Solar ... In the news

Martyn1981

First thought - "Oh no, not solar freaking roadways again" - but this solar path product does sound more promising.

Looking at the stats given, the small 'slabs' would appear to generate about 200W-250W from an area equal to one standard solar panel, so that's not bad considering they have 10mm of tempered glass on top.

Is it worth it, PV pathways, guess it depends on the relative cost compared to a normal path / pavement, and the generation potential.

Personally, I still think solar canopies over paths would be better, but perhaps the additional construction negates any benefits?

Solar patio anyone?

Hungarian Company Introduces Improved Solar Modules For Solar Pavement

At a recent industry event in Germany, Hungarian company Platio Solar revealed a very useful new solar module that can be used for flooring or outdoor spaces. Given some bad experiences solar ground installations have faced, especially solar roadways, it makes sense that people would be skeptical, but this new design is not only improved, but not aimed at getting pounded by automobiles.

“They rely on a new frame structure that provides better protection for the glass surface,” Marketing Manager Helga Ruscsák told pv magazine. “They can be used for pavement, terraces, driveways, sidewalks, parks, bicycle roads, marinas, and low traffic roads, as well as for other industrial and off-grid applications.”

2nd_time_buyer

"Personally, I still think solar canopies over paths would be better, but perhaps the additional construction negates any benefits?"

I have seen a number of adverts for solar roofed Pergolas cropping up on my feed. It seems to me to have a lot of merit im comparison to roof installation where there is a suitable site:

- Roof designed to precisely fit panels
- Synergy: pergolas are put in sunny places
- Scope to optimise pitch and orientation
- Cheaper installation ( no scaffolding)
- Does not spoil aesthetics of house roof
- Good ventilation under panels
- Easier to maintain

It will be interesting to see if it becomes a trend.

QrizB

2nd_time_buyer said:

I have seen a number of adverts for solar roofed Pergolas cropping up on my feed. It seems to me to have a lot of merit im comparison to roof installation where there is a suitable site:

I've got no garage but do have a reasonable spot for a carport. If I was to erect one, I'd definitely consider solar roofing. (Are those frameless panels used on barns etc. widely available? I've looked once or twice but have only seen used ones?)

JKenH

ELECTRICITY PRICE SURGE DRAMATICALLY REDUCES SOLAR PAYBACK TIMESCALES

https://www.electricaltimes.co.uk/electricity-price-surge-dramatically-reduces-solar-payback-timescales/

Coastalwatch

Nothing breathtaking about this announcement as it follows that made a week or two ago about best practises published for the design of Solar farms by the Trade association. But it would appear to offer a means of documenting bio diversity and wildlife benefits that accompany them today so making for a more attractive neighbour than might otherwise be imagined by those who either know no different or simply seek to undermine any kind of energy generation in their area.

I had previously believed that farmland was more valuable as a means of crop production than anything else. Unfortunately modern intensive farming methods as practised today means this is not perfect either. Soil degradation coupled with increased dependence upon pesticides and fertilisers cause severe issues to insect population and hence bird species by the former and river pollution due to run off from adjacent fields the latter. While there must be a balance to be struck between the apparent contradictary requirements of food production sustainable land cultivation, as yet this appears to be some way off.

I'm not advocating the use of grade one farm land for solar farms but it does show the scale of climate change our wildlife populations are experiencing, so anything solar farms can do to mitigate this impact should surely be welcomed.

The more energy we produce and use locally then the less stress we impose upon the grid together with a reduction in transmission losses as a bonus.

Standardised methodology published to help boost ecological management at solar farms

Solar Energy UK has developed a standardised methodology for monitoring biodiversity on solar farms, to help provide a better assessment of changes and aid ecological management.

Following the new guidance from the trade association – which was in developed in collaboration with Clarkson & Woods Ecological Consultants, Wychwood Biodiversity and Lancaster University –  will help maximise the positive impacts of solar plants on biodiversity, while reducing negative ones, it said.

“Solar energy is already a major contributor to Britain’s effort to prevent climate change,” said Chris Hewett, chief executive at Solar Energy UK.

“In recent years the industry has also seen evidence of nature recovery on its sites, for wildflowers, pollinators and other species. Solar Energy UK’s annual biodiversity survey will help us demonstrate how solar farms are improving prospects for local wildlife at scale.”

Earlier this year, Solar Energy UK in collaboration with other organisations released a best practice guidance for solar PV biodiversity.

As more and more utility-scale projects are built across the country, assessing the impacts of solar on biodiversity is getting more important for developers. Solar Power Portal’s sister site PV Tech Power recently spoke to Wychwood Biodiversity's founder and co-director Guy Parker as part of a wide-ranging feature on boosting the biodiversity and wildlife habitats of solar farms.

https://www.solarpowerportal.co.uk/news/solar_pv_biodiversity_monitoring_guidance_published_by_solar_energy_uk

Martyn1981

Today I learnt ........ vertically mounted bifacial PV may have an added value, since it generates less at mid day, but more earlier and later (if E/W oriented), then it doesn't need as much storage v's 'normal' PV peaking mid day. Plus it doesn't take up as much land area (footprint) if deployed in crop fields. Cool.

