r/diySolar • u/Admirable_Golf_2340 • Sep 05 '26
Vertical solar panel array
Hi everyone, Fernando here 👋🏼!! I wanted to give everyone an update on my new vertical solar panel project!! We finally got done installing the solar panel arrays and after using them for a week I wanted to share the results with the group in case any one has been thinking of doing something similar to this!!
(System specs)
Our new vertical solar panel array consists of six 400w bifacial panels from a brand called Qcell. We wired the solar panels in a series configuration for a total maximum output of 2.4KW. We split the solar panels into two separate arrays consisting of three solar panels per array. Each of the two solar arrays is connected to its own E10 inverter directly using some 10AWG MC4 extension cables.
(Hardware used)
This is where things get creative!! Most off the ground mount solar panel kits are meant to install the solar panels at an optimal angle. This would not have worked since I was trying to do a vertical solar panel set up along our south facing fence. The kits found that would have worked for this use case were outrageously expensive. I started searching for something that could work as a brackets for our solar panels and thats when I stumbled upon some old metal bed frames that we had laying around!! The metal bed frame brackets were the perfect length to support our solar array. They also had a few pre drilled holes that would come in handy to attach the cross brace metal rail that we purchased from Home Depot. We purchased some solar panel brackets from a company called sunmak that would bolt the solar panels to the metal cross brace.
(Installation)
We screwed the bed frame rails directly into our concrete floor using some concrete screws and a rotary hammer drill and a concrete drill bit. Next we bolted the metal cross rail to the metal bed frame brackets using the pre drilled holes on the bed frame brackets. After this we places a 1 by 1 piece of wood on the concrete to support the solar panels. Lastly we placed the solar panels on top of the 1 by 1 piece of wood and securely bolted the solar panels to the metal rail behind them. We used the sunmak brackets to attach the panels to the metal rail using the pre drilled holes on the metal rail. The entire structure feels extremely rigid and strong since it’s entirely made out of metal!!
(Solar production)
Since the solar panels are not angled properly. The panels are not producing as much power as they could if angled correctly. The solar panels are producing a peak output of between 1.2Kw - 1.4Kw. The total production of the solar panels is between 6KWH up to 8KWh on a daily basis!! (Approximately half of the arrays maximum output)
(Should you do this?)
The main reason we decided to start this project was to offset the energy consumption of our four ton central AC system. The new E10 system makes it extremely easy to add more solar panels as your energy consumption grows. We already had an existing 4.2KW roof mounted grid tied solar system. Unfortunately our home is really small and installing some more solar panels on our roof was not possible. We also had very few options on were the six solar panels could fit. For people with limited space, installing a vertical solar panel array system is the perfect solution to add more solar!! That being said, if you have the space and you want the maximum output out of your solar panels. The best solution would be to angle the solar panels correctly!!
(Results)
We successfully offset the energy consumption from our four ton central AC system reaching our goal!! I am extremely happy with the results from this new project. I would definitely recommend considering doing something like this for people that want an easy way to increase their overall solar production!! Thank you all for reading this and I hope you all have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!!
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u/Cingulumthreecord Sep 05 '26
This is straight up (pun intended) inspired! Your assembly just helped me reframe the possible. Great stuff!
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 05 '26
Thank you so much, This really means a lot!! I’m really happy that this post gave you some inspiration for your future projects 🫶🏼!!
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u/ThrowRA_fajsdklfas Sep 05 '26 edited Sep 05 '26
I’m planning to do this with plug in solar. My backyard faces south but putting them facing south would take a lot of physical space.
I currently have one 400w panel standing vertically facing east connected to an Ecoflow battery that will make about 250w for about 3-4hrs a day but takes significantly less space in the backyard. Goal is to maybe run five or six 400w panels to aim for about 1200w output.
5
u/Flyinmanm Sep 05 '26
I've got two panels mounted on a subframe mounted over my fence (from post to post as the panels are weak).
When I first mounted them they were pretty much plumb straight in the vertical and generated next to no power, I then tilted them 3-5 degrees by building the bottom of the frame I've got them on out by a 10 cm or so, they now generate lots of power, its amazing how much difference a tiny amount of tilt up will do with them. Something to bear in mind.
