Big benefits from the vertical. Photovoltaics in our latitude
Mounting solar panels at a 35-degree angle is a myth. It turns out that something else works better in our latitude. These are the latest findings of scientists.
Photovoltaics, one of the renewable energy sources, is a very popular solution in Poland. It is chosen not only by companies, but also by owners of single-family houses, individual residents of apartment blocks and housing communities.
The point is that it can be done better than before. Better, i.e. more efficiently. This is important considering the change in the Polish settlement system – to a less favorable one.
Vertical positioning of photovoltaics increases efficiency in winter. There is something to fight for
The belief that photovoltaic panels mounted at an angle of 35 degrees to the south are always the best solution may not be entirely true, at least in the northern European climate – this is the conclusion reached by scientists from the University of York in the UK.
After a year of observation, they determined that vertical bifacial systems (Vertically Mounted Bifacial Photovoltaic, VBPV) not only equal classic photovoltaics, but at key moments of the day and year significantly outperform it in terms of efficiency.
Classically arranged panels have the so-called the southern peak, i.e. the period when energy production is the highest, but the demand for electricity in homes is then low, the power grid often becomes overloaded, and settlements are unfavorable. It turns out that a vertical photovoltaic system generates on average 26% less energy than inclined systems. more energy in the morning (05:30 – 09:00) and by 22.9 percent more in the afternoon (5:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.), i.e. when it is needed most.
Poles should also be interested in the efficiency of such a panel system in winter. Because scientists have noticed a difference in the winter months, when the sun hangs low on the horizon. The vertical system achieved as much as 24.5 percent. higher efficiency than panels in a traditional inclined position.
When is photovoltaics profitable now? High auto consumption
It is worth knowing that a constant and therefore profitable valuation of the electricity produced and fed into the network is a thing of the past. In the new net-billing system, paying more is simply not worth it. It is profitable to use solar energy as much as possible for your own needs.
From mid-2024, hourly billing will apply in the power grid, and from the end of 2025 – even 15-minute billing. Electricity no longer has one fixed price. The rates are set by the Day Ahead Market (DAM) and published by PSE (Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne). Hourly settlement periods mean that electricity delivered at noon – when all prosumers produce it simultaneously – is worth less than electricity delivered in the morning or evening.
