Solar Panel Rotating Stand Contraption UPDATE 2
UPDATE, contraption on site-new photo in OP below.
UPDATE 2-only top part of contraption now in use as a tilted stand facing South on the roof, no swivel needed. We get bags of AH intake for our usage now it is warm enough to require little furnace.
So summer is all set with 330w tilted, facing South. The swivel did help in April when we needed more AH due to furnace, but that part is over, so now it is all hands off solar. :)
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I made up a stand for use this year for my two 100w panels. It is all portable and can be used on the roof or on the ground. Just the top part can be used as a fixed stand facing South. The tilt can be shimmed to the angle desired.
The rod in the bottom part is a piece of copper water pipe set in with a length of rebar in it so it won't bend. The top part has the centre of a small wheel that came with bearings in it, so it turns smoothly.
I can fix it in place or rotate it as desired (mechanics of that depend on where it gets put--roof or ground)
All the pieces can easily be carried to the roof individually and be in business in a short time. We stay in the one spot for long periods, so it is no bother in the "big picture"
I haven't decided how to use it until we get to our site later this month and find out how many AH we really need. I still have the 130w panel used in last year's contraption. I doubt we need two contraptions at once but it could be done! :)
Last year with just the one contraption:
THIS YEAR:
Ok here we are with the 130w fixed South on the roof and the two 100s in the swivel contraption on the ground. Tried it out and so far so good, doing what it should up to Isc peak amps at high noon. (20.8a) Daily AH vary depending on whether I bother to swivel the contraption or just leave it South.
Having the swivel is for sure useful when the forecast is for clouds morning sunny afternoon or VV, then you can point it to "make hay while the sun shines" so to speak,
I have a long set of jumper cables from the contraption over to the trailer clamping to wires coming out the fridge vent as shown. (above the BBQ) The contraption solar controller is behind the vent and its wires to the battery go down through a hole I drilled in the platform the fridge sits on, which is above the wires going from DC panel to battery, so the controller is in parallel with the converter in a way, except the converter is turned off in this case, where we are off-grid and the inverter is on with shore power cord to that for whole house.
The 130w panel on the roof uses the "pre-wired for solar" set going from roof to battery bank where its own solar controller is located. Both controllers are on the battery bank in parallel and add their amps perfectly. It actually all works! :)
UPDATE 2-only top part of contraption now in use as a tilted stand facing South on the roof, no swivel needed. We get bags of AH intake for our usage now it is warm enough to require little furnace.
So summer is all set with 330w tilted, facing South. The swivel did help in April when we needed more AH due to furnace, but that part is over, so now it is all hands off solar. :)
----------------
I made up a stand for use this year for my two 100w panels. It is all portable and can be used on the roof or on the ground. Just the top part can be used as a fixed stand facing South. The tilt can be shimmed to the angle desired.
The rod in the bottom part is a piece of copper water pipe set in with a length of rebar in it so it won't bend. The top part has the centre of a small wheel that came with bearings in it, so it turns smoothly.
I can fix it in place or rotate it as desired (mechanics of that depend on where it gets put--roof or ground)
All the pieces can easily be carried to the roof individually and be in business in a short time. We stay in the one spot for long periods, so it is no bother in the "big picture"
I haven't decided how to use it until we get to our site later this month and find out how many AH we really need. I still have the 130w panel used in last year's contraption. I doubt we need two contraptions at once but it could be done! :)
Last year with just the one contraption:
THIS YEAR:
Ok here we are with the 130w fixed South on the roof and the two 100s in the swivel contraption on the ground. Tried it out and so far so good, doing what it should up to Isc peak amps at high noon. (20.8a) Daily AH vary depending on whether I bother to swivel the contraption or just leave it South.
Having the swivel is for sure useful when the forecast is for clouds morning sunny afternoon or VV, then you can point it to "make hay while the sun shines" so to speak,
I have a long set of jumper cables from the contraption over to the trailer clamping to wires coming out the fridge vent as shown. (above the BBQ) The contraption solar controller is behind the vent and its wires to the battery go down through a hole I drilled in the platform the fridge sits on, which is above the wires going from DC panel to battery, so the controller is in parallel with the converter in a way, except the converter is turned off in this case, where we are off-grid and the inverter is on with shore power cord to that for whole house.
The 130w panel on the roof uses the "pre-wired for solar" set going from roof to battery bank where its own solar controller is located. Both controllers are on the battery bank in parallel and add their amps perfectly. It actually all works! :)
