Vertical solar systems complement green roofs
Vertically oriented solar modules that are active on both sides produce almost as much electricity as modules oriented on one side to the south. Researchers at the ZHAW have found this out in long-term tests. The vertical systems can also be combined with green roofs.
Last year, researchers at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) installed a vertical solar system on the flat roof of the Eichgut senior citizens' residence in Winterthur.
There, the solar modules, which are active on both sides, were tested for over a year in combination with a green roof, the ZHAW informs in an Communication. "The long-term measurements have shown that the electricity yield per installed module power hardly differs from standard systems with south-facing, single-sided modules," Hartmut Nussbaumer of the ZHAW Institute of Energy Systems and Fluid Engineering quoted there. Specifically, east- and west-facing vertical solar modules yield about 940 kilowatt-hours per kilowatt-peak. Single-sided, south-facing modules yield about 1050 kilowatt-hours per kilowatt-peak.
In the case of south-facing solar systems, most of the electricity is also produced at midday. Vertical solar modules, on the other hand, operate at full capacity mainly in the morning and evening. Such electricity generated at off-peak times could "be sold at a high price in the future as the share of solar power in the grid increases," the scientists predict.
The ZHAW field trial tested the use of the modules in combination with a green roof. A green roof "improves the air quality, lowers the room temperature of the underlying building parts in summer and can even have a positive effect on electricity production," according to a statement. Specifically, the use of silver-leaved plants increased the electricity yield by up to 17 percent compared to the standard green roof.
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