Sun hours

[Mike90250]

Thought I'd piggyback onto this. While doing irrigation research, came across this page of daily solar log for farming

http://www.cimis.water.ca.gov/SpatialData.aspx

Your state may have a like program.

[azdave]

I extrapolate that without a gap, I would have a lot of snow to move.

I hate to extrapolate snow. That's why I moved to Phoenix.

[bcroe]

Here a 6 inch gap has been added between the upper and lower
panels. Snow will only need to slide half as far to clear a panel, and there will be only half as much
snow being pushed into each pile on the ground. That means I won't be doing so much running the
snow blower to keep the pile lower than the bottom of any panels. And pushing snow off will be a
lot lighter work; possibly avoided completely on some occasions. This would work even better if
the panels were turned landscape. But that would be much more difficult, and will be postponed
to another phase. Bruce Roe

As the white stuff did its last Mon and Tues, the snow slots again proved their worth. This morning
panels with a 6 inch gap were already 97 % clear. The one test section with a 4 inch gap was only
about 60% clear. I extrapolate that without a gap, I would have a lot of snow to move. Bruce Roe

[SunEagle]

Sorry to hijack a thread, but how the heck do I post a new topic?

Apparently the Administrator or Senior Moderator must approve your ability to post a new topic. Since I am a minor Mod I can't do that for you but I ask for your patience and you will be able to make new posts soon.

[cnote]

Sorry to hijack a thread, but how the heck do I post a new topic?

[bcroe]

Progress on outdoor projects is kind of halting in Jan/Feb, but in some better weather I did get more
aluminum bolted in place on the 24 panel tilting array. Its horizontal, pointed straight up so I can
reach everything. But capable of tilting 90 degrees to straight up, should be great for a snow storm.

Still need to add a convenient tilting control and some back side bracing in the 3rd dimension, before
mounting panels. Bruce Roe

PVtilt1.JPG


PVtilt3.JPG

[bcroe]

I read your entire thread today, and would like to applaud your outside-the-box thinking. Your system may not represent the best value per dollar spent, but it is invaluable at showing the potential that can be realized if one doesn't constrain themselves to do things the way everyone else does just because "that's the way it's done." Optimum points are only eventually found because somebody pushes things to the llimit in a different direction and posts their results, as you are doing.

I'm working on an off-grid design in Missouri and also looking for a flatter curve but to maximize per dollar spent daily production. So what your doing is of some interest to me, although I unfortunately do not have the option of banking summer production for winter use, so I'm working on a much smaller scale.

Now take this with a grain of salt because I'm a newbie here and there is lots I don't know yet, but I wonder if your east-west IV curve (with no straight south facing panels) would be a flatter on top if your panels were facing slightly SE/SW instead of straight E/W. Idk, it might lessen output early/late on summer days when the sun actually rises/sets NE/NW of you, but it seems to me the increase on winter days when it better faces the rising/setting sun and in mid-morning/mid-afternoon in the summer would result in net gains without much noon-time clipping.

Thanks for the comments/questions, and good luck with your off grid design. Off grid of course requires a far greater
commitment of all resources, time and very high $ per KWH. Still an on going science project here, the right answers
in northern IL will not be exactly the same as in Missouri.

Off grid might flat out optimize winter production, summer is easy by comparison. Not as much so with net metering,
but the same idea could apply. Looking at my Solar Pathfinder at 42 deg Lat, it appears a straight E-W alignment is
a pretty good split of the sunrise/set angle between the longest and shortest days. Slightly favoring South is probably
better for off grid, you might run that experiment. The basic idea here has been to collect as much energy as possible
when the sun is not ideal, then change things enough to just stay in clipping any time the sun is good.

Yesterday was a sunny day, cranked out 93KWH from 15KW of inverters. Some would call that 6.2 sun hours, not
bad for early Feb here, impossible with a unidirectional array. Outdoor work will be mostly on hold here till the foot of
snow dropped last week goes away. Meanwhile looking at mini split heat pumps. Bruce Roe

[SupraLance]

I read your entire thread today, and would like to applaud your outside-the-box thinking. Your system may not represent the best value per dollar spent, but it is invaluable at showing the potential that can be realized if one doesn't constrain themselves to do things the way everyone else does just because "that's the way it's done." Optimum points are only eventually found because somebody pushes things to the llimit in a different direction and posts their results, as you are doing.

I'm working on an off-grid design in Missouri and also looking for a flatter curve but to maximize per dollar spent daily production. So what your doing is of some interest to me, although I unfortunately do not have the option of banking summer production for winter use, so I'm working on a much smaller scale.

