Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Rotating panels east to west ?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Rotating panels east to west ?

    I'm new to solar and still learning a lot. My question right now is that I would like to get 5 300 watt frameless solar panels. My roof does not face the correct direction to get good sun. I'm on top of a hill and wanted to build wood frames for the panels and have then facing east as the sun crest the hill and then flip the panels facing west once the sun has past the panel so I can get the most sunlight. But I'm unsure if it's ok to flip the panels daily or often like that? Any help would be appreciated. Also need the best least expensive batteries I can use on a budget that will get the job done. Thanks in advance for any help.

  • #2
    Sounds like you want to home build a tracking array. I think it would be best to use solar panels with frames as frameless would require more structure to keep them from flexing. Given the current cheap price for framed panels I expect it may be better to buy more panels and fix them south. Trackers made sense years ago with panels at $10 per watt, they don't make lot of sense at $0.50 a watt unless your state happens to have a law written to subsidize trackers (like VT).

    Comment


    • #3
      Solar modules are so cheap, you are going to be better off getting more modules. If you want a virtual tracker then face half of them south east and the other half south west. There is little point to doing a tracker with the cost of modules so cheap.
      OutBack FP1 w/ CS6P-250P http://bit.ly/1Sg5VNH

      Comment


      • #4
        Nobody is honestly going to babysit panels to move them manually 8X every day.

        Mechanical tracking systems have been made by hundreds of people. To withstand hurricane winds, they must be STRONG, but still move to track the sun. It boils down to the fact that they will cost you a lot of cash.
        4400w, Midnite Classic 150 charge-controller.

        Comment


        • Bjwilson
          Bjwilson commented
          Editing a comment
          Honestly no one is going to babysit? I'm looking for encouraging comments to help someone on a budget get some form of electric in their home. I may be learning and apparently stupid because I thought I would flip them once during the day nit 8 times?

      • #5
        I thought about just getting extra to just face the other direction but figured if I could accomplish the same thing with less panels it would be cheaper. Any recommendations for batteries?

        Comment


        • #6
          Originally posted by Bjwilson View Post
          I thought about just getting extra to just face the other direction but figured if I could accomplish the same thing with less panels it would be cheaper. Any recommendations for batteries?

          Mechanical systems to do this are not likely to be cheaper. If it is manual, then yes cheaper but unlikely to be done all the time.
          More modules has other benifits like more production on overcast and cloudy days.

          We can't give you good information on batteries without knowing your load information. Similarly no one can tell you if your 1.5kw array will work for you without knowing the load / battery situation as well as Charge controller type.
          OutBack FP1 w/ CS6P-250P http://bit.ly/1Sg5VNH

          Comment


          • #7
            My budget doesn't allow me to buy double the panels so I thought this would solve that problem at least till money aloud more. I realize it's more work but when your not rich you do what you have to do. I'm a country girl extra work won't kill me. Not sure this was the right forum for me to be in

            Comment


            • ButchDeal
              ButchDeal commented
              Editing a comment
              the problem is that you need a particular charge for the batteries. A tracking system is smaller and puts out less amps so the batteries it can support are smaller.

              You wouldn't need double the modules.

            • DanKegel
              DanKegel commented
              Editing a comment
              As others have already mentioned, you need to explain what you're trying to power with the solar panels, and whether grid power is available.

          • #8
            Originally posted by Bjwilson View Post
            My budget doesn't allow me to buy double the panels so I thought this would solve that problem at least till money aloud more. I realize it's more work but when your not rich you do what you have to do. I'm a country girl extra work won't kill me. Not sure this was the right forum for me to be in
            You are in the correct forum. Most other places would tell you whatever you wanted to hear and would then try to sell you what ever they could.

            Here we at least try to make sure you spend your money as wisely as possible.

            Moving your panels to track the sun is ok and possible but it can be more work then you realize and may end up costing you much more then you think when you figure in the requirements to prevent your 5 panels from getting blown over by the wind or damaged by a bad weather.

            Second depending on where you live and the specification of those panels it not easy to match them up to a battery system.

            Finally, even if we determine the size of your battery system the question still stands is, will that be enough to provide you the daily watt hour usage you expect to get out of them?

            Let us help you but please help us by giving us a little more information on the type solar panel, your approximate location, estimated daily watt hour usage and if you have purchased any other type of equipment like a charge controller or inverter.

