Solyco runs vertical PV system on green roof in Germany
Solyco has deployed the company's first vertical roof photovoltaic system at two different locations in Germany.
The Germany-based company describes its Solon system as an ideal solution for the residential and commercial flat roof market,
especially for so-called green roofs covered with low-maintenance gardens and plants.
One of the systems is located in Hamburg. This one with a capacity of 10 kW consists of 68 vertically mounted battery modules.
The other array, located in Hanover, has a total installed capacity of 12.64 kW and consists of 79 panels.
Both installed projects use glass-to-glass bifacial modules consisting of Tunneled Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCon) cells
mounted in a vertical layout to minimize shading on the vegetation below. A ballasted mounting system provides support while
also avoiding the need to drill holes in the roof.
The vertical orientation provides peak power in the morning and evening, while creating a trough at midday in the east-west
direction, the company says.
The Solon system relies on smaller-than-standard-sized frameless custom-designed modules measuring 2,011 mm x 415 mm
and rated at 160 W. It weighs about 23 kg/m2. The panels are made of 3.2-mm glass front and back and include 42 M10-sized
TOPCon cells. The company says the system has a nominal installed capacity of 100 W/m2.
Horizontal and vertical aluminum profiles are connected to the substructure by means of cross bracing strips. Stable
connections are secured by profile connectors and fastened with M6 cap screws and security nuts. The black coating
on the metal brackets and hardware is claimed to satisfy the aesthetics required for this type of application.
Philip Kallenberg, Solyco's product manager, told PV Magazine that the main reason for choosing TOPCon cells over
passivated emitter and backside contact (PERC) cells is that the former achieve a bifacial coefficient of about "85%,"
which will result in a full day of "more balanced energy production."
"Vertical PV systems combined with green roofs are the ideal roof installation strategy for any flat roof. It combines the
ecological advantages of a green roof with local renewable energy production," Lars Podlowski, Solyco's chief technology
officer, told PV Magazine.
The company has completed wind tunnel experiments and confirmed that there is no drag or lift on the system.
kallenberg said that wind loads primarily affect the first and last rows of modules, so fewer blocks are required
compared to a traditional horizontal installation.
"Only the first and last rows require a block base to prevent displacement," Kallenberg says.
Pilot systems recently installed in Hanover and Hamburg have completed testing of an earlier version of the system outdoors
near the company's headquarters in Berlin.Solyco developed the technology in cooperation with ISC Konstanz, the University
of Applied Sciences for Engineering and Economics in Berlin, and with financial support from the Small and Medium-Sized
Enterprises (ZIM) program of the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) in Germany. Solyco sells
its products through distributors and partner sales systems, such as Germany-based Optigrün International. several
certifications including IEC 61215: 2016, IEC 61730: 2016, a product warranty and a linear performance warranty of 25 years.