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The panels have gotten cheap enough that the they are a small portion of final price. Mounting and investors becoming dominating.

So if you can mount them for cheap, you can get a cheaper system overall even if you need more panels to get the same total system output.

Plus cleaning panels on your roof when it snows it a huge problem.

So you're saying it's cheaper to e.g. buy 2x 100 Watt panels and mount them vertically, than 1x 100 Watt panel + extra hardware to tilt it to it's optimum orientation?

Vertical orientation is better for winter. This is an off grid setup he doesn’t care how much power he can have at noon in July. He already has plenty then. Vertical gives more power in the morning when the battery is low and he actually bends it

This guy compared different orientations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AVO1IyfA9M

His conclusion is the vertical generate about 70% of optimal incline cells. The charge profile has two peaks, one in the morning, one in the evening. I can imagine using the vertical orientation for a fence. It would definitely keep them cleaner too.

I don't have the exact break point but if you optimize for winter then you want a steeper angle. Especially further up north.