Solar Tracker Project

[danxro]

Hello
My name is Daniel and I'm from Europe Romania
Mr. Xringer Got a request for you if you can help me with two pictures of the solar tracking circuit
one front and one back circuit
please help me
If you do not mind
I try to build a solar tracker circuit I
the pictures help me
build one
Thanks look forward to your response

[Robaroni]

Originally Posted by jeffharbert

Xringer: The first iteration of my project will be grid powered. I'm also thinking that single-axis tracking will be sufficient - I'll just set the tilt to match the winter sun angle.

Thanks for the link to the 120w panel. I eventually want about 2500kW of solar panels, 1500w-ish wind generator, and gridtie inverter. We bought a house on a cleared acre just before this last Thanksgiving. I also have plans to build a two-story 24x30 detached shop/garage this summer.

On the subject of dump loads, I've always thought it would cool to have a programmable dump load controller that could route the power to a number of different things - vehicle engine block heaters, a domestic hot water heater, hot tub heater, etc. This way that surplus electricity could be put to some really good use. I don't know that such a thing exists, but maybe some quality time spent with an Arduino would do the trick.

Guys,
Before I got the first intertie I had thought about a dump load with a transfer switch. My thinking has changed now. First my batteries are strictly for back up if the grid goes down. Why use batteries when my intertie/off grid system sends excess power (after all my dedicated breakers are serviced) back to the grid. If I want to run a small heater all I have to do is plug it in. My system will power it and if there's excess send it back to the grid. No relays, no dump resistors, etc. I think this intertie/ off grid setup is the best way to go, you never lose a watt of power, if you don't use it you sell it and your batteries last a really long time.

Xringer,
Looks like a neat project! How many modules are you running on that dish, what's the square footage?

Rob

[Xringer]

Originally Posted by Robaroni

Xringer,
Looks like a neat project! How many modules are you running on that dish, what's the square footage?

Rob

There are four 125w panels mounted on it. Don't know the sq feet..
It keeps my battery bank charged and helps heat my DHW tank..

[Xringer]

I would love to have 2.5 KW of PV (don't have the room for 2500 KW)..

I've also been looking at the idea of a ground mounted array of cheaper PV
for driving plain old resistive heating coils in my heating boiler.
See: http://ecorenovator.org/forum/solar-...eat-water.html

I think a few of these Kaneka Thin Film Solar Panel 110w
big fat Heavy boys might be in my price range.
(I could get 3 shipped for less than $700 and get 90 more watts).
330 watts is about 1126 BTU.. Not too shabby. Might save me some oil.

So far, I have not been able to locate the voltage specs on these new panels..

[AC_Hacker]

Originally Posted by Xringer

330 watts is about 1126 BTU.. Not too shabby.

Don't forget that the 330 watts is absolute maximum output, in peak sunshine. Most solar designers count on six hours of sun on a good day.

As you progress with the project, might want to see if you can scare up some real life performance examples.

Regards,

-AC_Hacker

[jeffharbert]

The PV is something I would do in increments. Bite the bullet and get the gridtie inverter I want, start with 2-4 PV panels, and a relatively small battery bank. Add panels as the budget permits. I'm thinking eventually two dual-axis trackers with ten panels each. At some point replace the battery bank with something larger and sell the first set of batteries to someone else who wants to build a small PV system. It'll take several years to complete, I'm sure.

Back to the solar water project: We currently have an ancient propane furnace in the house. The house is pretty well insulated, but some drafty windows need to be address. It's downright scary how much propane we've gone through this winter. As in, $10/day during a particularly cold week. My goal is to have the propane company take their tank away by the end of the year.

Not to get too off topic, but I've been following the The Homemade Heat Pump Manifesto thread started by AC_Hacker. (I can't link to it because I only have three posts so far - heh.) This is also something I want to try, tying one or two smallish AC units into a ground source heat loop for supplemental heat. If it works well I'd do a couple more for my detached shop.

Too. Many. Projects.

[Xringer]

Originally Posted by jeffharbert

The PV is something I would do in increments. Bite the bullet and get the gridtie inverter I want, start with 2-4 PV panels, and a relatively small battery bank. Add panels as the budget permits. I'm thinking eventually two dual-axis trackers with ten panels each. At some point replace the battery bank with something larger and sell the first set of batteries to someone else who wants to build a small PV system. It'll take several years to complete, I'm sure.

Too. Many. Projects.

I know what you mean by too many..

Anyhow, if you are going to be doing the slow incremental PV thing,
those panels that I'm looking at 120w solar panel, solar module 120w
have Vmp: 17.6V and are more suited to the type of 12V chargers that I already have.
And not so suitable for something like an EnPhase grid-tie inverter.

IMHO, the EnPhase units seem like the very best way for someone
to start off with a small system and built it up incrementally.

If you have not looked at Enphase, you should. They rock for small and large systems.
They are useful in the smallest (1 panel) to very large scale arrays.

[Xringer]

Are you kidding me? This winter has sure shown me how unreliable the sun can be!
There is no way I'm counting on getting every watt that 'could' come my way.

My solar deck lamp has been giving me a very good indication of how unreliable PV would have been this winter..

However, if my boiler can be cheaply PV heated enough to over come it's heat loss,
I would be a very happy camper during the summer time..
(Well, maybe if it's not a repeat of last summer. Which was way too short).


The government thinks it can be done at $2 per watt PV prices..
BFRL: Solar Photovoltaic Hot Water System

[Xringer]

I didn't have very good luck with getting the mount to track today.
After replacing the old Actuator with the new one, installing the
little PV panel and the Tracker sensor, some high thin wispy clouds rolled in!

I manually pointed the mount at the sun and connected the power to the Tracker PCB.
The clouds cleared for a minute an the tracker locked on! It followed the sun!
After 10 seconds, the motor shut down.. A minute later, the clouds came back!

The hazy sun was charging the battery and keeping me toasty warm,
but the tracker didn't like the clouds!! It stayed like that all day!!

I think it's time to start hacking..

[Daox]

Wooo, very nice.

What is the next step?