Getting ready for panels

[-TX-]

Good point about the rakes. I'll move them.

Edit: Cleaned up, rakes removed.

20170315_152837.jpg

[J.P.M.]

Ah, it's not god-awful or anything. Mostly just question the necessity of it. I should have secured it to the frame but access to it would have been far more difficult.

20170315_101825.jpg

Beauty's in the eye of the beholder, but to me only, not much in that photo is anything that would win a beauty contest.

[Mike90250]

Safety devices not always needed, until they are. How much do airbags add to the cost of a car ?? How about when they fire and have to be replaced ? And clean all the talcum powder out of the car afterwards ??

[SunEagle]

Yeah. I agree that with it sticking out it does not look that great. It would have been cleaner if it could have been recessed into the frame but then that would create a potential water intrusion point.

[-TX-]

Ah, it's not god-awful or anything. Mostly just question the necessity of it. I should have secured it to the frame but access to it would have been far more difficult.

20170315_101825.jpg

[SunEagle]

Nothing personal but I don't like my decision on the combiner box. I just don't see it's necessity and it's the ugliest part of my install so far (panels will be worse). I was trying to have everything be inconspicuous and should have just added a fuse at panel and, christ, just soldered the 5 strings wires together. After I set the box up today, as clean as possible, and read Midnite's instructions referencing a PV busbar!, I sat looking at the thing and saw a big mistake. It doesn't add anything but convenience in troubleshooting and an ugly-ass box on my RV.

Sorry that it doesn't look pretty. Sometimes safety and convenience precludes beauty.

[-TX-]

While the electric code mentions that a pv system with more than 2 items (panels or strings) in parallel require fuse protection for each "string", it really smart to protect your good panels if you develop a short on one set it could back-feed into the others, so the fuses are there to protect them.

You can build a combiner box like the one I made. It was not cheap but IMO it cost less to build then to purchase.

Nothing personal but I don't like my decision on the combiner box. I just don't see it's necessity and it's the ugliest part of my install so far (panels will be worse). I was trying to have everything be inconspicuous and should have just added a fuse at panel and, christ, just soldered the 5 strings wires together. After I set the box up today, as clean as possible, and read Midnite's instructions referencing a PV busbar!, I sat looking at the thing and saw a big mistake. It doesn't add anything but convenience in troubleshooting and an ugly-ass box on my RV.

[-TX-]

thinking more about this....

Not gonna work as originally thought. I suspect if I raise the one panel it will shade an adjacent one. So it's possible I'd have to raise the entire rack. We are only talking a foot though. Weird looking but it may not even be necessary depending on how the panel treats shadows.

This is what I've designed: 4 racks. 2 holding 2 panels, and 2 holding 3 panels. Total weight for 3 panel rack is about 115lbs. Legs will be replaced with longer one's on one side for seasonal re-angling. rack.png


20170306_113836.jpg


IB4: Upon travel I can secure rack directly to roof mounted 'L' brackets, removing all extensions.

[SunEagle]

Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

Yes, I can do that SunEagle. Great suggestion. Its only downside is appearance so I'd prefer not to, but I may have to. What your suggestion does most of all is allow me to set the panel at equal height to the others, and then based on how detrimental that shadow is, raise or deal with it. Damn, this board is just the best. You guys are so damn helpful!

Edit: Just recognized that this was Litteleharbor's idea. Sorry, man!

No problem. It was Littleharbor's idea in the first place. So he gets the chicken (dinner that is).

[littleharbor]

Do you need my mailing address for that dinner ticket? Ha.

[-TX-]

Actually I like the idea of raising that one panel above the A/C unit to reduce the amount of shade it gets. you might be able to mount it so that it can be removed when you move the RV so the wind does not rip it off or find a way to anchor it and protect it while driving. At least try to keep the shade from taking it out of the equation.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

Yes, I can do that SunEagle. Great suggestion. Its only downside is appearance so I'd prefer not to, but I may have to. What your suggestion does most of all is allow me to set the panel at equal height to the others, and then based on how detrimental that shadow is, raise or deal with it. Damn, this board is just the best. You guys are so damn helpful!

Edit: Just recognized that this was Litteleharbor's idea. Sorry, man!

[littleharbor]

It could be oriented perpendicular to the side of the RV so that it shades the A/C unit and casts minimal shadowing toward the panels around it

[SunEagle]

Actually I like the idea of raising that one panel above the A/C unit to reduce the amount of shade it gets. you might be able to mount it so that it can be removed when you move the RV so the wind does not rip it off or find a way to anchor it and protect it while driving. At least try to keep the shade from taking it out of the equation.

[littleharbor]

24 volt, oh, I figured 12 volt being its on an RV. You're asking me if I'd go on? No. I wouldn't place any panels up, against an A/C unit, let alone near one, and especially if series wired.

You mentioned, "seasonally angled panels". Is this going to be a stationary RV? If it isn't going anywhere you could elevate the one panel being shaded. I would be sure there is no shadowing on other panels, especially during the prime sun hours of say 9 30 to 3 30.

[-TX-]

" If series wired you will lose more than just that"

Would you go on? BTW, 24v system here.