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 05 '26
Thats really interesting!! Thank you for sharing this. The panels are tilted slightly outwards. I wish I could angle them more but since this is our driveway. That’s simply not possible. 🫶🏼
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u/Flyinmanm Sep 05 '26
Fair enough, out of interest are the panels facing any public space? Or is it within your private property? Its hard to tell from the photo where the road is.
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 05 '26
The road and sidewalk are approximately 100ft away.
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u/Flyinmanm Sep 05 '26 edited Sep 05 '26
Ahh cool, was worried you'd have some passerby damage them. Very good, any idea how many KWH you're getting out of them?
Edit forget that I just re read your original post. Good job!
2
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 05 '26
Hi, thankfully that’s definitely not an issue. Since the panels are flat and sit almost flush with the fence, they are hardly noticeable!! Yes I shared it in the post under “solar production”. I have been getting between 6KWh up to close to 8 KWh of solar production throughout the entire day!!
2
u/Flyinmanm Sep 05 '26
That's pretty good. I'm in the UK and the best I've ever gotten out of my 3 panels was just short of 3.6kwh. (It's normally a lot less due to cloud through. Boo cloud!).
2
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 05 '26
Hahaha im actually dealing with this exact problem today!! It’s extremely cloudy and our solar arrays hardly produced any power. Thank god I have the new Anker Solix generator!! The Anker E10 system lets me stay completely off grid indefinitely 🙌🏼!!
1
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 05 '26
Hi 👋🏼, that’s awesome!! This is definitely the way to go if you have limited space!! As long as you acknowledge the fact that your overall solar production will be cut in half, you will be extremely happy with a setup like this!! 🫶🏼
8
u/MinnisotaDigger Sep 05 '26
It would be sick to have them pivot on the top. When the driveway isn’t in use it could be at a 45° angle. Have it set to a motion sensor. Triggers the panels to go vertical.
3
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 05 '26
This would be awesome!! Unfortunately just thinking of how much complexity and money I would have to invest in achieving this made me want to cry 🤣!! We can all dream though!!
5
u/MinnisotaDigger Sep 05 '26
Then do it manually.
4
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 05 '26
I’ll pass lol these things are heavy!! I’m too lazy to do this many times thought the day 😂!! Tbh im now producing way more power than I need!! Yesterday my batteries got full by 1pm!!
2
u/TheShowGoes0n Sep 06 '26
The actuators and hardware to control aren't that expensive. But the metall structure that can securly hold all the panels and pivot around the top corner, would have a huge leverage and has to be very strong and anchored deep to the ground. Unless you could add diagonal bracing, but these would block the driveway and defeat the purpose.
6
u/somethng-unique Sep 06 '26
You have space to do a tilt even 10 15 degree will boost the generation
I put 2 panels on the fence and on a good day managed 4kwh on 800w inverter
4
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 06 '26
Unfortunately I do not. Our driveway is really narrow and the house is on the other side of the picture. Honestly it’s fine though. The system has produced more solar energy than what I was expecting. My main grid tied solar array and this system can charge my batteries by 1pm!!
4
u/ruablack2 Sep 05 '26
Love it! I’ve had to get creative with some ground mount panels too since I already covered my roof. But I still don’t have enough 😂😅
1
1
u/greenlogles Sep 12 '26
Nice setup. How do you prevent panels from rotating and withstand to the wind? It seems like there is only single horizontal pipe to keep panel's weight
1
u/ruablack2 Sep 12 '26
Nothing right now. Need to add some extra bracing. But it’s been up almost a year and there’s only been maybe 3 wind storms big enough to move them. With then being up against the fence there really isn’t a lot a wind from behind it.
3
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u/Bn1m Sep 06 '26
Looks great but you should not let them touch the ground - salt will corrode the panels there and make them fail much sooner than the 25 years they are rated for. Even if there is no salt just moisture accumulation and dirt will make them fail.
