Norwegian innovation: Vertical solar panels turn roofs into green energy hubs

The Norwegian company Over Easy Solar proposes a new approach to installing photovoltaic panels on roofs. The innovation of their method involves the vertical mounting of the panels instead of the traditional horizontal orientation, resulting in green photovoltaic roofs.

Over Easy Solar, a pioneer in rooftop photovoltaics, completed its second 102 kW project at the end of last year, following a previous 45 kW installation. Both installations were mounted on the roofs of another Norwegian company, Solenergi Fusen.

According to information provided by PV magazine, the installation from Over Easy Solar covers an area of 1,200 square metres on the building's roof. An interesting aspect here is that plants were planted under the panels, which, in addition to producing eco-friendly electricity, adds an extra layer of natural vegetation, making the roofs even more "green."

The system developed by Over Easy Solar is intended for installation on flat roofs at low heights. The installation elements are partially assembled before delivery to the installation site, which shortens the installation time. The system uses bifacial modules with heterojunctions.

- The 102 kW installation was mechanically installed in less than two days with a team of four workers - said Over Easy Solar CEO, Trygve Mongstad, in an interview with pv magazine.

Over Easy's vertical photovoltaics include bifacial modules with a power of 200 W each. The modules are available in two sizes: 160 cm by 150 cm by 35 cm weighing 26 kg and 160 cm by 150 cm by 25 cm weighing 25 kg. Each module requires a ballast with a mass of 11 kilograms per square metre.

Trygve Mongstad is convinced that the results from the pilot installation in Oslo were about 20-30% better compared to conventional systems mounted in an east-west orientation on flat roofs. These data show that innovative photovoltaic panel mounting techniques can bring significant benefits.