Photovoltaic energy continues to break records in Spain. According to data from Red Eléctrica, installed capacity increased by 21.8% in 2022, representing 10% of the energy produced in the country. The launch of new products, such as solar panels for balconies, and the arrival of solutions like the invention that makes solar panels more powerful without having to change the installation are important steps toward improving production, but solutions are needed for all types of locations.
That's what the German company SINN Power, specializing in floating photovoltaics and wave energy, is working on. They've just unveiled SKipp, a new type of mobile and tiltable solar panel. According to a company press release, their intention is to offer an alternative to conventional agricultural photovoltaic systems. Since they don't require ground anchoring, they are positioned as a very useful solution in protected natural areas, sealed landfills, and areas with underground wastewater.
Philipp Sinn, founder and CEO of the German company, said, “With SKipp, we have redesigned open ground-mounted and agricultural photovoltaic systems. This photovoltaic solution meets the most demanding technical requirements and, at the same time, offers our customers maximum flexibility and optimal electrical performance in terms of location and duration of use.”.
A recent study by German scientists at the Leipzig University of Applied Sciences claims that installing solar panels vertically can significantly improve their efficiency. The scientists calculate that this tilt increases total energy production by almost seven times, from 58 to 400 gigawatts per year.
Calculations by German engineers indicate how energy production increases when the standard tilt angle, between 20 and 35 degrees, is changed to 90 degrees. In fact, systems that adjust their tilt to track the sun already exist, but they require more space and can be significantly more expensive to install.
That's why SKipp's team has opted for this flexible and easily transportable system: a simple, lightweight metal structure supports the modules from the sides and allows them to be tilted using a pendulum weight, so they return to their default vertical position. This way, the solar panels can be installed in windy locations, where strong gusts may tilt the panels but never knock them over, even without concrete anchoring in the ground.
The other major advantage of the solution proposed by SINN Power is that it uses bifacial solar panels, capable of producing energy on both sides. This, combined with an east-west orientation, provides high performance in the morning and afternoon, the less typical production times for conventional installations. In fact, the peak production periods that occur around midday often exceed consumption demand and end up being stored or limited to prevent battery overload.
Thus, SKipp panels are particularly well-suited for feeding the energy they produce into the grid, as it is better distributed throughout the day. These devices achieve particularly high efficiency when the sun is low, which also tends to coincide with peak demand. They also improve production during the winter months, when there are fewer hours of sunlight per day and horizontally mounted panels perform worse.
SINN Power has designed these mobile structures so that the panels can withstand other weather conditions, not just wind. If they are located in areas with heavy snowfall in winter, the counterweighted tilting system prevents snow accumulation and ensures uninterrupted power generation. The result, according to the company, is "a robust, cost-effective technology that minimizes material usage.".
Other solutions
In recent months, the vertical installation of solar panels has been gaining popularity, as its greater efficiency compared to traditional installations has been demonstrated. This has been implemented in projects such as Sunzan, on a vineyard in California. There, a row of 43 bifacial solar modules provides shade and wind protection for the vines, while also generating 23 kW.
This structure could also be used as a roadside barrier to protect residents living near a highway from noise, or as a barrier for the railway network. In this respect, it competes with other projects already being implemented in Europe to integrate panels into railway lines.
Another solution that relies on vertical solar panels shifts the focus from agriculture to homes with gardens. The German photovoltaic equipment supplier Green Akku has begun selling various kits with solar panel modules for fences, which can be installed in 5 minutes easily and without the need for municipal permits.
Called ZaunPV (zaun means fence in German), these panels can achieve better performance than those typically installed on rooftops. This is due to their vertical mounting on metal rod fences and the fact that they are bifacial panels with shade-resistant technology, which significantly improves their efficiency compared to other types of solar panels.
All four options include a 30-year linear performance guarantee, ensuring long-term reliability. This, combined with the system's flexibility and highly competitive pricing ( between €496 and €949 on their website), makes them a compelling alternative to traditional solar panels.
