New York's Queens transform rooftops into a solar power plant. The unusual design helps rain and sunlight grow plants beneath

A rooftop in Queens, New York, is taking an unusual approach to urban clean energy: instead of covering a green roof with conventional tilted solar panels, it has installed rows of vertical bifacial panels that stand upright like books. The 100-kilowatt system is expected to generate around 120,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually while allowing vegetation beneath it to continue receiving sunlight and rain. The project in the Willets Point industrial area combines two uses that can often compete for limited rooftop space renewable-energy generation and a living green roof.

Why are the solar panels standing vertically?

The installation uses technology supplied by Norwegian company Over Easy Solar. Its vertical panels have solar cells on both sides, allowing them to capture light from different directions throughout the day. Unlike conventional rooftop arrays, the upright design leaves open areas between the panels. According to pv magazine, the system was changed from a planned tilted solar layout partly because of New York City's requirements for maintaining green-roof performance. Trygve Mongstad, founder and CEO of Over Easy Solar, told pv magazine that the vertical configuration allows “both rainfall and sunlight to reach the full vegetated surface”, helping maintain the roof's stormwater-retention and plant functions.

A solution to New York's rooftop puzzle

The project also fits into New York City's broader push to make rooftops more sustainable. Under Local Laws 92 and 94, certain new buildings and projects involving complete roof replacements must cover their designated Sustainable Roofing Zone with either green roofs, solar photovoltaic systems or a combination of both. The city says green roofs can help retain and slow stormwater runoff, while solar systems generate electricity.


That creates an interesting design challenge: putting conventional solar arrays over vegetation can reduce access, alter rainfall patterns and shade parts of a planted roof. The vertical system attempts to avoid some of those conflicts while keeping both functions on the same roof.

How much electricity can it generate?

The Queens installation has a capacity of about 100 kW and is expected to produce approximately 120,000 kWh annually. However, that figure is a projection not a measurement from a full year of operation. PV Magazine reported that expected output can vary according to factors including the roof's reflectivity, panel orientation and surrounding shadows. Over Easy estimates that a vertical 100-kW system in New York could generate between 100,000 and 140,000 kWh annually. Interestingly, the advantage is not simply about producing more electricity. Vertical panels can distribute generation differently throughout the day, with the two sides receiving stronger sunlight during morning and afternoon.

Green roofs could also help solar panels

The combination of vegetation and solar panels is gaining attention beyond Queens. A 2026 study reported by pv magazine found that a biosolar rooftop system in Western Sydney increased solar generation by an average of 11.1% compared with a conventional rooftop system during the study period, with gains reaching 23.25% during extreme heat events. Researchers attributed part of the improvement to vegetation cooling the rooftop environment.

Previous research from the University of Technology Sydney similarly found that green roofs could lower temperatures around solar panels while supporting vegetation and reducing stormwater runoff.

Could vertical solar become more common?

The Queens project demonstrates another way cities can use rooftops when space is limited. Instead of choosing between solar panels and vegetation, the two systems can potentially be designed to work together. It does not mean vertical panels will replace conventional rooftop solar everywhere. Their performance depends on factors such as orientation, sunlight, roof reflectivity and local conditions.

But in dense cities where every square metre of rooftop matters, the Queens experiment points towards a broader idea: the future of urban rooftops may not be about choosing between green space and clean energy, but designing them to coexist.