Adjusting TILT on our SOLAR PANELS
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- Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
- We have a ground mount solar system with cranks and can adjust the solar tilt as the earth changes its relationship to the sun. Check it out! We gain at least 7.5% electricity over having stationary panels.
I’ve thought thought about this before and imagined it had to be possible but had yet to see someone implement it on a system this large. Well done!
People do it automatically with hydraulic cylinders and it tracks all day.
First year: month by month. Second year: adjusted quarterly. Fourth year: haven't touched it in years.
He looks to have a lot of time to play with it.
Thanks for sharing. Hi from New solar panel system owner in the Interior of Alaska. A
Very helpful, thanks for sharing. I'm just designing an adjustable mount for my location and found a summer angle of 8.9 degrees and a winter angle of 55.5 degrees. With such a large difference between the two, I thought I'd made an error. Seeing your angles and the significant differences between summer and winter is reassuring.
I am reassessing. Since our panels were purposely positioned about 15 degrees west of magnetic south, and since in the summer they often “clip” at just under 15 kw, I am leaving the summer angle at 45 degrees. We will see what happens!
I’d argue it’s the most productive system in WV per Its kWp. A result of managing the tilt closely!
Thanks a million for sharing the video and details of the system.
I love that frame work. Super cool ❕👍🏼
Thanks for sharing A few minutes out of the day and your getting a few extra kilowatts a day SWEET
Thats a massive system!
Yes, but really, if someone is to have one or two electric cars it is about the right size. We power two efficient houses and a Chevy Bolt EV right now, and just added some
more efficient electric heat (mini-split) in one of the houses. So far, solar w/credit is powering all.
@@averillvision how many watts are the panels?
Hi do you get much strong wind at all and does your array not sway around at all??
I was originally concerned about winds, since the cranking mechanisms seem less secure than solid bolting. But after a year and a half I have never observed a problem.
I recently just added a set of jacks to my array I just took a half inch drill bit and made a hole to put a locking pin through but I also tighten the big 1 and 5/8ths inch bolts back down once I'm done doing my adjustments.
Thats awesome. I calculated for our location and it's 91 degrees in December. 😅 I just have two 350w panels on an offgrid cabin, so ended up using large flatscreen tv swivels. This way i can tilt but also swing them southeast to southwest. When we leave or on windy days, they are flat against the facade unmovable.
65° angle works great for north Idaho it's about the right angle for winter power making and snow doesn't stick much. My panels are pole mount and sit about 5-6 off the ground at the bottom. I actually just leave my panels at the winter angle all year long because I already make more electricity than I use during the summer. I don't see a need to maximize what I already can't use. Wind has never been a issue if you do your pole mounts to spec.
Hey Russ, I agree, it would be best to mount panels at more of a winter angle if they are fixed. This year I left ours the same for May, June and July.
Thank you for your time in making the video
A very nice installation... but instead of fiddling around with all that manual cranking labor... try to look into replacing the hand cranks with electrical control linear actuators... that way you could just push a button from your house to adjust the elevation angle every day... change it every day if you wanted to... 👍😎👍
I am a cranky guy, I have manual crank windows on my truck. Plus, it only takes 9 minutes a month to crank-change the tilt. But, thanks!
@@averillvision Some sprockets and a chain it could be handled from one place. :)
@@johnnyandersson5622 I used a ATV motor (low RPM) and linked together all the threaded adjusters, works great with just the ATV winch control.
Next up i am playing with an Arduino to write a control program to contorl tilt of the aray with the sun rising and setting each day! I only have single axis tilt, but based on some manual tests this would add a good percentage of collected solar per day especiall in winter.
Who makes those hand crank devices?
nice setup!
That is a huge amount of panels for a couple living off grid so I was pondering just why they fussed with getting max KWHs by carefully angle adjusting. But of course they are ON GRID and supplying their neighbors with as much excess power as they can generate so good for them.
Another variation would be if you were located high in the Rocky Mts staying elsewhere from Dec 01 to May 01 so you might choose to tilt the panels high to shed snow buildup.
Also extra support for high winter winds might be necessary.
Oh how awesome Iv been doing a little solar panel stuff here I’m glad I ran up on this. Awesome set up
Consider using grow lights, I use them to start seeds growing in a kitchen cupboard I have in a shed. Not forgetting to wear the special lenses needed to protect your eyes from possible damage. They are used to start seeds and give them the best and strongest start they can get before the frost goes and get potted up or planted out. Good luck.
I am just starting out with my ground mount system and it is not adjustable (YET) but I have the same problem with making excess power. I think an electric pickup will take care of that for many reasons. I will use the trucks large battery to power my home during outages and with current gas prices it would sure be nice to drive for free, if the weather gets to nasty I can always use our other gas powered vehicle.
