[tmtvl]

Not really. Solar panels laid flat on the ground are less efficient than solar panels raised above ground and angled to get more yield (if you're in the Northern hemisphere the Sun is never* in the North, vice versa for the South).

* Midnight sun notwithstanding.

[xnx]

Definitely, the tradeoff is that it is cheap/easy to install things on the ground. https://erthos.com/ is testing that.

[ryanmcbride]

yes but things on the ground are exposed to significantly more dirt and critters than things suspended off the ground.