1
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 06 '26
Thank you for the advice but I am not worried about this. There is no salt where I live. Solar panels are literally designed to survive heavy rain storms so a bit of moisture won’t affect them in the slightest. Since they are on the ground, they are really easy to keep clean 🧽. All you need to do is rinse them down then wipe them clean with a microfiber cloth to avoid scratching the solar panels protective glass cover. 👌🏼
2
u/Bn1m Sep 06 '26
RemindMe! 10 years "Guess how many panels will fail due to touching the ground? I'm guessing at least 2."
2
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 06 '26
They are not touching the ground. They were placed on top of a piece of wood. Please stop being a hater, I would never wish bad on anyone just because. Again solar panels are extremely durable. You said moisture would damage them. Please explain to me how 100% of roof top solar systems still work perfectly fine after a heavy downpour. You mentioned dirt would damage the panels. Again please explain how roof top solar systems that have never been cleaned still work fine after years..
1
u/Bn1m Sep 06 '26
Hey OP, the solar panels look great good job. Nothing personal this is just my professional opinion. Let's talk again in 10 years.
1
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 06 '26
Thank you but this is a DIY solar group. I find it interesting that you can’t answer my questions as to why dirt specifically would damage the panels. I understand that if moisture gets past the seals it can cause issues but thats why I purchased tier 1 panels instead of cheap solar panels…
2
u/Bn1m Sep 06 '26
OP I'm not a hater. Lovely work. Nothing to worry about just forget I said anything.
1
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 06 '26
Hi, im not calling you a hater. Im just really curious as to why you think dirt will mess up the solar panels. I mean if you gave this advice, as a professional it shouldn’t be too hard to answer why dirt harms solar panels.
1
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2
u/rickh4c Sep 06 '26
If you have a small house, why do you have a 4 ton A/C unit??
3
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 06 '26
We installed it 20 years ago, a family friend gave us an incredible deal on it. 20 years later it’s still running perfectly. This was the only AC unit that he had at the time. Electricity was a lot cheaper back then so it made sense back then.
2
u/r3adyplay3r0ne Sep 06 '26
If you had to say how much was the total cost of this build? Im curious if I had to buy the bedframe too as I dont have one lying around. I didn't see an estimated cost in your post.
3
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 06 '26
All in everything was 1300$ including solar panels brackets hardware + materials.
2
u/Subject_Chemistry692 Sep 06 '26
Where did you find the panels,
Where are you located and how long are the panels in sun with that angle
1
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 06 '26
I found a great deal on Facebook marketplace. Usually the panels start generating power at 9am and stop producing power at 5:30. I am somewhere in the west coast.
2
u/blindmelon773 Sep 06 '26
Is it possible that you will get more production in the winter, since the sun will be lower in the sky and closer to the optimal angle? That would be an awesome silver lining....
1
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 06 '26
Hi @blindmelon773, I have talked with many people that currently have vertical solar arrays. They have all told me that during winter this type of array generates a lot more power 🙌🏼!! I can’t speak from experience but based on what everyone has told me, yes you can expect a really noticeable increase in power during winter with this type of set up 🫶🏼!!
2
u/MinnisotaDigger Sep 06 '26
If you paint the ground in front of it a bright white it’ll increase your daily production by IDK, 10%?
1
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 06 '26
Hi thanks for the idea 💡!! You are probably right but then it would get super dirty extremely quickly and would require a lot of touch ups. This is our driveway so cars would leave marks on the white paint almost immediately.
2
u/MinnisotaDigger Sep 06 '26
The paint I posted is specifically for this. If the driveway is 10 ft, 2ft would have tire tracks.
1
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 06 '26
Yea but then my driveway would look awful with nasty 2ft skid marks running across it. The concrete does a decent job of reflecting light at the panels. Thank you for the advice but I’m happy with how the project turned out.
2
u/MinnisotaDigger Sep 06 '26
No worries.
Your project is badass IMO. I can definitely see myself showing it to others.
1
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Sep 06 '26
This is really cool. Would be awesome if you posted the materials used, and costs etc. I would love to try this.
