By examining the light-maximizing "behavior" of sunflowers, ELTE researchers concluded that solar panels produce the most energy in Hungary when they are oriented not to the south, but rather to the east, depending on their angle of inclination.
The performance of solar panels mostly depends on the angle at which the sunlight hits them. Until now, it was believed that most of the energy is produced facing the geographical south, since the power of sunlight is greatest at noon. ELTE researchers, however, concluded that in Hungary, solar panels should be oriented "more or less" eastward, depending on their angle of inclination, not south, which can result in an energy surplus of up to 5 percent in the case of vertical panels. The researchers were led to this realization by sunflowers, according to ELTE's announcement sent to MTI on Monday.
According to the report, it has long been known that the ripe flowers of sunflowers face east. Many people have explained the phenomenon in many different ways over time, but none of the assumptions has been experimentally proven. In 2020, ELTE researchers were the first to suggest that the eastern direction of the inflorescence could be caused by the light conditions of the plant's growing area.
Using astronomical, meteorological and plant physiology data, Gábor Horváth and his colleagues determined the light energy absorbed by the inflorescence and the back of a mature sunflower head between the beginning of flower formation and the full ripening of the seeds, and found that if the afternoons during the growing season are cloudier on average than the mornings, then the sunflower inflorescence facing east absorbs absorb most of the light energy.
The extra energy has benefits for the sunflower: it stimulates the development of the seeds, accelerates the morning evaporation of dew on the inflorescence, which reduces the risk of fungal growth, and attracts pollinators active in the morning.
Origo's full article can be read here.
Image: Flickr
