Easiest Solar Tracker
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- Опубліковано 6 тра 2022
- PEET (Passive Electronic Equilibrium Tracker) I designed this solar tracker to be simple, and inexpensive.
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CONTACT: bradcagleyt@gmail.com
Business/Collaboration only. Please do not contact me for for personal project help, or advice.
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DISCLAIMER: These videos are documenting my own projects, and experiences. These projects, and activities can be dangerous. Do not try any of this at home, doing so will be at your own risk.
Here is PEET 2 with two panels ua-cam.com/video/gHZCTBCteW0/v-deo.html
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Simplicity is key to reliability. Your demo build can be easily morphed into a larger array, even dual axis if desired. Good video to explain to DIY builders!
Thanks! Yeah I have already built a larger array with the same concept.
you dont need dual axis. pivot the axes like that. if the sun is on the highest point at the day. drill a hole in a plate, stick a pencil inside the plate in an perfekt 90° angle all around . the shadow of the pen has to be no where. mount the Module in exact this angles and the axis too
"Mini Solar Tracker simple" video on my channel. a little project
More simplicity would just be to have 2-3 adjustable settings for time of year and change it based on the solar season (equinox and solaces), that's far fewer parts, and if you use 2 settings One mid point from winter solstice to equinoxes, then another mid point from equinoxes to summer solstice. The angle is the sky changes slowly compared to the tracking cross sky. Fewer moving parts = fewer failures.
@@jalindellgood thinking, I’ve been chewing over the north south thing too.
Love the simplicity of this design. Great video!
That is such a simple design. it just proves you dont need loads of electronics to solve a problem. Thanks. Just what i'm looking for.
That is absolutely ingenious!!!! You should put blocking diodes on the solar panels so that one panel doesn't discharge into the other when it doesn't have any light on it, it may make it a bit more efficient and able to power a larger array of panels, since the solar panel not getting any sunlight won't discharge the other panel. Not sure that it will work, though, you should try it and let us know how it works!!!
Thank you! Yes, I was actually thinking the blocking diodes initially too. I will totally try them.
I was actually thinking this when watching the video. I think this will work...
@@wullie1320 the blocking diodes won't do anything useful. Tried them. They actually just burn more power from the voltage drop.
@@BradCagle good to know! Thank you!
Just mount your driver panels behind the solar panel faceing the same as your main panel and the farther you have them back form the face of the main panel the more direct the suns focus on the main panel wiring can stay the same but very nice set up but ya if you make that mounting change of the diver panles they will last much longer and less chance of fire or failuire
Man this is so awesome. Simple and yet very effective. Thank you so much for making this video.I will definitely be doing this also!
Nice and very simple doable design, I would put the actuator in the middle with extra sticks to hold the actuator to the panel and the base to better balance it's load. Nice to see the kid in the background at 8:27 watching the explanation. 😀
This simplicity of this is brilliant.
Thanks!
Dude❤ simple, clever, efficient, and ingenious. Your gonna save me so much money. Thank you!
GENIOUS!!! This is fantastic. I hope you keep working on improving this because this is an absolute game changer. Thank you!!
Thanks. I'm currently working on expanding it to two 435w panels.
@@BradCagle I'm considering using this on a 5S2P setup for 10 365w panels. Makes a lot of sense.
@@AndrewJohnson149 Nice dude! I would love to see that in action. I'm wondering if/or at what point will we need larger panels? Today I grabbed a 2x6x8 (lumber) so I can mount the two 435w panels across. Here's a tip, keep the wires coming from the panels to the actuator the same length. This will ensure the actuator is seeing the voltage right in the middle, and not biased towards one side panel. Also the wire you use needs to be capable handing the short circuit voltage. I'm using 18awg and nothing is getting hot. if you use higher wattage panels you probably will need larger wire.
@@BradCagle Thanks for the info! Once I take a loan out for the wood, I'll start building lol
@@AndrewJohnson149 I know that's right. My grandson asked me to build a treehouse, I told him I'd have to take a 2nd mortgage, lol.
Nice video. I have 3 ground mounts just like your 1 panel. Each set has 4-400w panels. Each set is on 4 vertical poles (your A frame) mid panel and a horizontal pole the length of the 4 panels. Heavy duty gate hinges tie the horizontal pole to the vertical poles (4 hinges). 1 actuator each set in the middle under the panels (barely gets wet). Long stroke,, 1000lb actuator ($120ea). My actuator motor is at the bottom. All the panels are tied together with 1/2inch aluminum U channel.. Well grounded.. Been in operation 5 years. In high winds I have a parking spot panels are horizontal. Survived 60mph hurricane Hillary So. Cal.
Thanks for your video.
