My 44kW vertical and bifacial set in Finland.

[shadowmaker]

Vertical is great for winter if the sun shines. If it's overcast flat is better, but then you have to sweep every time it snows.

Not sure about that when using bifacial panels. Even if true, I'd loose a ton of production due to snowing all the time and I'm way too busy/lazy to clean them. I mean I have to clear snow 2-3 times every week from my yard which is 1ha (2,5ac) in size so I don't want to spent my time clearing panels too.

I think the most surprising thing about my vertical bifacials is how good they work in blizzards or heavy fog. In situations when I even can't see my array 100m (330ft) away, there's still decent (15-20%) production. I think summer is when my array is loosing most due to close to vertical angle.

 

[shadowmaker]

Braking 40MWh target before Tuesday?

Not going to happen. I think I jinxed it myself as just after writing it forecast changed completely.

 

[Madcodger]

Not sure about that when using bifacial panels. Even if true, I'd loose a ton of production due to snowing all the time and I'm way too busy/lazy to clean them. I mean I have to clear snow 2-3 times every week from my yard which is 1ha (2,5ac) in size so I don't want to spent my time clearing panels too.

I think the most surprising thing about my vertical bifacials is how good they work in blizzards or heavy fog. In situations when I even can't see my array 100m (330ft) away, there's still decent (15-20%) production. I think summer is when my array is loosing most due to close to vertical angle.

You really have me thinking about having at least some vertical panels as strings in my systems (current one and house we're building). I have more power than I can use in summer (although adding mini-splits to current system will increase that load). But winter is just a bear here in Maine US, and clearing the snow from 26-degree panels is a pain. Really appreciate your posts. Thanks for keeping us updated.

 

[Danke]

Not sure about that when using bifacial panels. Even if true, I'd loose a ton of production due to snowing all the time and I'm way too busy/lazy to clean them. I mean I have to clear snow 2-3 times every week from my yard which is 1ha (2,5ac) in size so I don't want to spent my time clearing panels too.

You should look into generating electricity from snow.

 

[upnorthandpersonal]

You should look into generating electricity from snow.

We could have supplied the entire world with the amount we had this year...

 

[shadowmaker]

We could have supplied the entire world with the amount we had this year...

And there's two more moths still to go...

 

[shadowmaker]

You really have me thinking about having at least some vertical panels as strings in my systems (current one and house we're building). I have more power than I can use in summer (although adding mini-splits to current system will increase that load). But winter is just a bear here in Maine US, and clearing the snow from 26-degree panels is a pain. Really appreciate your posts. Thanks for keeping us updated.

Make them adjustable if you can. Although if you already have enough production on a good summer day it might be easier to go with fixed install. On a bad summer day vertical bifacials will help with production so they will serve their purpose whenever conditions are far from ideal.

 

[Madcodger]

Make them adjustable if you can. Although if you already have enough production on a good summer day it might be easier to go with fixed install. On a bad summer day vertical bifacials will help with production so they will serve their purpose whenever conditions are far from ideal.

Looking at (leaning toward) Sinclair ground mounts with that adjustable "screw-thingy". The big concerns I have are 1) snow and ice, which the vertical panels would solve, but I think 60-65 degree panels would also alleviate to a large extent, and 2) minimizing the need for anything more than quarterly adjustments as I get older and/or I'm out of the picture and pushing up daisies, in which case I want things to be easy for the boss, or not too expensive to hire someone to do. We have a large amount of land available at the new place, so I may end up just over-paneling to help with winter, including a vertical string or two into those "excess" panels. This may evolve over the next 2-3 years... Anyway, really enjoying your updates!

 

[OffGridForGood]

The big concerns I have are 1) snow and ice, which the vertical panels would solve, but I think 60-65 degree panels would also alleviate to a large extent,

I tilt my arrays up in late October for better solar angle and to assist snow removal. I use 72 degrees, and this clears the snow, but not freezing rain, or wet sticky snow. If you can't brush them off, the next sunny day will usually clear them.

and 2) minimizing the need for anything more than quarterly adjustments

I tried out adjusting one array monthly compared to identical array beside this one tilted just Spring/Fall - nearly zero difference between them.
I only tilt Spring and Fall now, I can't see quarterly making enough difference to bother.

 

[Madcodger]

I tried out adjusting one array monthly compared to identical array beside this one tilted just Spring/Fall - nearly zero difference between them.
I only tilt Spring and Fall now, I can't see quarterly making enough difference to bother.

That’s really helpful - thanks!

If I’m doing it, no big deal as it’s just a few minutes outside with the dog. Gets me some Vitamin D. But if my wife is having to pay a local handyman to do it (we have a good one, much younger than us), I want to minimize that expense for her. Planning…

 

[shadowmaker]

Braking 40MWh target before Tuesday?

