The mystery of this vertical solar panel: it generates more energy, but experts don’t understand it – ECOticias

A mystery hangs over the vertical solar panel. It generates more energy, but there’s still something experts don’t understand. If you were surprised by what we told you about the first solar panel that produces hydrogen, you can’t miss what comes next. Solar panels are a viable solution in the energy transition the world is undergoing.

They provide an efficient and cost-effective way to produce clean, renewable electricity and help mitigate climate change and the energy challenges facing humanity. They also provide opportunities for employment and economic growth. Opting for self-supply through solar panels is a lifesaver for people living in rural or remote areas where grid electricity is not available.

Right now, solar energy is more important than ever due to energy demand and high fossil fuel prices. Global warming, climate change, coupled with rising prices, have led the industry to create alternative proposals to supply the solar energy user.

Vertical solar panel: produces more energy and still has mysteries to solve

A Spanish startup has designed a system with vertical panels and reflectors that halves the payback time of photovoltaic systems installed on rooftops. FutureVoltaics, a spin-off from Spain’s Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), has created VECTHOR, a new solar PV system that bases its technology on vertical bifacial solar panels and specially designed reflectors.

It halves the payback time of conventional photovoltaic systems installed on rooftops. The main objective of this system is to make photovoltaic solar energy more economical and manageable, generating more energy when it is most needed, i.e. during the winter season, early morning, late afternoon and cloudy days.

If we compare them with current photovoltaic systems, we see clear differences. For example, conventional panels tend to generate more energy than needed at midday and very little during the winter. As more solar power is installed, the supply of electricity exceeds the midday demand, lowering its value.

In this context, the emergence of a technology is necessary for the market to balance supply and demand. VECTHOR, which stands for VErtical CollecTor with HOrizontal Reflectors, could be the ‘magic’ solution the industry needs. It is a patent-pending design based on vertical bifacial solar panels and reflectors created to maintain optimal irradiance all the time without resorting to the use of trackers or moving parts.

Vertical solar panel: advantages you would never have thought possible

Opting for this vertical solar panel comes with several benefits that you would not have realized if it had not come on the market. For starters, it offers greater energy efficiency today, combining the best of fixed-tilt and tracking systems, as well as its performance in adverse weather conditions.

Its energy cost is reduced and it has a higher return on investment. With more production at peak electricity values such as cloudy days, sunny winter days, early mornings and evenings, and less need for storage.

In addition, it has less maintenance and a longer service life. The absence of moving parts reduces the maintenance required compared to trackers. It also has less UV exposure, which lowers encapsulant degradation and improves radiative and convective cooling.

Finally, it offers a lower heat island effect. As it reduces heat buildup in urban areas, it helps mitigate this effect.

In short, this vertical solar panel could be the answer to the prayers of an industry desperately seeking new ways to exploit solar energy.

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