Is tracking solar worth the hassle?

We have about 3/4 of an acre of lawn and not much south facing roof so I am contemplating putting solar in the garden.

I'm handy with the welder, so was thinking of mounting the panels onto a kind of long trailer type arrangment, so they can be moved around the lawn a bit.

How worth while would making the panels track? (I can build the mechanisms and do the electronics/software to control it)

We're in prime solar country, coastal Dorset.

Cheers!

rich1 said:

We have about 3/4 of an acre of lawn and not much south facing roof so I am contemplating putting solar in the garden.

I'm handy with the welder, so was thinking of mounting the panels onto a kind of long trailer type arrangment, so they can be moved around the lawn a bit.

How worth while would making the panels track? (I can build the mechanisms and do the electronics/software to control it)

We're in prime solar country, coastal Dorset.

Cheers!

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If you are building your own, probably worth the hassle, depends what it costs to build. My only real concern would be gale force winds tipping a mobile array over.

How do you plan to have such flexibility with the cable ?

Murdoch said:

How do you plan to have such flexibility with the cable ?

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Slip-ring? Welder cable is extra flexible. There are a few options which would work for a movment of say 60 degrees at very slow speed.

binky said:

If you are building your own, probably worth the hassle, depends what it costs to build. My only real concern would be gale force winds tipping a mobile array over.

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I'm thinking low to the ground, steel box section, so heavy. It can also be turned into the wind if there's a storm.

rich1 said:

I'm thinking low to the ground, steel box section, so heavy. It can also be turned into the wind if there's a storm.

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What do you reckon it will cost to build?

binky said:

What do you reckon it will cost to build?

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I'll let you know when I finish it!

Once I finish it in CAD that is!

rich1, I am just wondering, suppose you make your track/setup what is going to actually move it, and how will it know which direction to move, and how much sunlight do expect to catch by moving it?

rich1 said:

I'll let you know when I finish it!

Once I finish it in CAD that is!

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It's probably far easier to install a split ground array, but far less fun if you like making things. Split arrays offer a better spread of power over the day. When the FiT was high, we targetted max output and not useable power, which doesn't really do so much for reducing bills. SMA have a website where you can look at other people's systems, so you could have a look at that and ponder how much extra you may get from a tracking array.

Well I cant answer your question....

or offer any useful advice..

BUT...

if you do get your custom-designed bespoke system built....

Please come back and upload some photos of what your final construction looks like.

Richard-the-ninth said:

rich1, I am just wondering, suppose you make your track/setup what is going to actually move it, and how will it know which direction to move, and how much sunlight do expect to catch by moving it?

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Rich, I am thinking that I'll mount the panels in a single row, say 10. The frame they are bolted to will sit on a fulcrum/pivot which is mounted to a wheeled base. The panel assembly will be counterbalanced. To rotate it, there will be a chain/sprocket or leadscrew driven by a geared motor. The controller just needs end stop switches, a realtime clock and a couple of light sensors. It will be powered by a battery so it will track in cloudy conditions and rotate back when the sun sets. The tracking can wither be done by light difference on the sensors or by just knowing the date and time. So in the morning the whole row of panels will be facing east. As the day passes, they tilt up to level and then go over to face west.

I'd have to have a think about winter/summer. Maybe one end of the frame can be elevated so its slanted in winter. That could be done manually.

binky said:

It's probably far easier to install a split ground array, but far less fun if you like making things. Split arrays offer a better spread of power over the day. When the FiT was high, we targetted max output and not useable power, which doesn't really do so much for reducing bills. SMA have a website where you can look at other people's systems, so you could have a look at that and ponder how much extra you may get from a tracking array.

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Thanks.

I was thinking about this when looking at what a panel outputs as I moved it to be exactly facing the sun to off axis. It's amazing how the output falls off the moment a whisp of cloud gets in the way too, but sadly there's no fix for that!

As an aside, I have a 4.5 acre field too. Last time I looked, renting it to a solar company wasn't an option as they want 10 acres minimum. Not sure if that's changed. Dorset is covered in solar farms now. I don't know how easy it would be to go DIY on solar farming and cut out the middle men?

rich1 said:

Thanks.

I was thinking about this when looking at what a panel outputs as I moved it to be exactly facing the sun to off axis. It's amazing how the output falls off the moment a whisp of cloud gets in the way too, but sadly there's no fix for that!

