New vertical PV system for parking areas

Japanese medical equipment provider AirWater and Luxor Solar K.K., the Japanese unit of German solar module maker Luxor Solar GmbH, have developed a new vertical PV system for urbanized areas.

“Our system can be deployed in parking areas without reducing the capacity of parking lots,” the CEO of Luxor Solar K.K., Uwe Liebscher, told pv magazine.

The Vertical Solar System for Parking Area (Verpa) new system is based on vertical racks supplied by Germany's Next2Sun and heterojunction photovoltaic modules manufactured by Luxor Solar.

“The height from the ground surface to the bottom of the module is more than 2 meters,” Liebscher explained. “This ensures electrical safety due to its height as well as offering a safer solution for drivers while requiring a minimum on-ground space.”

The two companies claim the system is ideal for locations with heavy snowfall. “It also offers competitive installation and maintenance costs, easy cleaning and maintenance,” said Liebscher.

The system is sold in 920 W units measuring 2,280 mm x 4,633 mm and combining two 460 W bifacial modules. The unit can be configured in a 13-unit system with a total power output of 35.88 kW.

“There is no significant difference in annual power generation compared to flat and inclined types, adjustable output peaks, and use of reflected light,” Liebscher said, in reference to PV potentially offering better electricity yields at higher latitudes.

AirWater and Luxor Solar K.K will start selling the new product in Japan in May. They build their first 25.2 kW demonstrator with SolarEdge optimizers in Sapporo, Japan.

“In Japan, there is already a shortage of suitable land,” Liebscher said. “On the other hand, heavy snowfall areas, which cover 51% of the country, have been considered unsuitable for solar power generation.”