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One of my arrays, of 10 cells, is facing East through necessity. At the moment it sits flat to the 16 degree pitch of the Roof. I can get a bit of movement from what looks like a Sunlock mounting system. Is it worth trying to face it north a bit by adjusting the mountings or should I look for a better mounting system? Is it worth re-mounting the cells? If it is worth fitting new mounts does anyone have any suggestions?
Regards Sully
Downwind Guru Joined: 09/09/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2333
Posted: 09:19am 04 Jul 2010
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Hi Sully,
If you have the space a ground mounted tracking system would give the best results, with a improvement of around 25% output.
10 panels would be a large tracker and i would consider breaking that into two systems.
As for remounting the existing system....i will let others comment on that.
Pete.Sometimes it just works
VK4AYQ Guru Joined: 02/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2539
Posted: 10:48am 04 Jul 2010
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Hi Sully
Be very careful if you do relocate the array as most of these use High Voltage to drive the GTI can be around 300 volts and that's deadly. Pete's Idea is the best if you can fit it, as a tracker is like two extra panels.
Your east facing panels will pick up more in the morning and help to some degree compensate for the fade out in the afternoon. Not Ideal but it works.
All the best
BobFoolin Around
neil0mac Senior Member Joined: 26/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 210
Posted: 11:15am 04 Jul 2010
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Sully, there's trackers and there's 'real trackers. Pete knows what I'm working on, but he doesn't know that it is something in the order of 18 - 27 panels.
The amount of area available could have a major impact on what you can or can't do on that score. (I'm lucky in that I can whack mine anywhere within 5 acres - although closeness to the meter box is a relatively important consideration.)
Sorry Guys I have no room for a ground mounted array.
MacGyver Guru Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 1329
Posted: 12:59am 05 Jul 2010
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Sully
Just wondering if a tracking mirror might be an answer. You would need to work it out so the mirror's location tracks the north-south variation, which can be done with an axle set at your mean azimuth and then you'd have to aim it so it bisects the angle of the sun and your target.
That part sounds hard, but really it can be done with 2 long tubes and some silicon solar cells, no big deal really. If this sounds like a plan, PM me and I'll run through how to set up the tubes so they keep the rig "on target".
If all this is a bit much, perhaps merely constructing a multi-faceted mirror out of folded aluminum placed in such a way that it reflects 50% or more of the otherwise wasted sunlight might be a way around this. Remember, if you merely double your exposure, you up your efficiency by 50%. That is to say, if you were to rely on sun hitting from one side only, but then place a mirror so half that sunlight (the half that misses) is redirected onto the panel, you'd have doubled your output (I think).
Of course, if you're either "on" or close to the equator, all bets are off!
Anyway, just a suggestion.
. . . . . MacNothing difficult is ever easy!
Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman,
"Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!"
Copeville, Texas
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