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If they install more vertical solar, it will increase renewable output in the mornings and evenings, flattening the duck curve. Vertical solar can be deployed

If they install more vertical solar, it will increase renewable output in the mornings and evenings, flattening the duck curve. Vertical solar can be deployed anywhere, works well with farms, consuming zero land. https://sunzaun.com/flattening-the-duck-curve-with-vertical-solar-panels/ https://sunzaun.com/flattening-the-duck-curve-with-vertical-... https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/pioneering-collaboration-introduces-us-first-vertical-agrivoltaics-system https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/pioneering-col...

riku_iki 3y ago
Someone should run numbers to see if this will be economically viable, since output during morning and evening will be much lower, meaning electricity cost will be much more expensive after offsetting cost of panels, installation and maintenance.
- Scoundreller 3y ago
  Output at the morning and evening should be higher with steeper panels as the sun hasn’t moved up as much. It is a hit to total production, but kWh aren’t fungible throughout the day. The morning and evening kWh are becoming worth more than the mid-day ones.
- aidenn0 3y ago
  To do the comparison, it should be compared roughly with the cost of building (batteries + traditional solar). I say "roughly" because batteries can do more than levelize solar, they can levelize other intermittent sources as well, and can provide power on foggy mornings and/or evenings, while vertical solar cannot.
Scoundreller 3y ago
Indeed in an off-grid build, I know someone that optimized their panels to produce earlier in the morning instead of maximizing production, because switching off battery power a little earlier was most valuable to them. Losing some throughout the day and evening wasn’t as much of a concern because they were primarily charging for night-time. Focussing rooftop installs that have a more eastern or western angle, or steeper slope, could be a way of flattening this curve.
ZeroGravitas 3y ago
This only makes the "problem" of the duck curve worse, by widening the part of the day that solar displaces all other generation, and making the switchover point in the evening even steeper. But that's fine, any "problem" potentially caused by the duck curve has long since been addressed by plumeting cost of solar PV and batteries and a host of other improvements put into place since the potential issue was identified. The real problem of the duck curve is that it's become a misunderstood meme that fools people into thinking "we've built too much solar, too fast, which will cause vague problems" when that is far from the case and the number one thing we need to do right now and for the forseeable future to improve the energy grid is build more solar PV.
- thelastgallon 3y ago
  >The real problem of the duck curve is that it's become a misunderstood meme that fools people into thinking "we've built too much solar, too fast, which will cause vague problems" when that is far from the case and the number one thing we need to do right now and for the forseeable future to improve the energy grid is build more solar PV. Absolutely! Deploy solar, demand will shift. If new solar deployment is vertical, it will do two things: (1) duck curve won't get deeper (2) duck curve gets wider.

riku_iki 3y ago

Someone should run numbers to see if this will be economically viable, since output during morning and evening will be much lower, meaning electricity cost will be much more expensive after offsetting cost of panels, installation and maintenance.

Scoundreller 3y ago
Output at the morning and evening should be higher with steeper panels as the sun hasn’t moved up as much. It is a hit to total production, but kWh aren’t fungible throughout the day. The morning and evening kWh are becoming worth more than the mid-day ones.
aidenn0 3y ago
To do the comparison, it should be compared roughly with the cost of building (batteries + traditional solar). I say "roughly" because batteries can do more than levelize solar, they can levelize other intermittent sources as well, and can provide power on foggy mornings and/or evenings, while vertical solar cannot.

Scoundreller 3y ago

Indeed in an off-grid build, I know someone that optimized their panels to produce earlier in the morning instead of maximizing production, because switching off battery power a little earlier was most valuable to them. Losing some throughout the day and evening wasn’t as much of a concern because they were primarily charging for night-time. Focussing rooftop installs that have a more eastern or western angle, or steeper slope, could be a way of flattening this curve.

ZeroGravitas 3y ago

This only makes the "problem" of the duck curve worse, by widening the part of the day that solar displaces all other generation, and making the switchover point in the evening even steeper. But that's fine, any "problem" potentially caused by the duck curve has long since been addressed by plumeting cost of solar PV and batteries and a host of other improvements put into place since the potential issue was identified. The real problem of the duck curve is that it's become a misunderstood meme that fools people into thinking "we've built too much solar, too fast, which will cause vague problems" when that is far from the case and the number one thing we need to do right now and for the forseeable future to improve the energy grid is build more solar PV.

thelastgallon 3y ago
>The real problem of the duck curve is that it's become a misunderstood meme that fools people into thinking "we've built too much solar, too fast, which will cause vague problems" when that is far from the case and the number one thing we need to do right now and for the forseeable future to improve the energy grid is build more solar PV. Absolutely! Deploy solar, demand will shift. If new solar deployment is vertical, it will do two things: (1) duck curve won't get deeper (2) duck curve gets wider.