Perhaps I am not understanding the "20%" number correctly. If we build solar-charging battery capacity, and let the batteries charge on sunny days with optimal efficiency, and we have a stable and high quality battery system (hosted indoors, of course), why would solar working at 20% on the coldest days be a problem? The point isn't to rely on solar during the worst days or as a full-time energy producer; it's to build reserve for cold days such as this, and then use more non-renewables to get us through colder weeks and prolonged cold snaps.
It would seem to me it comes down to battery storage and energy mix strategy; not the solar panel's efficiency at Alberta's coldest.
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