Wow, that's an awesome setup. Thanks for sharing the details :)
Newbie to renewable energy. Surprise you not getting more like. This is a great concept. I have 2 x 100 watt panels and ecoflow for my sump pump backup power. Even I know you need to track a moving sun to get the best out of your panels. This great very cheap idea vs a $400+ tracker. Thank you!
because this is not a new concept
WOW, so simple but yet effective, thank you for sharing this and your experience as well.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video! The wheels are turning…Thanks for sharing!
You're welcome! Check out my two panel version ua-cam.com/video/gHZCTBCteW0/v-deo.html
Great job !! Simple with no additional electronics.
Thanks!
Yes yes and yes.. nothing else to say. Great job Brad!
Thank you sooo much!
This is such a clever and effective concept. Well done man!
Thanks!
Love you his simple system. I do have a 100 watt panel in each end without an actuator. It’s not really a waste. But now I might put smaller end panels like yours.
Slick! Thais is the kind of thinking that we need to solve some of the problems ahead. And yes, a spherical mount with two linear motors could be made to work.
Thanks!
I like this design. I only have few panels but I'm trying to maximize what I get out of them. Spend too much and I might as well just buy more panels and leave them fixed. So such designs as this are useful. I likely will implement some variation. Thank you
Man this is the second time i saw this video pop up and it still kinda amazes me that it works like it does.
Thanks!
When i first published this 1986, i used what was on hand a 5w panel cost $100's and they where liquid crystal, over the years i have seen some crazy variations. Keep it simple stupid is the motto :) You don't need those 20w, unless your goal is to be battery less, If however you will use a battery, this is what i do 36 years in the future. Little 5v cell wired to a Logic Level mosfet, or an arduino mosfet module for each axis east & west running from battery to mosfet to actuator, when the cell is flat to the side only one side will ever see the sun, 2 more and you have azimuth. The cheapest and easiest setup are panels balanced on a pole and U clamped for east west. The end of the pole is raised or lowered for azimuth. I hope this helps :)
Thanks for he info. Really I don't think it can get any more simple than what I have, 2 small panels, and a linear actuator, all of which are basically dirt cheap these days. I rebuilt this unit, it now has two even larger main panels, check it out ua-cam.com/video/gHZCTBCteW0/v-deo.html
This is the most basic. I was actually looking for an Arduino build. I thought of my own design while driving or something.
Nice villa with swimming pool! There is little kid too. The idea is low tech. I learned something today. I thought +and - should never be connected together. I'm solar ecosystem, it can.
WOW! Great simplicity! 😮😊
Amazing simple solution - love it!
I general I like the simplicity of this approach. In reality, most everywhere a solar mounting system must be prepared for high wind.
Yup, I agree. I had some ideas to automatically flatten it out in high winds. Just have not tried to implement yet. Thanks
Great solution! I will build one soon. thank you for sharing... 👍
Not much to discuss really, simply brilliant!
Thanks!
Great idea having the solar panels oppose one another.
The problems I see are...
The only thing holding the solar panel in place is the actuator. The larger the surface area of the panel the more stress on it due to wind.
Moving parts fail over time. Will the extra parts pay for themselves over time before they fail?
Another solution would be mounting two panels (with blocking diodes) in slightly different directions (east and west)
In the morning the east panel provides most of the power. In the evening the west panel provides most of the power.
During the middle of the day, they both contribute.
Solar panels are cheap and don't have moving parts. This is why most large solar arrays don't use trackers. It is more cost effective and reliable to just add more panels.
Your tracker idea was quite creative though. If I were to grade it... It would get an A+.
I see the power of human brain. Great job, perfectly simple. 👍✌️
Aww, thank you!
This is absolutely amazing so much so I just built one myself. It works perfectly until I wire both panels together and it just stops? What could be causing this please? Do I need a blocking dioad on the one panel? Thanks
Thank you for sharing. Can you please provide more detail about the two smaller solar panels? You stated 20w but what are their measurements. Do you have a link for them?
This is a very simple but very cool design.
Thanks!
I like your idea I thought about using a old garage door opener.
Excellent concept I'm thinking if you add a small 12v battery you can even have it reset to face East once the sun sets. Maybe with a time clock to have it reset back to East at night. This is really cool getting pretty much Max power from start to end of the day from this setup.
It already resets back to east. In the morning the sun will illuminate that east facing panel on the end, and drive it all the way back. Thanks
Very cool setup, I was thinking about doing something very similar but with 8x panels along the top of a fence that runs north/south so the panels would track east/west.
That would be rad!
@@BradCagle How many panels do you think those actuators could manage? My other concern is if the fence would blow over since adding those panels would catch a lot of wind!
And bracing on a weaker fence would suffice.
