solar tracker finished

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t00ls
t00ls Solar Expert Posts: 245 ✭✭✭
in Off Grid Solar & Battery Systems #1
Just wanted to give you guys a look at my solar tracker...built for under $1200

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I know...there's not a breaker in the control box, it's in the shed by the inverter

I was getting about 5 1/2 kW hrs a day...I'll post my gain in a couple of days, and again, after I "convince" my neighbor it's all for the best that I cut down or top a few of his tree blocking the western sun
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
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    Re: solar tracker finished

    now that you've completed this please share with us all of the juicy details and descriptions.
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  • oldchuck
    oldchuck Registered Users Posts: 7 ✭
    #3
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    Re: solar tracker finished

    T00ls, Very nice looking system. Especially like the price. I'm in design phase of a single axes mount to be built this summer. I'm wondering how you went about figuring the wind load stress on yours. I'm not much worried about static loading but a big wind could be a problem if I don't get it right. Also, I'm wondering about your tracking mechanism. I assume it is a two axes tracker but how does it work?

    Thanks.
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  • t00ls
    t00ls Solar Expert Posts: 245 ✭✭✭
    #4
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    Re: solar tracker finished

    I put a 8" receiver pipe in the ground about 5' deep, the tracking pole is 6" schedule 40, both from a scrap recycler. the actuator is a 24" ball screw from venture manufacturing, new (didnt want to skimp on that part). The panels are at about ...37-38 degrees, I live on the 36 parallel .

    I bought a new( couldnt find a used one till two weeks later) 2000 lbs. axle to make a single axis, weld it straight to the 6" pole. The platform is all aluminum, 3/16" x 2" box horizontal and 1/8" x 1" vertical those are held down with square u-bolts. The panels were place and bolted down (couldnt find a clamp I liked).

    The controller is from the analog guy 10a @12v-36v . I used 2/0 wire to run from the tracker to the inverter about 90' away.....more picture in my photo album on this forum

    The long pieces sticking out was because I built this to fit 12 panels. I didnt try to figure load stresses, I just bought pieces that looked strong enough according to past experience working with metal, after putting the panels on...I shook the whole thing back and forth...lots of flexing but no bending, so I guess if a big wind did come along ...it would bounce around a bit...we shall see

    I should have should have electrical data in a few days
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  • TnAndy
    TnAndy Solar Expert Posts: 249 ✭✭
    #5
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    Re: solar tracker finished

    Excellent t00ls ! I always love to see what us home cobblers can come up with !

    Never thought of using a trailer axle for the pivot....good for you !

    I used a piece of 2" round steel shaft, and pillow block bearings for my pivot points. On my first two trackers, I did basically the same thing....single axis, welding the pivot point at 37 degrees.

    On my latest one, I did a dual axis. The tracker controller runs the east-west tilt daily, and I put a small actuator I "bump" with a toggle switch 4 times a year to tilt the array north/south.

    8" scrapyard sch 40 pipe with 2" flange bearings for the north/south axis:

    ry%3D400


    Frame made of 3" square tubing for the north/south axis. Bearings for the east/west axis will mount on that raised section where the studs are welded (2nd pic). The actuator for the n/s tilt will go where the temporary pc of unistrut is holding the n/s mount in place.

    ry%3D400

    ry%3D400

    This is the "see-saw" frame for the east/west tilt. Made of 2" square tubing, you can see the 2" axle shaft in the center, with the 2" pillow block bearings ready to bolt this section to the n/s tilt frame above.

    ry%3D400
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  • TnAndy
    TnAndy Solar Expert Posts: 249 ✭✭
    #6
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    Re: solar tracker finished

    Then I mounted 202" pcs of electrical "Unistrut" to the top of the "see-saw" frame, which is the actual mounting for my panels. ( 10--245w Solarworld )

    ry%3D400


    Set the whole thing in a 5'x5' hole in the ground with a mini-excavator, then had concrete pumped around it.

    ry%3D400

    ry%3D400


    Then built a little temporary deck to work off to mount panels and all. I'd just had a triple heart bypass couple months before, and was feeling kinda wimpy still.....ahahahaaa.....