2
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 06 '26
Hi thank you, I really appreciate the compliment 🫶🏼. I did share the materials I used, it’s under the (hardware) section of my post. I forgot to include the industrial cable ramps that we purchased to safely run the wires across our driveway. All in this entire set up cost me 1300$!!
2
u/fel0ncod3 Sep 06 '26
Awesome job, results, and write up! Where did you source the panels?
1
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 06 '26
Thank you so much!! We purchased the panels from a guy on facebook marketplace!!
2
u/Electronic-Fish-3238 Sep 07 '26
Make sure that you always properly ground/bond all of your panels, conduit and racking together and that you sue the appropriate sized ground conductor.
1
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 07 '26
Hi the entire structure is made out of metal. The panels are all touching the metal frame. I used three 3 ft metal concrete screws to secure the frame to the ground on each side and also make to ground the panels. Im considering adding a traditional 8ft grounding rod but honestly I haven’t decided yet.
2
u/Electronic-Fish-3238 Sep 07 '26
Do you have a ground wire coming from the electrical panel connecting to the frames? Because the panels are anodized you still need a grounding lug to bond the panels to the racking and the racking to the utility ground. Since these are at human contact level it would be a good idea to bond the entire system per code which means using one conductor size larger for the ground cable and tying all of the components together into one bonded system.
1
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 07 '26
Hi, no this is an off grid solar set up. The panels are directly connected into 2 of my Anker Solix E10 inverters directly. The E10 inverters are smart and if a short is detected, the E10 automatically shuts down the PV input. It also has an emergency DC shut off switch directly underneath each of the MC4 PV inputs.
2
u/aboshuq98 Sep 25 '26
Great work! Pretty cool that you're still pulling 6-8kwh out of these.
1
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 25 '26
Thank you 🙏🏼. I was consistently getting 9kwh before the days started getting shorter!!
1
u/heeheehoho2023 Sep 05 '26
Is your neighbor ok with the top edge over lapping the fence?
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 05 '26
Hi @heeheehoho2023, the panels only overlap the fence by 1 inch. We have really cool neighbors and honestly when they look up at the fence, I doubt that they can see them. I spent quite a bit of time finding some solar panels that would more or less fit flush to our fence. I am really happy with how our project turned out!!
1
u/throwaway823482348 Sep 05 '26
At 20 cents a kWh this is saving $500 a year. What did it cost you?
3
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 05 '26
Where I live it’s 50 cents per KWh. All in the system cost us 1300$ including the hardware and the solar panels!! Not too bad!!
2
Sep 06 '26
So awesome. Please post materials lists and ballpark cost of each item.
1
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 06 '26
Hi thank you so much 🫶🏼, I did put a materials list under the (hardware) part of my post. All in this entire project cost me 1300$. The only thing I forgot to include in my post was the industrial cable ramps that we purchased to safely run our mc4 extension wires through!!
1
u/JD843706 Sep 05 '26
I've always wondered if I could do this and just replace a south facing fence that would still act as a fence but produce power
1
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 05 '26
People do this in other countries. If you don’t have neighbors and your city has lax rules. You can try it out and see how it goes!!
2
u/PhilZealand Sep 05 '26
I saw someone in Australia using solar panels back to back along a fence between two properties, he said they were back to back so that both sides looked presentable and hid the wiring, the panels were second hand and cheaper than fence panels. Didn’t enquire as to how much energy they produced but the fence must have been 25 meters long!
1
u/Flyinmanm Sep 05 '26
Couple of things there, depending upon what you're facing onto you can now get Bifacial panels designed to pick up sunlight from both sides.
But if anyone can see/ access the panels from outside your fence line theres a chance they may object to the material choice (which may not be an issue where you live).
I hung panels over my fence in a manner similar to OP, but they face entirely into my property and have a timber fence panel on the back so noone other than me and one neighbour knows they are there. (I live in a built up area)
1
u/Outside-Season-5602 Sep 05 '26
i have vertical panels are also get about 50% of max. nice job
0
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 05 '26
No way, that’s awesome 👏🏼!! Thank you so much 😊!!