Bill- it is not really a “problem” generating excess power in a grid-tied system., as we keep a comfortable credit. You have the right idea…we have cut our propane use by 2/3rds, going with efficient mini splits for heat. Like you say, the concept of using an EV truck for backup storage seems viable!
That's a really nice mount system
Wao.. its just amazing love from Pakistan
I am also gonna install 10kw system... Impressed with the structure
Good luck with your system!
Very nice!
Thats a smart idea I'm going to have to figure out where you found your cranks and implement this on mine I have a 16.4 kwh system that produces about 150 kwh per day from about June to September the sun is in perfect spot but closer to Christmas the angle is way off several degrees and I'm sure I can increase my yield if I was able to tilt it down like you did.
Did your find those jacks ? Closest I found are side mount trailer jacks.
@@edswis8244 yeah that's basically all they are is modified side mounted trailer jacks.
They come from the supplier of the rack system. Sinclair Designs in Michigan
That is an awesome video. The crank system seems to work great. I wonder if they make an automatic tilting system with a battery storage system so that it could maintain perfect power generating angles all day long. It might help in using some of the excess power generated.
Great video - Another LIKE for your video!
Impressive setup
Sweet !
Nice video. I am considering the same mounts or iron ridge. My location is in north Texas. Not sure what impact it would have to be fixed as opposed to tilting. Also what storm resilience or wind load can the single vs double posts sustain (or maybe they are both equivalent). With Iron Ridge you have to source your own pipe, and with your mounts (Sinclair?) it comes together. Also the Iron Ridge combined cost (pipe + panel mounts) are cheaper. Thanks for your video. All the best.
I’ve noticed a 14% gain on my home system over a 2 month period. Cannot speak to annual. Cannot stand to forgo the production gain. I know the tilt helps. I have two identical 6kW arrays that I’ve done testing with.
@@taylormills08 thanks for the reply. Speaking of production, how close to advertised wattage do you see from your panels? Say they are rated for 400W, how close to 400 is the output of the panel?
Did I miss it or did you mention the manufacturer of that inground mount system? Could you share that with me? Much appreciated 🙏 Looks like a sinclair setup up but if not, I would like to check into it.
Looks like a Sinclare rack
Like your video. What is the model of the ground mount system? Where did you purchase it from? Thanks
You will have to ask Taylor Mills, Advancing Solar Solutions. Great new company.
That looks like a Sinclair Sky Rack 2.0 system with what they all "season adjust" cranks: sinclair-designs.com/Sky-Rack-2.0-Ground-Solar-Mount?quantity=1&custcol_gen_panels=6&custcol_gen_tilt=2
Hi nice system. Re your extra power. Consider installing multiple water cylinders (which are essentially water batteries), as some modern cylinders can be connected to your air-conditioning heat pump to make those more efficient. I am sure you are doing other power intensive tasks during these times (eg large loads of washing, baking or canning or other electric stove tasks, charging your car etc). if you have not already increased your batteries, you might also consider adding to those in affordable chunks. In my view selling back to the grid is the last option I'd be looking to for excess power generation. Take care D
You can also mine bitcoin. You get paid money and get bonus heat during winters if you don't vent it out.
That issue was resolved after this video. The service drop from the utility was just slightly undersized causing voltage to stack up and the inverters would hit their upper voltage limit.
Feel free to send me some of that extra juice... 😂
Great video and thanks for sharing. Electric car will take about 60-70 kilowatts a day to charge and will help with the loss. GM has a the new chevy bolt coming this year at 18k$ brand new off showroom floor after rebates. Also is it possible get any more information about this tilting system? Blue prints or other sellers? Im in connecticut
Look for the Sinclair solar mount system online. Highly recommended. We have a Bolt EV, had it since before the solar installation, and probably average putting 10 -15 KWH per day into it. Great little car--- I keep snow tires on the front most of the year as it travels much easier up our hill.
Have you eliminated your heat loads (Hot water, building heat, stove) Additional electrical load. Electric hot water (pre-heating) before say a gas water heater.
Hola John! Soy Cori, nos conocimos en el aeropuerto en Charlotte 🙂 me gusta tu canal! Espero que estés bien.
¡Qué chévere oir de ti, Cori! Espero que todo esté bien en tu nuevo hogar! Gracias por ver mi canal.
You have the k and t backwards in your link to the solar tilt website. Fyi
nice
I want to put a similar type of system on my place. Can you please tell me what type of name brand units are you using. What are the panels wattage rates and how many panels are used.