Place the actuator in the center of the panel to prevent it getting rained on.
Elegant solution. Just wondering what you need to do to keep wind from interfering? It's very sunny here year round, but frequently very windy as well.
Thanks. Yeah I've recently been thinking about wind, others have been asking too. I'm kind thinking a small wind generator, maybe 20 watt that will power the actuator to move it to center/level if the wind is blowing. Would need some center switch that would stop the power from the wind generator when the panel is level. Mercury switches?
So did you do a comparison of a stationary solar panel compared to the tracking solar panel and see how many watts each one Drew in I'm interested I want to know
So awesome! Thank you for sharing!
I would use this design as a controller to move a bigger and more powerful motor and solar panel rack(s). Two of these could control the tilt N-S and E-W.
Hey, that's a good idea! Thanks
I like it. Nice simple design.
Item of possible interest: the linear actuator you're using requires 2 volts at 0.5amp to begin to move in either direction. No surprise that some of the movements are jerky - it gets just enough power to move and as it moves the available power increases so it moves faster until the other solar panel produces enough power to slow/stop movement.
The specs say 0.4 amp minimum but testing with a 12.6 volt regulated supply finds that extension or retraction with no load takes about 0.7 amp to start motion and it varies from 0.55 to 0.7 amp.
The actuator is rated for a maximum of 225lbs so do be careful of where you put your fingers when running the actuator from a 12 volt source. That could probably move a fairly substantial solar array but they do NOT list the actuator's static holding capability. That's something you'll find on commercial and military specs: moving load: 20lbs; static load: 700lbs. Be nice to know if you're moving something that might be a big wind load.
Perfect for people who live in the Equator where the sun moves from East to West very well.
Super clever, super simple, super well explained and recorded. Sure thing the actuator needs to be weather protected or it will not last, perhaps you can mount it in the middle under the panel so rain will not reach it. A rubber cover over the motor will also help. The two sensor panels could be mounted together in the center of the pivot axis to release the lever action of the panel lenght and lower the mass/weight the actuator has to move ( it is balanced but mass/inertia is still there ). I am thinking the actuator motor will always be receiving a small voltage until the voltage-sums become enough for it to move, so maybe, this small constant voltage on the motor might shorten its life due to brush/coil heat and its ability to dissipate that heat, maybe an electrical relays(s) could releive that energy to a much smaller amount, I will brainstorm on that. I simply love your design, is just very smart thinking, congrats 1000 times.
Thanks! Yes you're correct the motor does receive a small amount of power while it's stalled. I was worried about this, but the motor is hardly even warm. The stall power is clearly being dissipated as heat in the motor, but it's such a small amount seems not to cause any immediate harm. Possibly over years of use it will shorten? This one has already ran over a year. I have disassembled the tracker right now, and I'm rebuilding it so it has a better balance. Thanks
Please upload the new video of new position @@BradCagle
I dont have solar panels but Im thinking about that and I was thinking one needs to have them move with the Sun. Good job.
Pretty ingenious! Congrats! You could use smaller panels driving some relays that activate the actuators running of a 12v battery setup, instead of driving the actuators directly off the panels. Obviously, you would have to supply a way of recharging the battery but that's easy once you have PV energy. I just love the fact that it uses no electronic boards or sensors. Cheers from Puerto Rico
Thanks!
Would this work on a horizontal pivot as well? I was thinking of mounting a panel assembly on a swivel from a stool.
Zero programming for seasonal difference or time changes! Love it!
Dang!!!!! Outstanding!!
Thanks!
A site called redrock solar has circuits that use the fact that green leds act like pv cells and produce electricity when exposed to light to make trackers. Simple little H bridge like circuits that use very little energy to move the array.
At least they did about twenty years ago.
You could also use two tanks connected with pipe (creatively shaded) with one tank worth of propane between the two. The tank exposed to more sun vaporizes the propane in that tank and it condenses in the other more shaded cooler tank making the see-saw move with no moving parts except the hinge.
Marvelously executed. How well did the actuator motor hold up?
Great background music!
Ived made a thesis project out of this way back in 2015. It has dual axis, can be plug and play..
Nice dimensions, basics are fine. You might consider making a frame (like aluminium window blinds) that rotate smaller segment adjacent to each other in the same direction in parallel. That way you could make it larger without to worry about the balance. Basically the outer frame would be horizontal and could be mounted on a roof or vertically on a stand in a garden. Smaller footprint and you would be able to do the second axis by rotating the solar blind on its stand. You will have to make the blinds with solar cells yourself. Maybe i did not explain adequately.
Yeah, explaining this stuff in a comment adequately turns into a book! I really can’t picture your idea, but I just wrote up a description in a reply to his reply to me about a setup inspired by his. I’m thinking I may have fallen far short of making it clear too.