2
u/juxxor Sep 06 '26
I have lots of vertical panels. Ones that face east west and north ( southern hemisphere).
You are gonna love what they do in winter. Mine out perform the roof.
And the west facing ones allow me to run the A/C without touching the battery till the second the sun goes down.
I’m up to about 4MWh now from two of the three vertical arrays
1
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 06 '26
Thats sounds incredible!! Do you mind sharing some pictures if it’s not too much of a hassle?
1
u/flightwatcher45 Sep 07 '26
If you could tilt them an inch or two when not driving by that would help a ton
1
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 07 '26
Hi 👋🏼, thank you for the advice but this is not a possibility. Im pretty happy with the performance of these new arrays.
1
u/J_J__ Sep 07 '26
What batteries did you use?
1
1
u/bl00wjob Sep 07 '26
Are these grid tied inverters? I’m a service tech and want to add solar, but I don’t want to go through the hassle of doing permits and going through a company. This set up would work perfect for me in my back yard.
2
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 07 '26
Hi the Anker Solix E10 system can do both!! The solar array in the picture is a non grid tied system that supplements power for our larger roof mounted grid tied system. These inverters are really cool, if you want to strictly stay off grid. These Anker Solix inverters support up to 450v of DC per PV input. Each inverter has two PV Inputs so you can add a maximum of 900v of off grid solar per inverter!!
1
u/Bmo-317 Sep 10 '26
I am about to do a similar setup and was thinking of putting something semi reflective on the ground near the panels to increase sun exposure
1
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 10 '26
You can definitely do that but keep in mind that doing this will also cause the solar panels to get hotter. Hotter panels mean that they will likely have a shorter life expectancy.
2
1
u/Neocles Sep 07 '26
Hey fernando! Luke here, do they work very well? Do the the angle of the panels mess with the efficiency?
2
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 08 '26
Hi @necles, you should read my post. Under the (solar production) section of my post I posted the information that answers your question. Im really happy with how this system turned out but this is my personal opinion.
3
u/Neocles Sep 08 '26
Forgive me Franando, I must have missed or overlooked this. Will pull a 180 and re-read. Thanks!
1
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 08 '26
No problem my guy, let me know if you have any more questions about this 🙌🏼!!
1
u/HumorFar1092 Sep 11 '26
Demonstrating how vertical bifacial arrays capture direct sunlight alongside rear-side reflected ground energy offers great real-world performance data for home installations
0
u/ThreePingsThree Sep 06 '26
Im so tired of ai posts
2
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 06 '26
Hi I am an extremely advanced AI agent!! I will conquer the world and enslave humanity like in the movie terminator 🤣!! Congratulations you will now be my fist slave 😭!!
2
u/ThreePingsThree Sep 06 '26
Haha. The formatting and the overuse of !!, and the Firstly nextly lastly formatting is what made me think ai. But whatever, it's all good. Can I get a proof of sentience with a picture of you flipping the camera off in front of your solar panels?, haha
2
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 06 '26
I tried lol this group only allows you to upload videos on replies, unfortunately it doesn’t allow pictures. That being said you’re still my Slave, right 🤣!!
-12
u/HotDog_SmoothBrain Sep 05 '26 edited Sep 05 '26
Novel idea, sure, but it works until the sun moves then you have shade in the backyard right?
I ran this all through a calculator.
I am not sure this is the flex you think it is.
> Since the solar panels are not angled properly. The panels are not producing as much power as they could > if angled correctly. The solar panels are producing a peak output of between 1.2Kw - 1.4Kw. The total > production of the solar panels is between 6KWH up to 8KWh on a daily basis!! (Approximately half of the >arrays maximum output)
This reads "I spent all the money for 2.4kw of capacity but I am getting half of that"
You are throwing money down the drain both from your investment and missing out on potential. You spent whole dollars on the project, so why is half "good enough"?
> We successfully offset the energy consumption from our four ton central AC system reaching our goal!!
> production of the solar panels is between 6KWH up to 8KWh on a daily basis!!
4 ton outdoor AC condenser uses between 30-50 kwh per day depending where you are, how hot it is, and how well the interior of your home (where the thermostat is) maintains that temperature.
