Struggling with shade on your solar roof? In this video we break down 5 real ways to reduce shading losses - several of them completely free - and explain the technology and physics behind why shade causes such a big drop in solar output.
We start by comparing standard Topcon solar cells against the newer ABC (All Back Contact) cell technology pioneered by companies like AIKO and LONGi. With ABC/back contact panels, every electrical contact is moved to the rear of the cell, giving much finer control over individual cells. Instead of a whole section shutting down the moment one cell is shaded, AIKO's back contact cells can enter a controlled, reversible breakdown state that lets current keep flowing through the shaded cell — so a small shadow only costs you a few percent rather than knocking out an entire third of the panel. We explain how this compares to LONGi's approach too, and why this tech now costs barely more than standard Topcon panels.
We also cover:
1. Whether a shaded solar panel is still worth installing (spoiler: almost always yes, and the maths behind why)
2. How bypass diodes actually work, and why panels lose output in thirds and halves rather than gradually
3. Portrait vs landscape panel orientation — how matching your panel orientation to the direction your shadow runs can cut your losses significantly, for free
4. Splitting shaded panels onto their own MPPT inverter string so they don't drag down unshaded panels
5. Optimizers vs micro inverters — how they work, real-world test data from NREL/PVEL and NRG Solar Australia, typical costs, failure rates, and when they're actually worth fitting versus when they're not
Spirit Energy has been designing and installing solar and battery storage systems since 2010. We run proper shade modelling on every project so you only pay for kit that will actually earn its keep on your roof. If you've got a shaded roof and you're considering solar, get in touch for a bespoke technical quote.
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Watch on of our client's solar journey which shows the process of getting solar from point of enquiry through to the design, survey, modelling, project management, installation, and handover:
00:00 – Shading demo: Topcon vs ABC (back contact) cells 01:12 – Free quote from Spirit Energy 01:52 – How a solar panel actually works 02:45 – What happens when a solar cell gets shaded 03:40 – Bypass diodes explained 04:05 – Is a shaded panel still worth fitting? 05:34 – Free fix #1: Panel orientation (portrait vs landscape) 10:06 – Free fix #2: Splitting shaded panels onto separate MPPT strings 13:01 – Fix #3: ABC / back contact panels (AIKO & LONGi) 15:28 – Optimisers and micro inverters explained 17:02 – Real-world shading test data (NREL/PVEL & NRG Solar) 20:46 – Costs and risks of optimizers/micro inverters 23:02 – When you should actually fit optimizers or micro inverters 25:07 – Conclusion
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By: Spirit Energy Title: Don''t Waste Money On Solar Panel Shading! 5 Ways To Solve It For FREE Sourced From: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkhwwEV84eo