That didn't happen, but was able to collect 130kWh in these three days, so pretty much 100kWh missing at this point. It seems there is substantially more production now than it was December even if it's a bad day. Maybe it's because day is now three hours longer and sun is almost 8 degree higher at noon (4,5->12 degree).

 

[jarred125]

A popular YT account posted recently about vertical installations and how they are finding higher generation with them due to the panels operating at a lower temperature even in not cold climates. Obviously these are bifacial panels, which is what I have as well.

I have a set of panels on the way to expand my current array and honestly want to test this out as well. This is a great thread!

 

[shadowmaker]

A popular YT account posted recently about vertical installations and how they are finding higher generation with them due to the panels operating at a lower temperature even in not cold climates. Obviously these are bifacial panels, which is what I have as well.

I have a set of panels on the way to expand my current array and honestly want to test this out as well. This is a great thread!

It was about three years before I started building my solar than I decided I'll most definitely go with vertical bifacials if I ever build one. It was nothing as fancy what Matt Ferrell talks about. It's just that we have up to 19 hours of sun in the summer and I have open fields on my property plus it snows every other day in the winter. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure which way to go. There might be drawbacks though with high winds, ground heave force moving those poles or oxidation underneath glue patches, but I tried my best to address every possible problem. Then again my best isn't that much...

To optimize vertical bi-panels, one should lift them at least 1m from the ground, which bothers me on that video. Also using bi-panels as actual fences might not be that wise as making a fence out of glass wouldn't be my first choice... I also get why solar parks have their panels stuffed side by side, but when you have more land than you are ever going to install panels, leave some room between panels to get more backside irradiation if you can. It will get you more production. Lastly but not leastly albedo is very important and I will try to do some experimenting with it next summer.

In any case it's way too early to say if my setup is a hit or miss. Production seems to be ok, but longevity is still a total mystery.

 

[MattiFin]

It was about three years before I started building my solar than I decided I'll most definitely go with vertical bifacials if I ever build one. It was nothing as fancy what Matt Ferrell talks about. It's just that we have up to 19 hours of sun in the summer and I have open fields on my property plus it snows every other day in the winter. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure which way to go.

If you have very open space to east and west you could experiment also with one totally vertical bifacial array in S-N direction. Would catch the morning and evening sun with one array.
I did some calculations over here:
https://diysolarforum.com/threads/p...uction-on-a-single-inverter.76298/post-998605

Benefit is biggest on up north during summer but it might provide reasonable boost also for September&May.

 

[shadowmaker]

Got 85kWh today, so breaking 40MWh tomorrow is evident...?

 

[shadowmaker]

If you have very open space to east and west you could experiment also with one totally vertical bifacial array in S-N direction. Would catch the morning and evening sun with one array.
I did some calculations over here:
https://diysolarforum.com/threads/p...uction-on-a-single-inverter.76298/post-998605

Benefit is biggest on up north during summer but it might provide reasonable boost also for September&May.

My current array is 138 azimuth as I don't want to interfere farming on that field. Next addition is going to be monopanels on close by shed roof (230 azimuth). This is mainly to get more afternoon/evening harvest in summer. It is going to suck in winter.

I could put a S-N vertical array on my fields, but it would have to be so far away from my "solar corner", that it's not practical anymore.

 

[OffGridForGood]

I have one only vertical 440W panel set on a West wall! actually worse than that the wall faces 10-degrees north of true West LOL this powers my mobile 24v (311Ah pack) and generally has all week to charge up the pack, so I can use it on the weekends.
The panel was "free" ie damaged panel from my first PV shipment, replaced for free by supplier. With some cracks in the glass I figured vertical is the safe way to install it, as no gravity load on that cracked glass.
I ran the 24v mobile unit down to 35% last Sunday, and today (after a couple decent days of sun) it has about 68% SOC, should be fine by the weekend!
As you say, vertical is very nice for snow clearing - ie none required.

 

[Madcodger]

A popular YT account posted recently about vertical installations and how they are finding higher generation with them due to the panels operating at a lower temperature even in not cold climates. Obviously these are bifacial panels, which is what I have as well.

I have a set of panels on the way to expand my current array and honestly want to test this out as well. This is a great thread!

I was really excited to see that YouTube post. and now hope to install at least one "vertical" string at our new property, for testing, later this year. Biggest challenge is presence of ledge (bedrock) near surface that makes post holes very difficult. Here in Maine, snow is a very big concern. Seems we could solve much of that with vertical panels. Wind then becomes the big worry, I think.

 

[shadowmaker]

Got 77kWh today so reached my yearly target of 40MWh.

 

[upnorthandpersonal]

Got 77kWh today so reached my yearly target of 40MWh.

I've been looking out of the window all day thinking how happy you will be