Rack progress

To house 210W pv, started yesterday (Saturday here, now Sunday eve).



Wood is all scrounged material, maybe "recycled" sounds better

My goal is to have everything back online by Thursday.

Best,
Tim

A good start Tim,
Free (scrounged) is my kind of price..

Is the rack facing true south there? - assuming your in the northen hemisphere.
Maybe make some provision for raising and lowering the elevation in the summer/winter.

Ben.

Seriously thinking of bringing my 8 panels off the conservatory roof where they are currently lying flat. Not so bad in summer but now they are only achieving half of what they should be because the angel is wrong.
Youll have to show us it with the panels on!
Thinking of fixing mine on a single pole but really low to the ground,almost on it but have it spin around so my wife can mow the lawn OK!

Ben,

I considered a hinge and peg type system to adjust the angle for winter/summer, but decided I needed a start somewhere. Maybe in the future.

For the most part it is aimed south, and like Shawn, a single pole sounded really neat, but I wasnt sure how the panels would handle our winter winds.

I think this is going to be more of a learning experience for me than "its built and I am done". I left it movable (no concrete), but I am not sure where I can move it to and not worry about a kid and a rock telling his friend "watch this!".

I am jealous Shawn, my wife doesnt even know how to start a lawn mower, let alone use it!

Best,
Tim

Tim.
Its good to have a go and see how it works out.
Im sure it will work just fine all year round at my guessed 35 degree angle you have there.
Shadowing from buildings and trees e.t.c over the daily light period can effect the performance seriously in my experience.
Its worth monitoring visually now and again.


Ben.

Tim is about 42º latitude. I think the typical pitch for fixed solar panels is about 50º in our location. About the best you can get in winter and good enough in the summer. But that is more or less a strategy for water heating.

Go Huskers!

pretty much on schedule, hoping to get junction boxes setup and then run 6awg to controller connection (15-17 feet) tomorrow. Supposed to rain though



Tim

Thu Jan 01, 1970 1:00 am by shawn

Wow! Im impressed! Wow! Im impressed!
But to be honest I dont know what Im looking at
Are the top panels amorphous ones and the bottom thermal ones?

Shawn,

Yep, top are Harbor Freight 6x15W (rated) amorphous panels.

Bottom are actually some 4x30W (rated) mono/poly cell concentrators
http://www.pacificsolartech.com/products.htm

Results with the concentrators have only be fair at best since I purchased them.

Best,
Tim

Youve inspired me!
Im going to make something very similar but combine it with a log store so its dual purpose.Nearly the same but with mesh to the back and sides underneath.