Vertical Solar Power Vs Trees

Rooftop Solar Panel Solution

So you've gone off grid and you want to add solar power to your property.

Only one problem, you live in Ontario and there are lots of trees which block the sun regularly. You could:

1. Place your solar array in an open field, where no trees block the angle of sunlight.
2. Place the solar array on top of a building, so that the extra height provides a better angle.
3. If there are trees blocking the angle of the sun, you build it vertical.

So how does building your solar array vertical work?

Well it is simple. You need to build a tall steel pole with a method of attaching your solar panels, cement that tall pole into the ground, and voila! Attach all the necessary wiring, it is done!

Some people even go a step further and make their solar array a specific shape or make it tree-like in shape. This is unnecessary but some people prefer the shape of a tree and the added shade.

Tree-like Solar Array

Solar Panel Picnic Table, not solving the problem of too much shade...

In some cases they might even utilize that shade to put a picnic table underneath, but then they are forgetting why they were building vertical in the first place - to avoid shade from trees. So if you really need to avoid the shade trees, then you need to go further vertical to get the best possible angles to get more sunlight.

The YouTube Channel "Ontario Off Grid" refers to this as the "Tower of Power" solution. Not a new idea, people have been building solar panels vertical for decades now to get better angles for the sunlight.