help.

As it turns out, Rudolph's hooves and Santa's clunky boots were more of a risk to the well-being of the region's rapidly sprouting crop of solar panels than the foot or more of snow that fell on them.