Does Arranging Solar Panels Vertically Mitigate Effects of Expansive Land Use?

When it comes to solving the ever more pressing problem of global warming, solar panels have a major flaw in the large land cost. As such, renewables such as solar panels must become more efficient in terms of land use. To evaluate a possible solution to this issue, namely, stacking solar panels vertically, we connected 4 solar panels to a trolling motor (load). Initially, all 4 panels were laid side-by-side, and voltage data of the load was collected. An extra solar panel was used to play the role of absolute standard for comparison. Then we stacked 4 panels on a wooden tower, the last panel serving as control, with 0, 3, 6, … and 18 inches of separation. Analysis of the initial side-by-side with temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure all confirmed that our system behaved as intended. We found that 18 inches of separation generated around 40% of the power of side-by-side while 15 inches generated around 65% across similar weather conditions. Naturally, 18 inches of separation should have generated more power than 15 inches. This discrepancy could be explained by the experiment being conducted later in the winter. As a result, we can conclude that vertical configurations could produce the same amount of energy as side-by-side with just 38% of the land and 50% extra cost. However, the true benefits could be even higher, considering multiple facets of the solar system.