New Research Says Vertical Solar Panels Have Improved Performance

Researchers in Germany claim vertical solar panels may be better than horizontal solar panels. Typically, solar panels are mounted horizontally and oriented toward the south to get maximum exposure to the sun as it travels across the sky. Instead of lying flat, they are angled at between 20 and 35 degrees, depending on how far from the Equator they are located. There are complex mathematical formulas that tell solar farm developers the precise angle the panels should be mounted at in Pensacola, Peoria, or Penticton. There are tracking systems that can move the panels during the day to follow the sun, but they are expensive and need regular maintenance.

But what if conventional wisdom is wrong? Researchers at Leipzig University of Applied Sciences claim that mounting bifacial solar panels with one side facing east and the other facing west would produce more renewable electricity and reduce one of the side effects of traditional solar energy farms — an abundance of electricity at midday and not enough in the morning or afternoon. Their study was published in the August, 2022 edition of the journal Smart Energy.

Coastalwatch

Martyn1981 said:

Today I learnt ........ vertically mounted bifacial PV may have an added value, since it generates less at mid day, but more earlier and later (if E/W oriented), then it doesn't need as much storage v's 'normal' PV peaking mid day. Plus it doesn't take up as much land area (footprint) if deployed in crop fields. Cool.

New Research Says Vertical Solar Panels Have Improved Performance

Researchers in Germany claim vertical solar panels may be better than horizontal solar panels. Typically, solar panels are mounted horizontally and oriented toward the south to get maximum exposure to the sun as it travels across the sky. Instead of lying flat, they are angled at between 20 and 35 degrees, depending on how far from the Equator they are located. There are complex mathematical formulas that tell solar farm developers the precise angle the panels should be mounted at in Pensacola, Peoria, or Penticton. There are tracking systems that can move the panels during the day to follow the sun, but they are expensive and need regular maintenance.

But what if conventional wisdom is wrong? Researchers at Leipzig University of Applied Sciences claim that mounting bifacial solar panels with one side facing east and the other facing west would produce more renewable electricity and reduce one of the side effects of traditional solar energy farms — an abundance of electricity at midday and not enough in the morning or afternoon. Their study was published in the August, 2022 edition of the journal Smart Energy.

Thats interesting Mart and certainly makes sense to me both in terms of a levelised output and requiring less real estate, but I wonder in the darker months if this is still the case or whether they might generate more when south facing at this time!

silverwhistle

From the highlights..

Highlights

An energy system model for Germany (2030) aiming for 80% CO2 reduction is generated.

An overview of daily energy yields for different PV power plants is given.

Yields of vertical east-west systems are in the range of inclined south systems.

Summer winter difference is the lowest for vertical north south systems.

Combining east-west with tilted south systems can save CO2 emissions.

70sbudgie

I have EW- roof mounted panels and although my generation doesn't peak particularly high, I do feel that I get more "usable" generation. At this time of year it isn't unusual for me to have about 14 hours of generation. And yes the first and last few hours are low power, but it is satisfying to still be generating after the super red period.

michaels

Martyn1981 said:

Today I learnt ........ vertically mounted bifacial PV may have an added value, since it generates less at mid day, but more earlier and later (if E/W oriented), then it doesn't need as much storage v's 'normal' PV peaking mid day. Plus it doesn't take up as much land area (footprint) if deployed in crop fields. Cool.

New Research Says Vertical Solar Panels Have Improved Performance

Researchers in Germany claim vertical solar panels may be better than horizontal solar panels. Typically, solar panels are mounted horizontally and oriented toward the south to get maximum exposure to the sun as it travels across the sky. Instead of lying flat, they are angled at between 20 and 35 degrees, depending on how far from the Equator they are located. There are complex mathematical formulas that tell solar farm developers the precise angle the panels should be mounted at in Pensacola, Peoria, or Penticton. There are tracking systems that can move the panels during the day to follow the sun, but they are expensive and need regular maintenance.

But what if conventional wisdom is wrong? Researchers at Leipzig University of Applied Sciences claim that mounting bifacial solar panels with one side facing east and the other facing west would produce more renewable electricity and reduce one of the side effects of traditional solar energy farms — an abundance of electricity at midday and not enough in the morning or afternoon. Their study was published in the August, 2022 edition of the journal Smart Energy.

Presumably something else you could do with vertical (not bifacial) would be to have very simple tracking, combine that with the best winter yields and perhaps less shading of panels by each other when using tracking and it could have very interesting economics.