The vertical space-saving solar panels make use of the urban area more effectively, enhancing the generation efficiency. It has been demonstrated that these vertical solar panels produce 20-50% more winter energy compared to the angled ones and are resistant to 150 km/h winds, whereas 50% less cleaning is required because the rain washes away the dirt on them, thus saving $200+ per year on maintenance.
Space-Saving Design
Vertical solar panels have the promise of offering a somewhat practical way of maximizing production from solar energy. With the increasing demands for the installation of solar, the use of non-traditional surfaces, such as building facades, highway barriers, and even noise reduction walls, is not excluded. For example, a German vertical highway barrier solar installation generated 100 MWh/yr; this also saves carbon equivalent to more than 1,200 planted trees.
These modules can also perform well on confined land area, like a balcony or a wall of a building. In countries such as Japan and Singapore, the vertical modules are included in residential skyscrapers; these modules create more energy without sacrificing the rooftops, which is often for recreation or a cooling system. Even with small-scale projects, for example 3 kW size installation on the balcony of apartments, vertical modules can generate 10-15% of a home's energy consumption.
Commercial buildings take the lead for maximum benefit. For example, a corporate building in Milan used bifacial panels placed vertically, and this saw a reduction of 30% in dependence on outside power. Simultaneously, it assisted the city in achieving its sustainability goal. This two-in-one utility of space, that is, energy generation and aesthetic value, makes vertical solar panels an important tool in the greening of cities.
Superior Energy Yield
Indeed, vertical solar panels are extremely efficient in terms of energy when other conventional systems fail to perform. For example, in northern latitudes like Canada or Scandinavia, the angle of the sun during winter time would make horizontal systems far less effective. A vertical installation at the University of Oslo had a 20% yield improvement over conventional rooftop systems in the winter.
Vertically aligned solar panels can also utilize bifacial, which happens to be the ability to harvest energy from both front and the rear. Bifacial-oriented panels apparently studies from the European Solar Research Institute can increase energy a whopping 35 percent above average modules with east-west arrangements while it is on as much as 25 percent on west-east. With its orientation, mainly more production will occur during those peak hours early in the morning hours and late into the afternoons providing reduced need for battery-based storage plus additional grid usage in the evenings.
Another critical factor is temperature management. Solar panels lose efficiency by 0.4-0.5% for every degree Celsius above optimal temperature. This can be very high losses in hot climates. In vertical systems, the airflow is more natural and helps keep the system 10-15°C cooler than that of rooftop systems, meaning less efficiency loss during the summer months.
Greater Aerodynamic Wind Resistance
Wind resistance is one of the most critical factors for the longevity and lifespan of solar installations, particularly in windy or hurricane-prone areas. In Miami, a vertical installation resisted wind forces up to 160 km/h, while standard rooftop arrays shattered at 120 km/h.
This structural benefit also offers reduced downtime for operations. In Southeast Asia, the regions experience heavy monsoons most of the time, leaving roof systems to be checked and serviced frequently. Roof-mounted, flush-mounted walls have vertical panels that are approximately 30-40 percent less prone to maintenance stoppages. This means efficient long-term performance and smaller operational expenses. Over such a 20-year lifetime, it can save you more than $5,000 for every 10 kW system.
Minimum Dirt Build-up
If the dirt and dust are not cleaned often, they decrease the efficiency to 25-30%. It is particularly critical in arid zones such as the Middle East or India. However, natural rainwater assists in cleaning the vertical panels and hence makes the system less susceptible to this effect. The research of the Indian Institute of Technology revealed that in the case of the minimum cleaning schedule, vertical systems retained 95% efficiency whereas that of rooftop systems dropped down to 70-75%.
This translates into savings of several tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the building height. Roof top-based systems require cleaning once a month or so on each of the three or four sides, which amounts to annual costs of about $200 per session. By comparison, vertical systems usually get cleaned once or twice yearly, saving more than half the cost. Where large installations are placed on building facades or over solar fences, automatic cleaning systems can be included in an effort to reduce labor expense even further.
City Friendly Installation
Integration of renewable energy into a highly populated and crowded urban environment would be convenient through the application of vertically mounted solar panels. Solar facades were encouraged as part of New York City's and Hong Kong's zoning laws. The most recent retrofit of the Empire State Building added vertical panels to reduce its energy by 38%.
The vertical installations are very much part of the BIPV trend, where a solar installation becomes part of the building shell. The facade system of the Copenhagen International School houses more than 12,000 solar panels annually producing 300 MWh, and serves as an artistic light-reflecting design feature.
Vertical panels also offer the same benefits as far as public infrastructure is concerned. Apart from generating energy, they serve as a noise and pollution barrier. Germany's solar noise barrier project generated 13 kWh per meter annually, thus both energy generation and sound reduction.
Less Shading Problems
The significant challenge is shading of solar arrays, mainly for cities with dense populations because there are many shadows created from buildings. Panels vertically attached to walls or barriers encounter less shading, because shading horizontally is an uncommon practice. A Swiss urban solar project demonstrated that vertically arrayed systems attain efficiencies at 85-90 percent, while at similar conditions, rooftop arrays were achieved at 75 percent.
East-west aligned vertical panels excel in capturing morning and evening sunlight—times of day that grid demand is at its peak. For instance, a bifacial system located in Vienna was able to boost output by 25% during peak periods, as compared to traditional south-facing panels, easing grid tension and reducing energy costs.
Outdoor Aesthetic Appeal
With solar technology becoming more integrated into our daily lives, aesthetics have become important factors. Architects now use vertical solar panels as architectural features. The Bosco Verticale in Milan is an example of a structure that marries solar technology with nature and creates an aesthetically pleasing and sustainable building.
Aesthetic solutions also exist in the case of solar fences and highway barriers. Germany's "Agri-Solar" project utilizes solar fences, generating energy while at the same time protecting crops from the effects of the wind. Such multi-purpose constructions demonstrate the way vertical solar panels may benefit in order to enrich rural and urban landscapes alike.
This can be a potential function of vertical panels, especially in commercial space applications, by casting a shade while generating electricity, much like the Allianz Arena in Munich uses panels on its facade that make a yearly production of 800 MWh.