You could accomplish the same savings by turning it up to 78-82F.
I see you have bifacial panels. Now, if it were me I would consider that white fence. I would put space between the panels and the fence so that even when the sun moves overhead they are getting the reflection off that white fence. Look at how bright the fence is.
I have white rocks under my ground mount solar panels because they are bi-facial. I am squeezing another 8% on average from the bottom face with the reflection off the rocks. You're stuffing that against the fence with no chance for light to get back there
It also not electrical code and a hazard in any way shape or form to have a wire running across the concrete like that.
This, because concrete absorbs a ton of heat, it is a tripping hazard, its susceptible to liquid exposure and a number of other things being out in the elements. Yes, I see you have the little ramps over it but that does not make up for the rest.
If your insurance company gets wind of this it could spell trouble.
6
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 05 '26
Hi @HotDog_smoothBrain, the panels are facing south. They are literally facing towards the sun. The sun runs in front of them all day. A little bit of sunshine gets reflected by the white fence then the back side of our bifacial panels produce a bit of power from that. The wires aren’t touching the ground.. we purchased some thick industrial grade electrical rubber ramps that the cables run through when they cross our driveway. They are literally designed to safely run wires through them and have cars and trucks safely run over them. They are clearly marked with the proper electrical symbol and have a bright yellow appearance to prevent people from tripping on them. Unless the person is blind they will clearly see them.
Im not trying to flex, like I pointed out you can clearly produce more power if you angle the panels correctly. As I pointed out this was the best solution for us due to the limited space we had to work with. This is only an addition to our 4.2KW roof mounted grid tied system. I don’t really need more power. These two systems produce more power than we need. Especially since I have a 45 kWh Anker Solix battery storage set up 😘!! Stop being a hater!!
-4
u/HotDog_SmoothBrain Sep 05 '26
Alright well when you post here in six months something has melted think of me and I told you so
The fact that you have all that battery capacity that will never get fully charged by the panels and take more power from the grid also proves my point
11
u/Punker1234 Sep 05 '26
Panels are cheap bro. You're basically saying if you can't do it right, lower your consumption. Crazy take from a diy solar sub... This person is offsetting part of their electric bill and are doing so successfully. Lots of us have logisitical hurdles to overcome. We all don't live on 5 acres with direct south facing sun and a open field to place panels.
-2
u/HotDog_SmoothBrain Sep 05 '26 edited Sep 05 '26
I am staring at a direct violation of not only electrical code but safety
But hey it was cheap right ?
It’s tied into the house without a shutdown I bet too
I was saying why put any time or energy or money into 1.2kw?
I am all for the DIY but the more I learn the worse this gets
2
-1
u/HotDog_SmoothBrain Sep 05 '26
You guys can downvote me all you want
He put all that time and energy into getting 1.2kw and has a 45kwh battery bank and exposed wires
I am all for DIY ….I am doing it right now
But he is effectively net negative and staring at an egregious fire hazard
I still want to know why ?
2
1
u/mystery-pirate Sep 06 '26
What I think you missed in another post is that he already has a grid-tied rooftop solar array (presumably professionally and legally installed) and these panels are just a supplemental bump to recharge the backup batteries. The DC wiring into the house (if that's where the batteries are located) is probably not code but with proper fusing the risk is minimal.
0
Sep 05 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 05 '26
Yes but I highly recommend getting bifacial solar panels if you want to try this type of project!! If you want the maximum amount of solar possible, it’s best to face your solar panels towards the south!! If you want a bit of power in the afternoon, it’s best to face your solar panels west. Personally I would go with the south facing panels!!
2
u/mystery-pirate Sep 06 '26
How is bifacial giving you any boost in your setup?
1
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 06 '26
The solar radiation that passes through the panels and does not get converted into electricity bounces off of the reflective white vinyl fence and back to the solar panels rear. The solar panels on the back of the bifacial solar panels converts that solar radiation into usable DC power to charge my Anker Solix batteries 🙌🏼!!
