Triangular Solar Panels: Pros, Cons, and Applications

lright, let's face it: not every home is ideal for installing solar panels. A photovoltaic (PV) system performs at its best only when your roof receives a lot of direct sunlight, is facing south, and is unobscured by nearby buildings or trees. If your home ticks all the boxes—well, you're a lucky homeowner and your property is probably a great fit for solar! Now, you can move on to pick a solar system that meets both your budget and energy needs.

Yet, some may feel a bit unlucky as they are dealing with a slightly more complex homeowner's headache—the unusual roof shape. Fortunately, today’s solar panel market offers solutions even for unconventional cases, and a tricky roof design won't stand in your way of going solar.

What are triangular solar panels?

When you think of solar installations, you probably picture the popular rectangle panels that have become the norm, right? That's why homeowners with quirky, one-of-a-kind rooftops might feel left out. Meet triangular solar panels—an innovative and efficient solution to going green, no matter the shape of your roof.

These modules are made specifically to cover leftover places where standard solar panels don’t fit, e.g., roof corners of edges. They can also be used for any towering objects on the roof, such as chimneys. Their shape makes it possible to fully cover rooftops without leaving a single empty spot and thus make more effective use of the roof space.

Triangular solar panels are usually combined with traditional rectangular panels to create an optimal configuration. For that reason, it is better to install them all at once to ensure they are perfectly compatible.

Technically, you can even do without rectangular modules and put together your solar system with triangular solar panels only. But that doesn't make much sense because triangle panels cost more, so you will spend more money for the same solar system output. Therefore, the best solution would be to install the main rectangular panels first and then fill the gaps with triangular ones.

Advantages of triangular solar panels

Perfect for homes with space constraints

The most important advantage of using triangular solar panels is space efficiency. They will help you bring into play even the most minor parts of your roof and harvest much more solar radiation.

Opens up solar for the owners of oddly-shaped roofs

With triangular solar panels, even the most unusual roofs can be completed with solar panels, so unconventional roof design is no longer an obstacle to adopting solar.

Provide a more polished look

If you only choose to go with rectangular panels, many gaps and empty spaces may be left between them. Combining these traditional modules with triangular ones, on the other hand, creates a uniform look and offers a more aesthetically pleasing solution.

Disadvantages of custom solar panels

Higher cost

Triangle solar panels also have a bunch of drawbacks, one being higher cost. They are more complex and more expensive to manufacture, which negatively affects the price tag.

A smaller selection of products

The demand for triangular solar panels is low; therefore, only very few manufacturers produce them. The small market results in limited choices, so finding a suitable model may be challenging.

Unreliability

As the triangular panel market is somewhat limited and still in its early stages, there is a lack of data on their long-term performance. This often discourages solar shoppers from purchasing, especially considering the higher cost.

Bottom line: triangle solar panels are ideal for non-typical roofs

Not all of us are lucky enough to have roofs that are cut out for conventional solar setups. If yours has an odd shape that you think can't handle a solar array, triangular solar panels might be just what you need. They offer a great way to use every nook and cranny of the most unusual rooftops. Yes, these panels may cost more, but the advantages are well worth it.

The takeaway here? Solar products today are more adaptable than you might think—even properties that are a bit out of the ordinary can tap into the sun’s power. So why not take some time to dive into research and explore your options? And we're here to help you every step of the way!