    ry%3D480

    View from underneath. You can see the 36" Venture actuator ( and may I say "BUY VENTURE".....they are built like a tank, unlike some cheap import actuators with PLASTIC gears and such.....yeah....ask me HOW I know.....) that runs the E/W tilt, the 24" actuator in the back that runs the N/S tilt, and also a pair of Monroe shocks I added to the N/S tilt base to help with wind. Wind hasn't been an issue on my first two, but this one is higher on the hill, and also with the dual tilt, I thought some more reinforcement was in order.

    ry%3D480
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  • TnAndy
    TnAndy Solar Expert Posts: 249 ✭✭
    #7
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    Re: solar tracker finished

    I used S-5 Unirac clips on my electrical Unistrut to mount the panels.

    ry%3D480

    Electrical controls/etc at the pole. Large plastic box to the left contains the tracker controller. If you look close, you can see the double pole, double throw toggle switch on the side that lets me "bump" the N/S actuator up/down for the season. Center box is just a fused disconnect for the power supply to the controller. Right is a 6 space Midnite combiner box with Delta lightening arrestor.

    ry%3D480

    For season tilt, using the toggle switch, I came up with the HIGHLY sophisticated method of using a Sharpie to mark the extension points on the MonroeMatic shocks.....ahahahahaaaa......max extension is Summer.....half extension is Spring/Fall......full retract is winter.

    ry%3D480
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  • Volvo Farmer
    Volvo Farmer Solar Expert Posts: 209 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #8
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    Re: solar tracker finished

    Wow. You guys put some serious time and engineering into those things! I just used old C-band satellite dish mounts and Redrock trackers. Both trackers run directly off the 24V battery, maybe 40' away and I got them wired with 12/2 NM. The poles are only 4". but they've been out there going on five years with no mounting problems.

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    Changing elevation is a one minute exercise with a crescent wrench as the satellite dishes have a threaded rod for that purpose.

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    I didn't want to exceed the square footage of the dish that was on the pole, so I can only have 4 panels per pole. Since I used scrounged satellite dishes and $50 tracking circuits, I don't think it even cost $300 to build one of these.

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  • TnAndy
    TnAndy Solar Expert Posts: 249 ✭✭
    #9
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    Re: solar tracker finished

    Hey, if it works, it works ! I'm all for that !

    I tend to overbuild stuff and err on the side of caution, having found in the past it's cheaper to do that than to re-do something. One thing you noted, though, is the number of panels per array in your setup. All of mine have 10 panels per array, 10 x 175w on the first two, and 10 x 245w on the last one.....that IS a whole bunch of "sail" area....like 180 sqft on that last one.
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  • t00ls
    t00ls Solar Expert Posts: 245 ✭✭✭
    #10
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    Re: solar tracker finished

    yep...really like your setup andy....I remember when both of us got on the tva generation partners...my local utility gave me fits at first, then got better, then got bad.

    I think between the 2 of us is what got tva to change their plan from 15cent to 12 + going utility rate. I was only making 2 cents after tri county electric got done with me on the first plan.

    got to say ...going off grid is like ...aaaaaaaaahhhhhh no more electric bill....but you depend on yourself more, find new ways to do things to save a little extra power for later
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  • TnAndy
    TnAndy Solar Expert Posts: 249 ✭✭
    #11
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    Re: solar tracker finished
    t00ls wrote: »

    I think between the 2 of us is what got tva to change their plan from 15cent to 12 + going utility rate. I was only making 2 cents after tri county electric got done with me on the first plan.

    got to say ...going off grid is like ...aaaaaaaaahhhhhh no more electric bill....but you depend on yourself more, find new ways to do things to save a little extra power for later

    Yeah....the first deal was 15 cents minus 9 cents retail, leaving 6 cents........and I had several TVA people tell me "NO, it's 15 cents !".....and I told them "Read the freaking contract, folks".......so the current 12 cents that floats with retail is twice the first deal.

    We do better on grid.....not only no electric bill, but running about a 350 buck check back to me at the end of the year......that about pays what I spend on propane for the water heater and stove.
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  • t00ls
    t00ls Solar Expert Posts: 245 ✭✭✭
    #12
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    Re: solar tracker finished

    well after this year, I found out that my setup is wind worthy, the latest winds last night shook my trailer, looked at my 12 panel array this morning......working as it should

    I should note that I have made some modifications, I put some vertical support under the ends of the axle and also put a single steel support that spans to each vertical on the array

    was scary watching last night as the wind caught it and made it sway
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