The Sun is falling

 With the sun getting lower now its 10:30
Around 125° before my array gets to see direct  sun. June was at 8:30 am.
Seems like winter might be sunless.
My 380 watt array is adjustable.
Yesterday morning at 11:15 with the panels due south my meter said I was bringing in 147 watts.
I went up the hill and set them to the sun.
New reading was 275 watts.
Seems to be worth the effort to set it.
Setting At 143° Then turning  it once at 161° to 180.  keeps the panels within 18~19°
 Afternoons with batteries absorbing readjusting didn't really make much difference.

Comments

  • mike_s
    mike_s Registered Users Posts: 155 ✭✭

    The Sun is falling

    I'm afraid you've been misinformed. The horizon is rising.
  • Marc Kurth
    Marc Kurth Solar Expert Posts: 1,142 ✭✭✭✭
    LOL
    I always have more questions than answers. That's the nature of life.
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    edited September 2019 #4
    I can scientifically prove that the world is in big trouble... Yesterday, we had about 2 minutes more sun than today. Tomorrow will be 2 minutes less sun than today
    • 12 hours sun per day * 60 minutes per hour / 2 minutes = 360 / days
    Based on my daylight models, in less than one year, the world will be in total darkness... Less than 1 Year I say! I demand that somebody do something now about Anthropogenic Global Darkening. Perhaps raising taxes on solar arrays will help.

    -Bill "really off thread" B...  :(
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • Estragon
    Estragon Registered Users Posts: 4,496 ✭✭✭✭✭
    As an eco-fascist, capitalist pig, and Knight of NI, I say you shall not pass.  Nor shall your trojan rabbit.  The holy hand grenade of Antioch shall surely provide, on or about the winter soltice.

    More seriously, east-west array/panel tracking works best in summer.  In winter, slope matters more to catch the best of what sun there is.
    Off-grid.  
    Main daytime system ~4kw panels into 2xMNClassic150 370ah 48v bank 2xOutback 3548 inverter 120v + 240v autotransformer
    Night system ~1kw panels into 1xMNClassic150 700ah 12v bank morningstar 300w inverter
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,812 ✭✭✭✭
    edited September 2019 #6
    Estragon said:
    As an eco-fascist, capitalist pig, and Knight of NI, I say you shall not pass.  Nor shall your trojan rabbit.  The holy hand grenade of Antioch shall surely provide, on or about the winter solstice.

    More seriously, east-west array/panel tracking works best in summer.  In winter, slope matters more to catch the best of what sun there is.
    Functional sun trackers do both yet the experienced do not generally promote them. One might hope that in 2019 we could make a device that tracked the friggin sun without malfunctioning? But we don't.......grrrr.
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries