Solar awning for shop building

[Diesel Pro]

One project I have always wanted to do is a solar awning for one of our shop buildings. We have two 8x5 windows facing south and get plenty of unwanted solar in summer. My thought is that if I do it right I could set them up so that the angle can be changed manually as the seasons change. Probably a bit more than just kicking out the bottom to change the angle the vertical support could be slotted so that they slide down as they kick out for summer and up as they are pushed in and more vertical for winter.

I'm curious if anyone has done something like this? I can't be the only one thinking of this?

 

[Samsonite801]

I never did this yet, but I've been thinking about it for sure (as I am starting into planning a home build)...

I know on 'passive home' design they do a calculation in the design for South-facing awnings so that in Summer when the Sun is up at high angle, the fixed awning shades the entire window, then as the season changes toward Winter months, the Sun starts coming down in angle and 'turns on' the Sun coming into the windows. So it almost seems to me that you would want you normal Summer solar panel awning to be fairly flat so the panels face up more, but then if you did have an angle adjustment in it, it would be on the high-end of the panel, where the end closest to the house would get lifted (pivoting off the lower edge) to angle the panel more perpendicular to the Sun for Winter months, but the lower edge which is calculated angle won't change.

Here's just some pictures for fun:

solar panels on side awning - Google Search

More fun pictures:

passive home awning angle - Google Search

 

[Samsonite801]

More fun pics, just food for thought, you could easily add angle to many of these designs, by having the pivot on the bottom and panel lifts from the top...

passive home awning angle solar panel - Google Search

 

[Samsonite801]

Something like this pic, but panel can raise from the high end, and pivot off the low end for Winter angle:



And if the awning is calculated at correct distance and location of lower end, it will time perfectly to the seasons to block Sun when you don't want it, and bring it in when you want the extra heat...