
Vertical Bifacial Solar Panel Performance Results Part 1
About this video
A hobbyist compares vertical bifacial solar panels against south-facing angled panels using winter production results. It tests whether the usual mounting approach is actually best.
Why it appears in the archive
HN points to it as real-world, side-by-side data on vertical versus angled panel orientation.
AI-generated summary and labels from the source dataset; verify important details against the video. Source & credits.
From the Hacker News discussion
You'll still get more output for the same amount of panels when they're tilted in most places. This guy did some interesting real-world testing in a bunch of different circumstances - [VIDEO]
Read original comment ↗[VIDEO] this person did a side by side experiment on their property with both angled and vertical bifacial with some interesting results. Their advantage didn't seem to be efficiency but consistency.
Read original comment ↗There seems to be a real interesting mix of pros and cons (total watts generated through the year, by time of day, susceptibility to dirt and hail damage, reflections, etc.), especially with regards to mounting. This guy goes into a lot of detail: [VIDEO]
Read original comment ↗There is research coming out that vertical solar panels are more efficient. I think part of it comes from lower temps allowing for more efficient operating. No tracking or pointing required. Less cleaning as its not a flat surface for dust or fall impacts. [VIDEO] edit: I see others have linked similar videos, all good sources on this topic.
Read original comment ↗This guy compared different orientations: [VIDEO] His conclusion is the vertical generate about 70% of optimal incline cells. The charge profile has two peaks, one in the morning, one in the evening. I can imagine using the vertical orientation for a fence. It would definitely keep them cleaner too.
Read original comment ↗