As an aside, I have a 4.5 acre field too. Last time I looked, renting it to a solar company wasn't an option as they want 10 acres minimum. Not sure if that's changed. Dorset is covered in solar farms now. I don't know how easy it would be to go DIY on solar farming and cut out the middle men?

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If you have that sort of space, you really don't need complicated designs.

It's not something I generally get involved with, but there's still solar farms being built, so there's still mileage in that, and a lot of community solar projects are small scale. So someone is paying enough for the leccy to make them viable. Good Energy may be worth contacting, or perhaps checkout some farming pages.

rich1 said:

We have about 3/4 of an acre of lawn and not much south facing roof so I am contemplating putting solar in the garden.

I'm handy with the welder, so was thinking of mounting the panels onto a kind of long trailer type arrangment, so they can be moved around the lawn a bit.

How worth while would making the panels track? (I can build the mechanisms and do the electronics/software to control it)

We're in prime solar country, coastal Dorset.

Cheers!

Click to expand...

It's worth the effort,but you will have huge obstacles like mentioned, bad weather. You will have to consider wire fatigue . But a worth while effort to get the max from a system. I would love to see your design. I have an idea for my next project, using one central post, I got the idea from a guy in Australia and his YouTube video.

Hi Rich1
I'm down your way and into solaring myself, drop me a PM ;-) The bottom line is its much better to do what others have mentioned and have a split array East West, than fiddle about making movable mounts. That comes from someone that DIYed a mount for his ridiculously large satellite dish back in the day! However it is deffo worth making them 3 position High for winter, medium for Sping/Autumn and low for summer, this will maximize your bang for buck and you only have to alter them a couple of times a year.
Cheers
Stuart

Try a search for 'smart flower solar'. It's an integrated set up that tracks the sum and folds.up in high winds for protection. Expensive but might give some ideas.

rich1 said:

We have about 3/4 of an acre of lawn and not much south facing roof so I am contemplating putting solar in the garden.

I'm handy with the welder, so was thinking of mounting the panels onto a kind of long trailer type arrangment, so they can be moved around the lawn a bit.

How worth while would making the panels track? (I can build the mechanisms and do the electronics/software to control it)

We're in prime solar country, coastal Dorset.

Cheers!

Click to expand...

Try this website here it may seem daunting at first but I am sure you will soon get the hang of it.
You can even enter your own local horizon data (buildings, trees etc).
It really is very easy to compare static with single or dual axis tracking, just tick boxes.

I have never bothered with tracking myself but changing the slope between winter/summer is probably worth while. My present roof is 52deg and that is very good for catching the low winter sun but I am off to pastures new and it's looking like I will have to negotiate with the local council 1st before I can do anything at all.......flat roof!!

Good luck

stuboy said:

That comes from someone that DIYed a mount for his ridiculously large satellite dish back in the day! However it is deffo worth making them 3 position High for winter, medium for Sping/Autumn and low for summer, this will maximize your bang for buck and you only have to alter them a couple of times a year.
Cheers
Stuart

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This is one of the things that has been overlooked in the hunt for FiT payments, the norm has been to target th ehigher summer outputs at the expense of winter outputs, which is when we all use more leccy. Plus we mostly install on roofs, so pitch is determined by the roof. With a ground array, you can customise the pitch to the sun for winter performance, or install a wind turbine of course. Attached below is the official figures for 1kw of panels and their expexcted outputs over a year determined by angle to the sun and pitch, and region of the UK. Unfortunately it doesn't give details spread over the year, just and average for the year. It's also out of date as panel performance has improved significantly since these figures were published, but is till a useful tool.

Bear in mind, and I think I am correct here, that planning only allows for 9m2 of solar array within the curtilage of the property as permitted development. You may have to apply for permission if you want to go over that.. However, if your panels are moveable perhaps the rules don't apply? it's a minefield..
We had to pay £460 for putting up 3 different facing arrays on land we own outside of the curtilage. Change of use apparently. Money for nothing to the council in my view! I really feel that planning for such development if agreed should have no fee. It's a positive contribution towards reducing carbon.

I agree with @Berserkerboy check out with planning in your area I needed PP within my curtilage for 18 panels in one array. One councillor called it in to committee but common sense prevailed and the objection got withdrawn after support from other members of the panel.