What style of Tracker is this?

[littleharbor]

Quote;Originally posted by MikeCanuck View Post
Also there is no tracker; they are all fixed installations as you can see

I doubt they would have built such asymmetrical roofs if this weren't a tracking array.

[foo1bar]

Also there is no tracker; they are all fixed installations as you can see.

I think in your pictures I see hydraulic rams to tilt the system in one direction or the other.
The second picture looks like the shadow is such that it's tilted toward the sun.

And lastly - there'd be much cheaper ways to build it if you weren't tilting this thing back and forth.
You'd be able to use smaller steel structure elements and have the support system to the ground spread out to the edges of the array rather than just a small line at the middle of the array.

[foo1bar]

Also there is no tracker; they are all fixed installations as you can see.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=Merri...=off&sourc e=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi3pvDH 2uHJAhVB5yYKHfpRBG0Q_AUIBygB&biw=1656&bih= 975#imgrc=eSBGfFh_nsf45M%3A

vs.

http://imgur.com/GEamNmq

That looks like it's not fixed to me.

[MikeCanuck]

Bump! Hi all, long time no visit, I've been sick for awhile but FINALLY made my way out to find this solar installation.

It's way out in middle of nowhere, about 1.5 hours west of Ottawa or 1.5 hours northeast of Kingston off 401east.
There are actually TWO installations - one with 4 units on Country Road 8 and another one about 1.3km around the corner with 5 units on Country Road 5.

They are actually not houses, except for maybe one of them nicer than the rest - they seem to be large storage units.
You can see the large storage door on one of the pictures compared to standard sized door next to it. And one pic with an opened storage door.
Also there is no tracker; they are all fixed installations as you can see. Each one is QUITE large - never seen a single array that huge and 9 arrays in total!
Nearest comparison to me are turbines for wind farms. A sight to behold and was well worth my drive out!
No sign of any batteries on site, so I suppose they are grid tied and can probably power up the entire closet town of Rideau Lakes and then some.

The owner was not there, but I did talk to the next door farmer who thought I didn't know what there were and jokingly said they were landing pads for the aliens. Ha ha. Then he said the properties are owned by a millionaire businessman who is into doing unique but successful things.

Enjoy the pics!

MikeCanuck

[SunEagle]

Sorry to disappoint.

Well technically he may be correct. I would seriously doubt that an array that big is supported by a simple house structure.

I would imagine there is a very sturdy support structure that the house is built around. And the tracking mechanism would be much more than a simple multi axis (motor/cylinder) system.

I was hoping that anyone that had a first hand experience with those arrays would step up and provide some detail but until that happens we will all just be guessing.

[foo1bar]

It's possible the house was designed ahead of time to support this load. Obviously this isn't something you could plop on the average roof.

Possible?
I can't see it being anything other than that the structure was designed to support the load - including having the ridgeline/pivot-point at a pitch and orientation that was designed with purpose of maximizing the solar.
I'd bet that the steel structure supporting the pivot point was designed - then the house was designed to fit into the empty space underneath. With the one where it's a group of these, I think the building underneath looks more like a shed / garage.

[emartin00]

I guess they're for reals. HOWEVER, they are NOT mounted on a house. That's just the trick angle of the photo. They have a MASSIVE support structure...........et z

I think we've already established that they are on the house. The house likely has a large support structure built into it. It's possible the house was designed ahead of time to support this load. Obviously this isn't something you could plop on the average roof.

[Higher-Ground Farm]

I guess they're for reals. HOWEVER, they are NOT mounted on a house. That's just the trick angle of the photo. They have a MASSIVE support structure...........et z

Sorry to disappoint.

[Zardiw]

I guess they're for reals. HOWEVER, they are NOT mounted on a house. That's just the trick angle of the photo. They have a MASSIVE support structure...........et z

[MikeCanuck]

Alrighty then, I have added this on my "must see" canadian tourist destinations. I think it will rank up there with Magnetic Hill new brunswick which was loads of fun And looks like its only a 3-4 hour drive east of Toronto past Kingston. The only time i head out that way is when camping at Sandbanks provincial park with the kids, so i will make it a point of planning a trip out there this summer. Head into solar array twilight zone! I'll definitely try knocking on doors and asking questions Gotta see this to believe, those pictures are so surreal, even on google streetview...

[SunEagle]

I suppose if you didn't have a lot of space to spare, that would be the way to go. How big would the actuators need to be to turn something that large. Yikes..... Can you use more than one actuator in any given setup? They would have to move at the exact same speed I would think.

Moving very big equipment using multiple motors or actuators is pretty simple in the industrial area. (ie, NASA launch system crawler or the large space radio dishes).

But the cost of the equipment and controls would IMO be a little high for a home owner. So unless someone can provide first hand data from the owners of those "house" arrays we will continue to just guess why and how they were built that way.

[Higher-Ground Farm]

I suppose if you didn't have a lot of space to spare, that would be the way to go. How big would the actuators need to be to turn something that large. Yikes..... Can you use more than one actuator in any given setup? They would have to move at the exact same speed I would think.

[emartin00]

Sometimes solar isn't strictly about the financials. Some people like to make it look good

https://mayorofguelph.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/agenergy_sunflower.jpg

Disney is installing very large array in the shape of Mickey Mouse, just because they can.

[radareclipse]

T

Do the math on how much that would cost as well. 204 panels times five buildings, add the tracking systems. oof! that's a lot of dough!

That is primarily why I was thinking it was impractical. It is neat as can be, but the weight!!!!! The support system that would need to be designed??? For what? So it can be neat as can be. Throw it on the ground and call it a day. If you have more than enough money than you need and your doing solar so you can say that you did and do have and it doesn't matter that you spent more money on it than what your utility bill will cost for 30 years…..well you get the idea. With it hanging up there in the air like that, yes it will keep the house cooler. In that regard, better than mounting it flat to the roof. If it's an area where there would be high winds, ooof!

[SunEagle]

Do the math on how much that would cost as well. 204 panels times five buildings, add the tracking systems. oof! that's a lot of dough!

I also wondered about what the install cost was and where the funding came from. I am not familiar with all of the Canadian rebates or their POCO support but more than likely the money came from deep pockets.