Now take this with a grain of salt because I'm a newbie here and there is lots I don't know yet, but I wonder if your east-west IV curve (with no straight south facing panels) would be a flatter on top if your panels were facing slightly SE/SW instead of straight E/W. Idk, it might lessen output early/late on summer days when the sun actually rises/sets NE/NW of you, but it seems to me the increase on winter days when it better faces the rising/setting sun and in mid-morning/mid-afternoon in the summer would result in net gains without much noon-time clipping.

[bcroe]

Slow progress with seasonal events and the sub zero temps. But the tilting array pivots are built and
awaiting final alignment. The middle 4 bearings can be adjusted in one direction by sliding along the
mount surface, and in a perpendicular direction by slightly changing the attachment of the back tilt
braces. I expect nothing will move as far as 1/4 inch. After that, the tilting section for 24 panels can
be built up. Bruce Roe

We finally got hit with a real winter storm, a foot of snow forecast, half that fell at this location. The array
snow slots are just a lifesaver in clearing that stuff.

Up until now winter has been mild enough for some slow progress on the tilting array. The 6 bearings were
aligned well enough I could see a light through them all. Maybe 3/4 of the section pictured on the ground
above, is now mounted in the air, just above my head when tilted flat. So close, but until there is a big
improvement in the weather, completion will have to wait. Bruce Roe

[bcroe]

Slow progress with seasonal events and the sub zero temps. But the tilting array pivots are built and
awaiting final alignment. The middle 4 bearings can be adjusted in one direction by sliding along the
mount surface, and in a perpendicular direction by slightly changing the attachment of the back tilt
braces. I expect nothing will move as far as 1/4 inch. After that, the tilting section for 24 panels can
be built up. Bruce Roe

VPpiv1.JPGPVpiv2.JPGPVSep17tst.JPG

[bcroe]

Since I now have more than a couple of acres to play with it will be a
ground mount. I will probably be asking a lot more questions concerning what you did on your install.

Good, I still have plenty of questions here. Conditions are a lot different in FL. Bruce Roe

[SunEagle]

Oft decried, but a decent beginner learning tool, the Horrible Fright kit is now updated to 100W, on
sale for $1.50 a watt including a charge controller with readout and a couple lights for the 12V
battery you must add. Bruce Roe

After a break for required seasonal duties, am contemplating a design of the last primary component: the
pivot point connecting the fixed base to the pivoting 24 panel mount. Snow has been very late this year,
but now threatened. Bruce Roe

I have seen where HF have tried to step up their game by increasing the system to 100w. While the price per watt is much more reasonable I wonder what the life of those panels will be?

Back on topic.

Those are really nice support structures you have installed. Once the dust settles and I sell my old house I can focus on installing a pv system on the new homestead.

Since I now have more than a couple of acres to play with it will be a ground mount. I will probably be asking a lot more questions concerning what you did on your install.

[bcroe]

Oft decried, but a decent beginner learning tool, the Horrible Fright kit is now updated to 100W, on
sale for $1.50 a watt including a charge controller with readout and a couple lights for the 12V
battery you must add. Bruce Roe

After a break for required seasonal duties, am contemplating a design of the last primary component: the
pivot point connecting the fixed base to the pivoting 24 panel mount. Snow has been very late this year,
but now threatened. Bruce Roe

[bcroe]

Here is the Nov progress report. Very favorable weather has allowed completion
of the tilting array foundation and construction of the fixed base. 6 ball bearings
will be mounted near the top and shimmed for good alignment. The array center
of gravity will attach to the bearings, making tilt change much easier.

PVpost shows the top of a foundation post, the L bolt was jig supported while
pouring for best accuracy of position, height, and angle. The bolt and surface
have the same 10% slope as everything else.

PVTsup shows the 6 bearing supports lined up on my 10 % grade heading
downhill to the right, north. The camera is tilted too. Surprised myself with its
accuracy; everything just bolted together no problem. The front and rear
supports are connected together by concrete and rebar at a 4 foot depth.

PVsing shows a closer view; that yellow level is set perfectly vertical, to show
how much slope there is. No earth movers or retaining walls required, the sun
doesn't care. The minimum of dirt/rock was disturbed, using lightweight
equipment. But I do need to be careful of bare spots and erosion. All the
grass not directly over concrete is intact; the rest will be tended.

The ever present black buckets serve a couple of purposes. Rocks that get
to the surface get thrown into the nearest bucket. And a bucket turned over
can be a seat for any tired retiree. Bruce Roe PVpost.JPG
PVTsup.JPG
PVsing.JPG

[bcroe]

The inclinometer says the E-W panels are up around 74 deg; the S panels are 24 deg. Google earth
shows the facing direction isn't very accurate; didn't measure the error. . Bruce Roe