Designing Vertical Panels in OpenSolar: A Workaround

Summary:

At present, OpenSolar does not natively support designing vertical (90-degree) solar panels. However, there is a simple workaround that allows users to achieve a near-vertical panel orientation within the platform. By following these steps, you can effectively position your panel arrays as required.

Workaround Steps:

1. Select Manual Mode – Switch to manual mode to gain full control over the design.
   

2. Draw the Building Manually – Outline the building manually to ensure accurate placement of the panel array. If you need more guidance on Manual design please check this video.

3. Draw a Panel Array – Begin by adding a panel array to your design.

4. Select Single Tilt – Ensure that the tilt option is set to "Single Tilt."

5. Edit the Slope – Change the slope value to 88 degrees.

6. Adjust the Tilt – Set the tilt to 1 degree.

7. Make sure to place the panels as close as possible to the building

By applying these settings, the panel group will stand vertically within the OpenSolar environment. While this is not a perfect 90-degree solution, it effectively mimics vertical panel placement for visualization and design purposes.

We hope this workaround helps streamline your designs. If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out!