Great video!
If both panel are energized , 36 volts maximum directly short circuited 2 panels at high noon, what might happen to the panels?
That's great video, I just wonder how would this set up act in heavy winds?
The wind has toppled it over once. Probably need to stake it down. Thanks!
Why did you pivot on the width of the panel and not on the length? Appreciate your comments and thoughts about this.
Looks good.
BRILLIANT 👏
Absolute Genius!!!
Patent It!!!
Again, Absolute Genius!!!
Thanks!
cute kit... got my like! 😃
You can increment the motor steps program as per the time of day because the sun will always rise in east and set in west. No need to track the luminosity using a sensor and complicate the system.
I might post a second saw horse in parallel. Mount an east and west facing non moving panels. Have that second set powering all actuators along a parallel system of 2 4 6 and so on.
What about the angle of the 20W side panels?
How much power do you make with this system compared to just lying it flat on the ground?
Seems to me this would work great if you live near the equator and there was never any wind. Given this it is a great setup😊
Awesomw work!
Thanks!
That's pretty clever
Nice concept, I like it.
Thank you!
Super easy and functional ...thanks
You are welcome!
cool simple and easy
i like yer door hinges concept . the technology gets better . may i use this . thanks
Thanks! Absolutely, you can use it.
Very cool
Gut 😃👍 habe auch so eine Anlage mit 2 Platten 😊
Great an Simple
thanks!
i applaud the ingenuity, sir! we definitely think alike when it comes to engineering unique solutions. cant help but wonder if it could be made even lower tech. maybe with some temp sensitive gas partially inflating 2 matte black bladders/ballasts(possibly with 1-way flow valves connecting them) so that sun light/heat expands the gas under the opposing side. or some mechanism utilizing the thermal spectrum of solar. hard to conceptualize tho because I'm driving lol
Driving whilst texting.... you Sir win the internet :(
@@CaptainProton1 gee, that reminds me.. I forgot to learn to care about the opinion of people trolling UA-cam comments looking for people to try to insult.
but, hey, I'll get right on that.
@@tech-ishbrad183we can hope he was joking….
Propane used as a freon can make a passive tracker.
stronger panel steering won't destroy engine actuator motor ?
Simple design, and the time lapse section at the beginning of the video shows it working. My question is, just being who I am and what I know, your east 20w panel is wired for correct polarity and you west 20w panel is wired for reverse polarity, so basically you have +12vdc when the east panel is getting sunlight, and -12vdc when the west panel is getting sunlight, but at mid day when both panels are providing 12vdc to motor, how is this not shorting out due to the wiring?
Well basically it is shorting out. However if your wire is able to handle the short circuit current (which is very low in this case) then no problem. BTW when solar panels are designed/built they are supposed to be able to handle a full short. The power is just dissipated as heat in the panel, and wire. Now since the power is really low, maybe 40w ( at most ) dissipated over all that surface area (the panels, and wire) nothing really even feels warm. Thanks
THANK YOU, SIR!!! AWESOME PROJECT!! FANTASTIC IDEA!!
Thanks!
I like It!!
I will build one , Thanks!
You're welcome!
i was wondering if you even need the 2nd panel, since it resets every morning
Where dod u get the small panels? , i see no link/info on them
Great video.
good idea
Thanks!
What would happen to this in the winter when there's snow on the ground reflecting light into one of the panels?
nice and simple wow
Smart system. Does it reset to the east side once it reaches max at west side. Ready for morning sun?
Thanks
Yes, but it does it in the morning when the morning sun hits that east panel. Thanks
I have a couple of these actuators on my chicken coop. The one inside the coop has been in place for almost 4 years now. Still going stong. The one outside on the run door....eh....two years maybe....and it did freeze thisbpast winter. However...it isnt under a set of panels. I think they would be fine.
Need more power? Run higher output panels for the actuator.
Can you say what type of small solar trackers are on the ends and where you got them from? Thanks
They are 20w panels. I salvaged them from some old solar roof vents.
How did you figure out the angle of the panels on each end?
Any data on the fixed vs tracked panel power output in a day?
probably need some diodes to protect for reverse voltage to each tracking panel?
Great ideal 😊
Thank you! 😊
Nice concept 👍
Thanks 🙂
This ist so Genius ! Did it still work after the Year ?
Yes, it still worked. I had it toppled over by a few wind storms, and the last storm broke the little panels off the sides. So I need to repair :)
👌👍❤️🇨🇦, sweet and simple
What effect does putting a reversed current into the two panels have on the life of those panels?
Probably nothing. Solar cells are much like diodes. Also there's actually not much current here, and solar panels are built to basically handle a full short, or they should be for that matter.