Vertical Solar Works Well on Flat Roofs in Norway’s Arctic Circle: Catches Morning and Evening Sun When Demand and Prices are Highest and Sheds Snow

    

       I once had solar panels put on an A-frame house roof with a higher pitch than most roofs. I think the pitch was a little less, but not too much less, than ideal, but the south-facing panel array does pretty good. Much further north in the Arctic Circle in Norway, Norwegian company Easy Over just built the world’s largest array of vertical solar panels with 6400 of them installed on a large cold storage building. This vertical panel configuration allows the panels not to be affected by snow and to collect morning and evening sun when demand for power and power rates are highest. It is expected that $1,632 in annual savings will be realized compared to conventional panels. The configuration allows the panels to collect low-angle sun and to be easier to access and maintain than more horizontal panels. Amazingly, the panels were installed by three people over four days. They claim that installation times are up to ten times faster than conventional configurations, which can save money.

     This vertical solar (VPV) installation, in Tromsøterminalen, in northern Norway, is the largest VPV project in the world. The company is promoting VPV tech as the best solution for large flat roofs at high latitudes. They note that the primary constraint for flat roof solar installations is roof load limits. They note that the vertical panels can be attached directly to roof trusses, eliminating the need for heavy materials to weigh the panels down, which leads to more panels being able to be installed and a lighter installation. VPV also eliminates intrusive fastening, which may cause roofs to leak. In VPV, no drilling into the roof is required.

     Easy Over notes:

“The roof's reflection (Albedo) can increase energy production by more than 30% on bright surfaces. This effect is especially advantageous in snow-affected regions, keeping your system reliable when traditional panels are covered. For instance, in Tromsø, our units outperformed conventional systems by 54%, yielding 747 kWh/kWp annually compared to their 485 kWh/kWp.”

References:

 

Officials power up world's largest energy project of its kind: 'We hope this becomes a model'. Rick Kazmer. The Cool Down. October 25, 2025. Officials power up world's largest energy project of its kind: 'We hope this becomes a model'

“They’re Stealing Sunlight In The Arctic”: Company Builds Impossible Solar Farm Where Sun Disappears. Eirwen Williams. Sustainability Times. September 28, 2025. "They're Stealing Sunlight In The Arctic": Company Builds Impossible Solar Farm Where Sun Disappears

New World Record in Tromsø: 6400 Vertical Solar Panels on a Flat Roof. Easy Over Solar. Updated September 9, 2025. New World Record in Tromsø: 6400 Vertical Solar Panels on a Flat Roof

Flat Roof Solar. Over Easy Solar. Lightweight Flat Roof Solar Panels | Over Easy Solar