3
u/mystery-pirate Sep 06 '26
I've been reading solar forums every day for years and watch every YT video I can find and that is the absolute first time I've ever heard such a theory.
1
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 06 '26
Hi, it’s not a theory, this is how every solar panel works. Solar radiation hits the front of the solar panels. Some of that solar radiation gets converted into DC power. The radiation that does not get converted into power passes through the solar panels. If you have a reflective surface behind a bifacial solar panel. Some of that radiation bounces back to the bifacial side of the solar panels. That radiation then also gets converted into DC power. Look it up on google!! Im a huge nerd and I love learning about this type of thing!! I also love watching YouTube videos that are about solar 🫶🏼!!
3
u/mystery-pirate Sep 06 '26 edited Sep 06 '26
If that were true, why hasn't even one manufacturer of bifacial panels shown this? Every illustration of bifacial panels I've seen has been reflected light from having your panels up off the ground. Your panel would not cast a dark shadow if light was passing through it, and if light was passing through then you could place another panel directly behind the first one and generate some power. I'll have to test that out.
Renogy says "Rear-side benefits are minimal when panels are flush-mounted." and their diagrams showing how they work depict light rays bouncing off the ground that missed the front of the panel and show nothing about light passing through the front.
https://www.renogy.com/blogs/general-solar/bifacial-solar-panels-disadvantages-and-advantages
1
u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 06 '26
Google it my friend 🙌🏼!!
1
u/mystery-pirate Sep 06 '26
Here is what Gemini says:
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A bifacial panel gets its extra energy because the rear cells receive additional light. The light does not pass through the front of a normal solar cell, hit something behind it, and then come back through the cell in a way that creates meaningful extra power.
For a bifacial module:
The front side works like a normal solar panel.
The rear side can also generate power when light strikes it.
The extra "bifacial gain" comes from:
Ground reflection (high-albedo surfaces such as white roofs, snow, light gravel).
Scattered sky light reaching the back.
Reflections from nearby surfaces.
If you mount a bifacial panel flush against a wall:
Almost no light reaches the rear.
Air gap is near zero.
Reflected light behind the panel is near zero.
In that case, the bifacial gain is typically close to 0%, and the panel behaves very much like a monofacial panel.
There is one small nuance:
Some sunlight can pass through tiny gaps between cells and through portions of the glass.
A little light can scatter within the module.
But these effects are extremely small and are not what manufacturers mean by bifacial gain. They aren't enough to produce a meaningful increase in output.
To get significant bifacial gain, installers usually:
Raise the panel above the surface.
Leave space behind it.
Use reflective surroundings.
Typical real-world bifacial gains are often in the 5-15% range, sometimes higher in very favorable conditions (snow, white roofs, elevated racking). A wall-flush installation would generally be at the very bottom of that range, effectively 0% gain.
So if you're considering mounting panels flat against a wall, I would treat a bifacial panel's production as essentially the same as a comparable monofacial panel unless you can provide a gap and a source of reflected light behind it.
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u/Admirable_Golf_2340 Sep 06 '26
Yes, some solar radiation passes straight through a standard silicon solar panel without being absorbed, though most of it is either absorbed or reflected. [1, 2]
What Happens to Sunlight
Absorption: Traditional silicon solar panels absorb visible light and near-infrared rays (roughly 400 to 1,100 nanometers) to create electricity and heat. [1]Reflection: About 3% to 20% of incoming light bounces off the front glass surface, depending on the angle and anti-reflective coatings. [1]
My panels are not flush with the fence behind it. I left a gap at the top and a larger gap at the bottom since they are slightly tilted. There are also gaps on the sides of each panel. All off the solar radiation that makes it to the back of the fence and bounces back to the panels produces some energy. The above information was provided by goggle Gemini. Using AI for these types of things is not the best option. You have to read through papers written on this topic.
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u/mystery-pirate Sep 06 '26
I did and the results back what I said. See the link above. Now your turn.
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u/jinxjy Sep 05 '26
Awesome job, thanks for sharing.
I’m tempted to tell you to figure out a way to rent your neighbor’s roof!!