Presentation description

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is a Cherenkov telescope at the South Pole. Neutrinos are useful for astrophysical research because high-energy neutrinos are cosmic messengers that are not attenuated or influenced by interstellar magnetic fields, pointing directly to the sources of the neutrinos. The majority of operations at IceCube are powered by diesel fuel that has to be flown to the pole in bulk by airplanes. To reduce costs, it has become necessary to inquire into new, more sustainable ways of powering IceCube. We are currently studying the practicality of solar power at IceCube. To achieve this, we need to simulate the approximate solar conditions at the South Pole. Due to how the sun moves in the sky at the pole during the austral summer months, it was decided to mount a test solar panel on a telescopic mount to move our solar panel relative to the sun in both altitude and azimuth. We are currently testing the solar panel mount controls and are finalizing the testing procedure, attempting to mimic the reflective conditions at the South Pole due to the snow. We are looking to test the amount of solar irradiance expected at the South Pole to improve our predictions for the amount of energy we could contribute to operations.