Changing Panel Tilt to much work.

Vern2 · 08-08-13, 05:29 PM

Thought changing panel tilt would not be a problem, wrong. It takes three people to man handle five 60" x 30" panels to change tilt. I like the zero electric bills, but not changing tilt. Planing on adding panels, so I can have best of two worlds, zero bills, no work.

I have to build (extend) deck by 10' to add 2.8k more panels. My 9.2k system will jump to 12k This is a guess on my part at the 30 percent increase in productivity. Will be installing DIY heat pump in shop. No HVAC tools needed.

Don't have very insulated home, lots of glass. My home is total electric, I guess that's good. Live in Arizona, that's good. I don't have to worry about which way my panels face. I built platform (deck) facing due South, 30' x 40', 9' high, that's good.

pinballlooking · 08-08-13, 10:27 PM

Looks good I am trying for those zero bills also but I will have wait until next year to replace my AC with a heat pump. Then I hope to get to zero out.

Vern2 · 08-09-13, 08:07 AM

pinballlooking,

I was looking at the 1 percent panel loss over 20 years and increased my productivity by 20 percent to compensate. Then I added tilt legs for the seasons. Two seasons have the same exact tilt. So I chose my permeate tilt angle for those two seasons.

The tilt was not a bad idea, except 5 panels are in a tilt group, that's tough for one guy at 68 with one working arm.

Now I'm looking at how I can cool these two rooms with one air handler. I was going to use two air handler.

Robaroni · 08-22-13, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vern2

Thought changing panel tilt would not be a problem, wrong. It takes three people to man handle five 60" x 30" panels to change tilt. I like the zero electric bills, but not changing tilt. Planing on adding panels, so I can have best of two worlds, zero bills, no work.

I have to build (extend) deck by 10' to add 2.8k more panels. My 9.2k system will jump to 12k This is a guess on my part at the 30 percent increase in productivity. Will be installing DIY heat pump in shop. No HVAC tools needed.

Don't have very insulated home, lots of glass. My home is total electric, I guess that's good. Live in Arizona, that's good. I don't have to worry about which way my panels face. I built platform (deck) facing due South, 30' x 40', 9' high, that's good.

Vern,
The trick to adjustable PV racks is to have the fulcrum centered on the mass. I adjust my azimuth every couple of months.

Nice shop layout!
Rob

Vern2 · 08-22-13, 09:13 AM

Robaroni,

Your exactly right

Except how do I get there from here

Hind sight is 20 20.

I have a garage machine shop, can build most anything.

Where do I start?

Vern2 · 08-22-13, 09:23 AM

Robaroni,

What is the distance between your rows of panels? Shadow problems.

Do you have any pictures of the panel pivot arrangement?

Do you pivot more then one row at a time? How many panels rotate at once?

Is it a tripod, pipe arrangement?

Vern2 · 08-22-13, 09:35 AM

Rob,

The shop layout took a long time to figure out. Many of my single purpose tools went on Craig's List. The tools I have now fits into shop design. My wife has the wood tools

.

OffGridKindaGuy · 08-22-13, 09:41 AM

How about a length of all thread that can be twisted with an old scissor jack handle, going through a threaded connector of some sort. You could fine tune them from the ground..

Robaroni · 08-22-13, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vern2

Robaroni,

What is the distance between your rows of panels? Shadow problems.

Do you have any pictures of the panel pivot arrangement?

Do you pivot more then one row at a time? How many panels rotate at once?

Is it a tripod, pipe arrangement?

Vern,
My mounts are on poles, my shop is full like yours with plasma, TIG, MIG, lathes, mills, etc. so I fabricated my own mounts too. I included an illustration of the mounting system I built here, let me know if you need clarification.

If I did a roof mount like yours I would use something like the second illustration I did here with a triangle supported fulcrum.

If I have one regret it would be that I designed my mounts for tracking. They are just too big and even though I abandoned the tracking mechanism I would have saved tremendous space and time had I done them differently. The good thing is they are easy to shift for the right azimuth angle.

ps: we'd be great neighbors, I'm 68 too and between us we could build anything!

