Turns out you have to scrape down on solar panels like you do on a car, I guess it makes sense... I don't want to scratch them though. Still getting some voltage out of them after taking off the first layer of snow but there is still a thick crusty snow/ice cover on them so not getting much power. Definitely going to want to come up with some kind of automated solution for taking snow off. If I get it as soon as it falls it probably won't create a crust. I could use heat but it kind of defeats the whole purpose of solar if I need to run an extension cord from the house to run the heater.

In an off grid setting I guess I could use wood heat. Using a generator would also defeat the purpose.