Solar tracking systems

[zorro]

Does anyone have any information on building a solar tracking system for solar panels, any ideas for building my own cheap system welcome

[Mike90250]

There is a company called something like
red rok
red roc
red rock ? solar, that has kits for the electronics of a tracker, I don't know what they do for the mech gear.

http://www.redrok.com/electron.htm#tracker

Generally, it's better/easier to put up additional panels, than to maintain a tracker. I've seen many trackers, stuck in the wrong spot. Some are in the parking lot of a solar store. Even they, can't keep them running.

[zorro]

Thanks Mike

Thanks mike it seems a simple idea but there does not seem to be anyone out there who has perfected it yet.

Moderator note - forget the links.

[russ]

You can buy many - costly though.

DIY isn't so easy - at least for an automated system.

[TnAndy]

Yeah, I keep hearing that trackers are complex and hard to keep running. Not had much problem with mine in 3 years, though I did try several controllers,
(edited: removed vendor name due to problems with him. YMMV)

I had to pole mount anyway or face cutting a lot of nice shade trees that pretty much eliminate the need for A/C....so pole mount it was. And as long as I was pole mounting, making them track single axis wasn't that much harder.

I welded a pc of 8" wide channel to the top of a 6" pole at 37 degrees ( latitude angle for here ), then mounted a 2" pillow block bearing at each end, with a pc of 2" shaft steel thru the bearings and out a couple inches past the end of the channel. Then welded an "H" frame made of 2" square tubing that pivots east/west. Then mounted Unistrut to the H frame for the panels to mount on. Whole thing is driven by a 36" linear actuator ( like they used on the old C band satellite dishes ). Controller jogs the array east to west all day, then resets to the east at dark.

The newest array, I made a dual axis ( the one on up the hill under construction in this photo). Bit more welding and mechanics, plus one more actuator, but I wanted to see if I could do it. I don't have the north/south tilt actuator wired into a control board, just have it on a toggle switch, and plan to adjust the tilt angle about 4 times a year manually.

[defed]

Yeah, I keep hearing that trackers are complex and hard to keep running. Not had much problem with mine in 3 years, though I did try several controllers until I found one that is very reliable ( Analoguy.com ).

that site doesn't work for me, can you double check it please?

your mounts look sweet. i plan to build a tracker next year.

thanks.

[TnAndy]

Edit: Website removed, no longer recommend this vendor.

[defed]

thanks. i tried adding the 2nd 'g'...but didn't try adding 'the'.

[vinniethePVtech]

Nothing beats a sunpower t0 tracker system using torque tubes, worm drive, gps to clock the sun.

[TnAndy]

Really ? Based on what ?

Including the controller, I've got about 600 bucks each in my trackers. How does that compare to the Sunpower ? My guess is dirt cheap. And if I get virtually the same performance in power increase, which one is "best" ?

[vinniethePVtech]

Really ? Based on what ?

Including the controller, I've got about 600 bucks each in my trackers. How does that compare to the Sunpower ?

Never said sunpower was cheap. Worm drives are more reliable overtime. Worm drives produce all the torque needed to move 400+ pv panels@ 5amps.

[TnAndy]

And if I HAD 400+ panels to move, I'd certainly be looking at something like that.

Would you also recommend I buy an ocean liner to fish in a 2 acre pond ? Or would a small Jonboat be "better" ?

To buy one to move a 10 panel array I can move with one finger ( all about balance ) seems like a fool waste of money.

So, clearly, for the money, my homemade systems beat sunpower......as I could replace every moving part on them probably 1/2 dozen times and still be money ahead......and thus, your statement "nothing beats sunpower" is a crock.

[defed]

TnAndy, have you done any record keeping to see how much power you have gained by tracking?

heck, at one time i had planned on just using an actuator and an old c-band receiver with a timer function to move the array as many times a day as there were program slots. i figure even that would be better than nothing...presuming you modify the program a few times per year. at this time, there are several reasonably priced options for auto tracking, so i am exploring that route now. i do plan to build my own rack and tracking system using an actuator as you have.

[TnAndy]

defed,

Some......leaving the arrays in the noon position, it appears I pick up about 25% with tracking. I really hate to give up the extra production, so I haven't done it a lot to compare.

[Sunking]

it appears I pick up about 25% with tracking.

That is about the most you can get.