The work is published in the journal Science. "In addition to the influence ... 2023 stood out as the year with the lowest planetary albedo," says co-author Dr. Thomas Rackow from the ECMWF.

“The albedo is a key input parameter for bifacial PV energy yield estimations, but best practices are not yet completely defined, and proper procedures for albedo measurement are still under debate.

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories are taking a closer look at what's causing a decrease in sunlight reflectivity, or albedo, in the Arctic. Watch an animation showing the albedo process.