Do you have back up Batteries? What kind ,and size units?
I live in Mississippi and retired. I believe I can do this Institute for myself. You're advice would greatly be appreciated. Thank you and have a great life.
Hi Eddie-- Mission Solar, 40 420 wt panels, made in Texas. SMA Sonny Boy inverters- we have a 7.7 and a 7.0 inverter to come in under the 15 kw capacity of our transformer. Best of luck to you. Really nice to pay service charge only on power bills.
If you want to buy just the racking I can help you out but we are in WV so the logistics might be a barrier. I do have some drivers that can get it to you so I’d be glad to give you a quote. We could send the solar modules down with the racking as well.
I'm building an off grid house near Loch Ness in Scotland, could you please tell me the technical term for the tilting crank device? Can't find anything like them in the uk, I could maybe buy them from the US if I knew what they are called!
I'lll have to contact my installer and get the info from him. I just spent 20 minutes searching online and you are correct...I could not locate these devices. They are highly recommended, we have had no problems with them.
Thinking of building similar myself in Ireland! I reckon that system is a USA made Sinclair sky rack 2.0
@@TheMick993 I looked all over online for the cranking devices without success...but they do appear to be part of the Sinclair system. I highly recommend it. Oh, and Michael,
my mother was a Burke with Irish ancestry, her grandfather being a Patrick Burke, born 1780 in Galway. Just in case we are cousins. Cheers.
I think Michael has it - a Sinclair Sky Rack 2.0. The cranks seem to be made as part of that system, which is why we can't locate them as a separate item..
@@averillvision Distant cousins is a distinct possibility. There's a family story of 2 Burkes meeting on a train in the early part of the last century under British rule and swapping identities. One a Burke from Galway and the other a Bourke from Kilkenny if I remember correctly. Unfortunately, dementia has robbed my father of the ability to confirm the family folklore of such stories now.
Looks like a Sinclare rack, nice design. With that said, the benefits of adjusting monthly (vs quarterly) are so minimal, it's hardly worth your time, unless it's just something you enjoy doing to satisfy your OCD, lol! I've modeled the difference between doing it monthly vs quarterly, hardly any difference over the course of the year. Even 2x/year is fairly minimal compared to quarterly. 2x/year definitely makes a difference vs fixed panels...
Yes, I am experimenting. Given our south-west direction, I am finding that a more vertical slant may be giving us more gain. I plan to leave the panels at the same setting for May, June and July....so, yes- quarterly in that instance.
He enjoys it off course
Nice
So the frame doesn’t twist then, by moving the adjusters individually?
It does twist. The manufacturer specifies that it can tolerate 7 cranks at a time.
We recommend doing 5 like in the sequence he does here.
Less likely to cause micro cracks in the silicon.
Hi again I think I will change me set up to something like this are you AC or DC for inverter di you store any
Our system is grid-tied without battery backup…though I consider our electric ⚡️ vehicles (Chevy Bolt EV and Textron Prowler side-by-side) to be battery backup. If the power goes out, our inverters do power two outlets in the main house WHEN THE SUN ☀️ IS SHINING. Something, anyway.
Inverters change the dc to ac, no backup batteries on our system, we probably will not install any.
Awesome! I guess you can have more batteries to keep all that electricity you can’t spend
Thanks for the video. Nice setup. However, if you rebolted the cranks a couple of inches lower couldn't you could get the full angle you need. Also, maybe add a wind brace as far down as possible. It looks like the wind would really be a problem with that big "sail". It could have a sliding adjustment so you could loosed each one, adjust your cranks, then retighten them. Just a thought. Edit: Sub # 99
Thanks for the comment, OroWizard. Lots of people have suggestions about the cranks but they are really no problem- 7 minutes work a month. Turns out our angle was sufficiently tilted for January judging from high production. I was concerned about wind, so far they seem really solid.
Let you know when another derecho comes our way.
Thanks for sharing🙏, I was about to implement a similar system but I am concerned about the wind we have in this area so I might pivot from the lower end and lift the higher since my system is only 10m long and only has two strings. How do you find it performing in high winds? is it steady enough?
Hi , what did the adjustable ground mount system cost ?
Back in 2020 it cost us about 43G, offset with about a 11G tax credit. Steel up, panel price might be down...plus Canadian bi-facial panels may be the best route now. We had a real professional installer with the skill level to do the entire install.
How stable is the system now,1year after installation? Are all the poles straight?
I wonder if it is necessary to concrete or not..
These posts are not going anywhere. Call Dan remember the specs, the holes were about 6 foot deep and two or 3 foot in diameter with the I-beam suspended by rebar. There are systems put in nowadays in which the I-beams are driven in, without concrete. That can work fine. A tornado might possibly pull the panels off the frame, but our I-beams Will hold firm.