            Comment


            • #9
              If you want to build a tracker, a much more effective strategy would be to face it south, and make it seasonably adjustable. As others have said, it's not practical to adjust it manually, multiple times a day. An adjustment once a month or so is much more practical, and will probably net you almost as much energy, with far less intervention.
              Frameless modules are quite a bit more expensive. Standard 72 cell framed modules can be had for less than $.50/watt.

              Comment


              • #10
                I'm in the process of now building arrays that can be manually tracked. I'm casting 3.5" steel pipe in the ground in concrete and slipping 4" capped steel pipe on top of it. It turns left and right like a cattle gate made out of pipe does. A solar frame made out of steel unistrut is welded onto a T on top of the 4" pipe. My primary objective is to have enough power to start my 240V well pump, so my strategy is to turn the arrays to face directly at the sun to start the pump, and then adjust it once or twice over the course of the afternoon to maximize power for water pumping. Since I only need to pump water for maybe 10 hours per week, I might have to do this two days per week, but only in the summer. The rest of the time I will just let the arrays face south. I can take some pics this weekend to post if you can wait that long.

                Comment


                • #11
                  I never built a tracking mechanism, but in the early days I built a few thermal collectors and adjusted them 1X/hr or so when trying to determine/verify performance. It was a PITA, and that was only occasionally for a few hrs. max. of 8 hrs. per day and 1 collector at a time with the azimuthal adjustment being via a tipped over and ballasted hand truck and a compass. It was more of a homemade portable test stand and spent most of the time in the garage.

                  Non manual tracking mechanisms can be expensive, unreliable, and maint. prone, especially if home made.

                  Where did you get the notion you would need 2X as many panels ? As for additional output from a two axis tracker compared to a fixed array, run PVWatts 2 ways: fixed and 2 axis tracking. You'll probably find the 2 axis tracker produces ~ 20-35 % more in annual output, not twice as much. My guess is that the additional cost of the 2 axis tracking capability will cost more than the additional output will provide in terms of NPV over say 10-12 years. Or, looked at another way, more than the cost of increasing the size of a fixed array by 20-35% to get the same output.

                  Agreeing with Emartin00, As it turns out, 3 array tilts for a fixed azimuth, with 4 annual adjustments - 1 for each of the solstices and 1 common tilt for both equinoxes will produce damn near as much output as a monthly adjustment. Again, run PVWatts with the 3 tilts and then select and sum the appropriate months to estimate annual output.

                  Adjusting an array 4 times/yr. is a lot more manageable and practical than 1 adjustment/hr., but I bet even the 4X/yr. adjustment will get old rather quickly. Been there, done that. Don't want to do it no more.

                  If you build a suitable adjustable support frame, or any frame for that matter, make sure you are aware of the structural requirements for wind loadings.

                  Comment


                  • #12
                    Originally posted by Bjwilson View Post
                    My budget doesn't allow me to buy double the panels so I thought this would solve that problem at least till money aloud more. I realize it's more work but when your not rich you do what you have to do. I'm a country girl extra work won't kill me. Not sure this was the right forum for me to be in
                    When people tell you things that you might not like, or contradict what you may have already decided to be true, perhaps out of ignorance, it does not mean they are trying to hurt your feelings, or be mean or arrogant. Looks to me like this forum just gave you a lot of what would otherwise be pretty expensive consulting, and pretty sound advice and information. As for a willingness for extra work: There is nobility in work. There is no nobility in ignorance.

                    Comment


                    • #13
                      Originally posted by Bjwilson View Post
                      My budget doesn't allow me to buy double the panels
                      Then it is very likely that your budget will not allow you to build tracking racks. You can't just get a few 2x4's and hinges from Home Depot and build something like this; they have to withstand the worst the wind can dish out. I've had 240 watt 50 pound panels pulled out of temporary wooden frames and flung twenty feet by a Santa Ana wind.
                      so I thought this would solve that problem at least till money aloud more.
                      In general you'll be way happier designing the system up front then saving up until you can afford it. That way you'll get the energy you want from a reliable system.

                      Comment


                      • #14
                        You say you have to orient the panels to get the pump to start ? Is this a DC pump running directly off the panels. or an AC pump with batteries, charge controller and inverter ?
                        And frankly, some of the frameless panels are a real pain to use, with no easy way to attach them to anything. That's how they end up on sale so often. And some of them have really odd voltages.
                        Wood is a poor choice for racks, because it tends to warp and twist, and that can cause enough tension on the panel glass to break it.
                        Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
                        || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
                        || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

                        solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
                        gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister

                        Comment

                        Working...
                        X