OffGridForGood
Catch, make or grow everything you can.
And then post the results, inquiring minds want to know!
Sun tracking solar panel mount/kits.. why are they not more common?
- Thread starter beowulf
- Start date
BradCagle
Solar Enthusiast
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2021
- Messages
- 577
I'm hoping to update my tracker with bi-facials soon. I'll for sure make a video.
cs1234
Solar Wizard
- Joined
- May 9, 2022
- Messages
- 2,302
I don't think a tracker would really enjoy constant shading. There isn't really anything it can do to improve it. If the panels are shaded at a certain time of day, the tracker isn't going to be able to shift the position of the whole assembly so it's not in the shade.
Most likely you would want some CIGS panels for increased shade tolerance, or multiple smaller 50 to 100 watt regular panels (or even smaller depending on the situation). You just have to get creative unfortunately. Maybe do fixed panels, but E/W instead of S facing.. or a combination of all 3 directions. Don't forget you can mount some panels on your actual building walls or fencing (if you aren't prevented from doing so by an HOA or something). Roof and ground mounts aren't the only option. you might not get the best "angle", but direct sunlight is better than shaded with good angle.
Zwy
Solar Wizard
Most likely not. If you have no shading at peak power hours, that is 2 hours before and after high noon, then install your array facing due south.
Use the trackers where there isn't any shading, it can be shading in the first hour of light or last hour of light. Otherwise you won't gain much from a tracker.
MichaelK
Solar Wizard
The solution I came up with is manual tracking. I'm on a homestead, and need the power most when I am actually there. Mostly for pumping water out of the well on irrigation days. My single pole mounts can hold up to six large 250W residential panels, and I simply rotate by hand a few times a day. Rotating SE in the early morning, another adjustment around 10am, then noon, and finally 2pm, and my arrays can make 25kWh per day. If you look on the lower portion of the main pole, you can see the locking bolts I installed to lock down the array so it won't spin randomly in the wind. It works. Since the array frame is also hinged, I can accomplish both azimuth and declination adjustments.
Attachments
I have a flat area on the roof which gets full sun most of the day. Would I be able to mount the tracker on the roof? How strong does the base need to be?
I have a couple of other areas that have full sun from around 9:30 to 2:30, might be better in the summer. I might get a little longer if I cut some trees.
I have a couple of other areas that have full sun from around 9:30 to 2:30, might be better in the summer. I might get a little longer if I cut some trees.
Zwy
Solar Wizard
Updrafts on a roof, even if the tracker has a wind sensor and lays the array flat in high winds, I'd be concerned with any updraft.
Cut the trees and install there. Perfect time of the year right now to check shadows with low sun horizon. I have 30 panels to put up in my yards, already used the best spot. I'm constantly looking at shadows thru the day to decide where these panels are going. Plan is currently 18x array and 12x array.
cs1234
Solar Wizard
- Joined
- May 9, 2022
- Messages
- 2,302
Any spot on the ground that you can give good unshaded sunlight to for the majority of the day, would benefit from the trackers. The general rule of thumb is to just use more panels, instead of trackers, but if you already have them, they are kind of neat... just not worth the headache.
green mountain boys
Solar Enthusiast
This company has installed quite a few 5 to 6kw trackers, primarily in the northeast. It looks like a robust unit. Quite expensive. There was a 40 to 48kw (8 x 5 or 6kw)array near where i live. It was operational for quite a while but the owner died and the array was removed by the new property owners. I don't think dual axis trackers are worth the extra expense in most cases but if I were looking for a large robust one I would at least give this a look.
https://reports.allearthrenewables.com/
You can use this map to find an installation and view the actual output.
https://reports.allearthrenewables.com/
You can use this map to find an installation and view the actual output.
Zwy
Solar Wizard
Sell them if nothing else. Someone will think it's the greatest deal in the world.
You can use them, you will get some extra watts compared to a shaded fixed mount. Look at it this way, if you have shade, it will shade any mount, fixed or tracking. At least the tracking will get you the most amount of watts for a given piece of real estate.
KITROBASKIN
Solar Enthusiast
Hey do you think you could get back to us after you have had maybe 2 cloudless days where you rotate the array one day and due south only the other day? Let us know totals for each day?
We have a pole mount (with ancient low production solar panels) but also panels on the roof so it is more challenging to test.
MichaelK
Solar Wizard
That's really not going to work. By design, I am quite over-paneled, and I can reach full-charge each and every day, even in the rain. I can only really quantify what I consume, not what I can potentially make.
The one time that was actually feasible was when I purchased my new batteries for the workshopt system and gave them their first commissioning charge. With the new batteries in their rather depleted state, when I started with only one 1000W array, I made 5.1kWh of power on February 8th. Assuming I could have made 3.0kWh with ~3.0sunhours in February, that means that rotating the array allowed me to make 166% of a fixed rating.