Hi awesome setup what kw are the panels
Panels are 420 watts each, 16,800 watts total. Mission Solar, made in Texas.
Can you give a manufacturer of your hand crank device. Who make it?
Sinclair Systems: www.sinclair-designs.com/Sky-Rack-2.0-Ground-Solar-Mount
@@averillvision that is not the manufactuter. Someone is buildind those parts. They are installers. No sane person will pay 10 k for that structure. It looks like you are advertising for them. I just asked if you know who manufacture that part. Why people on youtube are so biased and push their agenda. I bet maybe someone else that can identify who makes that part. I have nothing agaist anyone paying a lot for a that part, but I will never do.
@@crinabobo7412. My understanding is the Sinclair systems designed the part and they are the sole seller. I might be wrong, but my installer buys from Sinclair likes them
@@averillvision thank you. It seems to be similar to a hand cranked screw car jack. Found sonething named Worm Gear Screw Lift Jack System that can be adapted .
Great video. Massive solar array. How big are your inverters? Thanks.
Burgers are 2 SMA Sunny Boy units, 7.7 and the other 7.0. Total 14.7 kw. It is important to note that the transformer on the power pole is 15 KW. The power company would not allow the inverters to exceed that amount. The panels themselves are capable of producing 16,800 W. The inverters clip out at 15 KW… They do produce slightly more than their rating. Advantage of a larger array is that on cloudy days we produce more power… They keep producing as long as they don’t reach the threshold. At least that’s how I understand it all!
@@averillvision Thank you for your reply.. Great system. That actually makes sense that you aligned your system to the max of your power pole. Despite the initial outlay in costs, you're producing a lot of power from the sun for free and! Thanks for the inspiration!
I like it!
Ok. Where can those Jack's be bought? What load capacity does the jack have?
Sinclair Solar, I believe they are located in Michigan. Not sure they will sell the jacks without the entire system.
@averillvision I found side mounted trailer jacks for $40 at home depot.
@@lindaferguson593 Interesting! I'm not sure if Sinclair Solar designed theirs or picked something off the shelf like the ones you found.
@averillvision I think, for the price difference, I would go with home depot and retro fit it to my needs and get the same results. A single jack can accommodate up to 2000 lbs. Going with 4, total racks. 6 panels each. Two side by side but maneuvered independently with one jack for each rack. Two other racks, the same, in front of the first two. Of course, spaced to avoid overshadowing. 24 panels total of blue sun 460w with bifacial gain of up to 575w.
What is your setup? Size and number of panels? Are they bifacial? What brand and size inverters do you use? Battery bank size? Thank you! God Bless! Great video!
Nice! What if you connect all the crankshafts with a long rod and you act on them simultaneously?
Everybody tries to make a simple system simpler. It takes seven minutes a month to crank these, and I can do it with a fractured back. It is already simple. But thanks for thinking about it and commenting.
I was wondering.. Have you or your installer considered the possibility to place the panels all in a single row, near the ground? You seem to have a lot of space, and that would have resulted in a less bulky structure, much easier tilting and servicing, and also - I believe - a better looking system (from a landscaping perspective).
Was this possibility ruled out for some reason, or was it not even considered?
Thanks foe your comment. The way the system is arranged is the most cost-efficient and I believe more visual attractive by our standards. No reason though outside of these concerns to build the way you would like.
120kwh output from 40 panels?
That's mean 3000w output per panel. Where did you find that kind of superpower panel?
Each panel is rated at 420 watts. Long sunny day.
Check out our brand new channel on UA-cam, The Electric Homestead, where we will be posting all of our solar/energy efficiency videos from now on.
Do you have a close up off a clamp. I would like to build them in the machine shop. :)
Any luck? Closest I’m finding is side mount trailer jack.
Any company names or manufacturer numbers on those side mount jacks?
Sinclair-designs.com Sky Rack 2.0 Ground solar mount with season adjust. I don't know that they will sell the mechanisms without the full system. Their mounting is heavy-duty!
How how much power did you generate over 3 months of winter time per day
Oct 2073kwh. Nov 1665. Dec 1259. Jan 1131 (lowest tally yet). Feb so far 1316
That's awesome
Maybe buy up some non efficient graphics cards and mine cryptocurrency….. I have the exact opposite here in UK where electricity is going to be around $0.70 a kWh come October!
i hope you just bought solar tracking system lol
Can you give the dimensions for the framework on your aray? I'm trying to build my own out of steel I have. Ty. Good video.