DIY home solar grid tie

[J1nx]

I’m building a secondary array at a steeper angle to try and make up for winter looses

Do you think this would be more beneficial than having separate arrays in SW and SE orientation to lengthen the hours each day?
Ive certainly noticed I’m missing energy very early and very late but I guess that’s only a summer issue.

 

[pressbrake1]

I believe optimum U.K. summer time angle is 35°
My plan is to get east and west arrays up to compliment the southern array by catching morning and evening sun.

The whole project has become quite addictive

 

[pressbrake1]

I find their data interesting, just facts

 

[Gareth J]

PVgis is pretty good at estimating outputs. Although there's not, unless I've not found it, an option to cap maximum output as you would get if running a smaller inverter on a bigger array.

It seems optimum angles still have a hangover from FiT days, where total generation was paramount. Still pretty important if you can get an install MCS certificated or you have a big battery bank/EV but pure DIY, you really need to be able to use the generation and the optimum angles for that vary as widely as everyone's situations.

 

[pressbrake1]

PVgis is pretty good at estimating outputs. Although there's not, unless I've not found it, an option to cap maximum output as you would get if running a smaller inverter on a bigger array.

It seems optimum angles still have a hangover from FiT days, where total generation was paramount. Still pretty important if you can get an install MCS certificated or you have a big battery bank/EV but pure DIY, you really need to be able to use the generation and the optimum angles for that vary as widely as everyone's situations.

For most of us it’s dependent on roof angle and that’s that

 

[minimutly]

For most of us it’s dependent on roof angle and that’s that

Indeed. My bungalow is south facing, however the workshop roofs are North South, so I recon a 2 plus 2 on each side, with dual inverter to catch morning and afternoon sun should work well. Needs batteries and an inverter to make the most of it though, and that's getting pricey. Job to do before retirement though.

 

[gaz1]

I believe optimum U.K. summer time angle is 35°
My plan is to get east and west arrays up to compliment the southern array by catching morning and evening sun.

The whole project has become quite addictive

whilst optimal in summer or around the best optimal angle its poor due to the solstice as you need a different angle

 

[Seadog]

Build a tilting array. How difficult can that be?

 

[Anguz]

And make it track the sun

 

[James1979]

Go to Germany. They have ones that are like a massive sunflower. They unfurl in the morning and track the sun. They are in France also but not as many, from what I have seen

Like this. Not sure it’s the exact ones but they’re similar

The Solar Flower You Need to Experience — Smartflower

Smartflower is the innovative sculptural solar flower with advanced photovoltaic solar panels that open and close to cleaning itself for maximum efficiency.

smartflower.com

 

[pressbrake1]

Build a tilting array. How difficult can that be?

I’m going to, solar and ev stuff is my new silly fuel prices induced hobby!

 

[pressbrake1]

whilst optimal in summer or around the best optimal angle its poor due to the solstice as you need a different angle

Winter is about 70° in my part of the country

 

[Kayos]

Go to Germany. They have ones that are like a massive sunflower. They unfurl in the morning and track the sun. They are in France also but not as many, from what I have seen

Like this. Not sure it’s the exact ones but they’re similar

The Solar Flower You Need to Experience — Smartflower

Smartflower is the innovative sculptural solar flower with advanced photovoltaic solar panels that open and close to cleaning itself for maximum efficiency.

smartflower.com

I'm hoping to trial one of those in the UK this year

 

[pressbrake1]

Indeed. My bungalow is south facing, however the workshop roofs are North South, so I recon a 2 plus 2 on each side, with dual inverter to catch morning and afternoon sun should work well. Needs batteries and an inverter to make the most of it though, and that's getting pricey. Job to do before retirement though.

Does it face any sheep farmsteads?

 

[J1nx]

Any data for tracked solar vs fixed?

 

[knighty]

before the navitron forum died there were a couple of guys on there making their own diy solar trackers... 6 panels mounted and tracking along along X and Y axis from what I remember

had a quick look now but I'll look again later when I have time... only mentioning it here in case it jogs someone's memory and they know where to find it (assuming it wasn't just posted on navitron)

 

[minimutly]

Really interested to see the data on this, thanks

Sept 2013 to Dec, 440kwh,
Dec the same year to March 247kwh
Nov 2014 to feb15 374kwh

Compared to may to aug 2015 1351kwh - whats that, a quarter roughly? Maybe not diddly squat but pretty poor from an otherwise top notch domestic system. Best generation ever just scraped 4000 units, regularly does 3800 plus.

 

[gaz1]

Any data for tracked solar vs fixed?

tracking solar has an issue

no sun cant track unless its uses a time set via an arduno

time set within a set position where sun might be at a given time of day

 

[James1979]

tracking solar has an issue

no sun cant track unless its uses a time set via an arduno

time set within a set position where sun might be at a given time of day

That’s probably been thought of by the makers?

The way that small computers work now it’s probably got sunrise and sunset for 100 years in it!! They know the lat long when you order so it’s set at factory I would think.

 

[pressbrake1]

Sept 2013 to Dec, 440kwh,
Dec the same year to March 247kwh
Nov 2014 to feb15 374kwh

Compared to may to aug 2015 1351kwh - whats that, a quarter roughly? Maybe not diddly squat but pretty poor from an otherwise top notch domestic system. Best generation ever just scraped 4000 units, regularly does 3800 plus.

A pal has got a 25kw array on his workshop
A couple of weeks ago I was watching output and it was varying between 1500w and 4000w as we were watching. In August it will be stuck on 25kw virtually all day if sunny.
Perhaps rain clouds and seasons don’t exist in woke ideology