Rob

Vern2 · 08-22-13, 12:00 PM

Rob,

My thought would be to stay with 5 panel rows. Build a single square 3" x 14' x .180"w tubing, with panel mounting hardware, between two tripods, rotating tubing on center axes, 4 times a year. I would end up building 10 of these, for 50 panels. Basically would set just where they are now.

I'll build several spindle end mounts for rotating square tubing. My new tool helps out with building all this weird stuff. Tool build.

Video Link

08-08-13, 05:29 PM	#1
Vern2 Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Arizona Posts: 145 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Changing Panel Tilt to much work. Thought changing panel tilt would not be a problem, wrong. It takes three people to man handle five 60" x 30" panels to change tilt. I like the zero electric bills, but not changing tilt. Planing on adding panels, so I can have best of two worlds, zero bills, no work. I have to build (extend) deck by 10' to add 2.8k more panels. My 9.2k system will jump to 12k This is a guess on my part at the 30 percent increase in productivity. Will be installing DIY heat pump in shop. No HVAC tools needed. Don't have very insulated home, lots of glass. My home is total electric, I guess that's good. Live in Arizona, that's good. I don't have to worry about which way my panels face. I built platform (deck) facing due South, 30' x 40', 9' high, that's good. __________________ Vern To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Last edited by Vern2; 08-09-13 at 08:46 AM..

08-09-13, 08:07 AM	#3
Vern2 Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Arizona Posts: 145 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	pinballlooking, I was looking at the 1 percent panel loss over 20 years and increased my productivity by 20 percent to compensate. Then I added tilt legs for the seasons. Two seasons have the same exact tilt. So I chose my permeate tilt angle for those two seasons. The tilt was not a bad idea, except 5 panels are in a tilt group, that's tough for one guy at 68 with one working arm. Now I'm looking at how I can cool these two rooms with one air handler. I was going to use two air handler. __________________ Vern To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Last edited by Vern2; 08-09-13 at 08:42 AM..

08-22-13, 09:13 AM	#5
Vern2 Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Arizona Posts: 145 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Robaroni, Your exactly right Except how do I get there from here Hind sight is 20 20. I have a garage machine shop, can build most anything. Where do I start? __________________ Vern To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Last edited by Vern2; 08-22-13 at 09:28 AM..

08-22-13, 09:23 AM	#6
Vern2 Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Arizona Posts: 145 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Robaroni, What is the distance between your rows of panels? Shadow problems. Do you have any pictures of the panel pivot arrangement? Do you pivot more then one row at a time? How many panels rotate at once? Is it a tripod, pipe arrangement? __________________ Vern To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Last edited by Vern2; 08-22-13 at 09:38 AM..

08-22-13, 09:35 AM	#7
Vern2 Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Arizona Posts: 145 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Rob, The shop layout took a long time to figure out. Many of my single purpose tools went on Craig's List. The tools I have now fits into shop design. My wife has the wood tools . __________________ Vern To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

08-08-13, 10:27 PM	#2
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,923 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	Looks good I am trying for those zero bills also but I will have wait until next year to replace my AC with a heat pump. Then I hope to get to zero out.

08-22-13, 09:41 AM	#8
OffGridKindaGuy Hi-Tech Hillbilly Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Ohio Posts: 97 Thanks: 1 Thanked 16 Times in 15 Posts	How about a length of all thread that can be twisted with an old scissor jack handle, going through a threaded connector of some sort. You could fine tune them from the ground.. __________________ If it don't, I'll always think it shoulda.. Last edited by OffGridKindaGuy; 08-22-13 at 09:42 AM.. Reason: OOops..

08-22-13, 12:00 PM	#10
Vern2 Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Arizona Posts: 145 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Rob, My thought would be to stay with 5 panel rows. Build a single square 3" x 14' x .180"w tubing, with panel mounting hardware, between two tripods, rotating tubing on center axes, 4 times a year. I would end up building 10 of these, for 50 panels. Basically would set just where they are now. I'll build several spindle end mounts for rotating square tubing. My new tool helps out with building all this weird stuff. Tool build. Video Link __________________ Vern To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Last edited by Vern2; 08-22-13 at 12:19 PM..