{"id":54827,"date":"2021-10-18T11:54:12","date_gmt":"2021-10-18T01:24:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=54827"},"modified":"2022-10-11T18:38:55","modified_gmt":"2022-10-11T08:08:55","slug":"landscape-solar-panels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/landscape-solar-panels\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Landscape Solar Panels Can Be Better (But More Expensive)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Have you ever noticed that most solar panels installed on Australian roofs are mounted in portrait orientation?<\/p>\n

Portrait is more popular because solar panels are cheaper and quicker to install this way.<\/p>\n

This post will explain why panel orientation can matter, and why you may be better off with landscape panels despite the extra effort required to install them.<\/p>\n

Note:<\/strong> This post is not about energy yield. In terms of energy yield, an unshaded portrait panel will generate the same as a landscape solar panel1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Solar Panels: Portrait Vs. Landscape<\/h2>\n

Imagine you want to put 11 solar panels on a typical Colorbond roof.<\/p>\n

You could install them portrait like this:<\/p>\n

\"Portrait

A simple portrait orientation solar installation. House Model Credit: Juan Sanchez<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Or landscape:<\/p>\n

\"Landscape

A simple landscape solar panel installation<\/p><\/div>\n

Is one orientation better than the other?<\/h2>\n

For the roof in the two images above, almost all installers will choose to install in portrait orientation. That’s because it is cheaper and quicker to install this way. In fact, a landscape install can take 50% longer.<\/p>\n

Here’s why. With a portrait install, the installer will need to cut and mount 4 lengths of rail, and use 26 clamps to mount the panels:<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

For landscape, the installer needs to use 10 lengths of rail and 32 panel-clamps2<\/a><\/sup>:<\/p>\n

\"Rails

This image shows where the mounting rails would typically go on a landscape installation. On some roofs it may be possible to use 6 rails parallel with the long edge of the panels – but the roof’s screwline spacing and the clamping zones can make that difficult to achieve.<\/p><\/div>\n

So, with the extra effort required for a landscape install, why choose landscape at all?<\/p>\n

The answer is space efficiency. On many roofs, landscape will let you mount more solar panels in the same space while still respecting their clamping zones<\/a> and the roof’s exclusion zones<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This means you can get more energy from the same roof.<\/p>\n

Here’s an example using the same roof as before.<\/p>\n

WIth portrait orientation and respecting a 200mm exclusion zone around the roof-edge, we can fit 12 panels.<\/p>\n

\"Number

12 portrait panels will fit on this roof respecting exclusion and clamping zones..<\/p><\/div>\n

WIth landscape orientation, we can fit 15.<\/p>\n

\"Number

15 landscape panels will fit on this roof respecting exclusion and clamping zones.<\/p><\/div>\n

Extra kilowatts from landscape can be substantial<\/h2>\n

Let’s now look at an example on a full roof with some complicated roof faces.<\/p>\n

With a portrait install, we can fit 47 panels3<\/a><\/sup>:<\/p>\n

\"Complicated

47 portrait panels fit on this house (excluding south roof)<\/p><\/div>\n

With a landscape install, we can fit 57. If they are 400 watt solar panels, that’s an extra 4 kW on the roof.<\/p>\n

\"Complicated

57 landscape panels fit on this house (excluding south roof)<\/p><\/div>\n

Rushed installers won’t install landscape solar panels<\/h2>\n

One of the problems with getting the cheapest quote is the installers don’t have the time or the inclination to install in landscape orientation.<\/p>\n

To fit all the solar panels you’ve been sold on to your roof they may have to:<\/p>\n