Vertical BiFacial Solar Panel Test Results - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 25, 2024, 09:39:26 pm
content: Test results vs standard panels, no major surprises.

author: Someone
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2024, 10:25:52 pm
content: It really needs the full annual collection to show the benefits:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/renewable-energy/tilting-(at)-solar-panels/Some (cold region) users have more energy demand in winter and can bias their system toward that.The daily production increases on the shoulders is also of benefit to people who will self consume that, and coinciding with peak pricing. Even vertical with the panels on a fixed north south alignment wouldn't be insane for people who can match their load to that.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 25, 2024, 11:07:15 pm
content: Quote from: Someone on February 25, 2024, 10:25:52 pmBasically, it'll have benefits for some people in some circumstances, and only downside for others in other circumstances.The results are basically what you'd predict with a dual sided solar panel, nothing magical is happening.

author: Someone
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2024, 03:27:12 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on February 25, 2024, 11:07:15 pmBut you can say exactly the same thing as the rule of thumb: point north with a 30 something degree elevation. Works for some circumstances and has downsides in others. It all comes down to the specific energy demands of the user and their relative tariffs.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 26, 2024, 04:07:57 am
content: Quote from: Someone on February 26, 2024, 03:27:12 amSure, but in the majority of cases you don't have a choice, you just whack solar panels on your existing roof and "you get what you get, and you don't get upset".

author: Someone
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2024, 05:52:44 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on February 26, 2024, 04:07:57 amI see many installs around here putting in tilting frames to trim the production. Equally few houses are completely covered on all facings so there is some (possibly misguided) thought going into it.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 27, 2024, 02:07:39 am
content: Quote from: Someone on February 26, 2024, 05:52:44 amWould depend on latitude as to whether you'd bother. Can't say I've ever noticed a single home installation in Sydney that is tilted different to what the roof is. The only exception is older cheap flat roof houses.

author: max_torque
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2024, 07:49:54 pm
content: As the price of solar panels falls, what i see is that any kind of complex mounting structure or arrangement actually costs more than just filling the available horizontal space with panels. Panels that are tilted to capture more insolation clearly shade a greater horizontal area, so if the cost of all that angled mounting is added up, it needs to be balanced against the cost of a simpler mounting just using more panels!For my home array, the additonal cost of mounting panels on my "ideal" roof (40Deg, south facing, totally unshaded) that came about because of the requirement to work at height and to install suitable supporting rails through the more complex roof structure added an extra 3 years to the payback time when compared to me simply being putting more panels directly on very simple rails on a low flat roof. The saving in installation costs outweighed the loss in energy capture by a large margin (in the UK,labour costs are large, and "greentax" now seems to apply to any solar project, so it really costs to get panels put on roofs where the solar installer is not getting a large cut of the resulting grant or feed-in tarrif etc).