Random Renewables Thread

ELM327

I like that carport idea actually.

Does anyone know of any carports/pergola etc sold with solar in mind?

Mr Q

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120244776#Comment_120244776

I was on a work call recently with IBEC I think about commercial solar. There was some Galway company on the call and they do a lot of carports it seemed. Can't remember the name now but I think the guy talking was the owner. Looked decent enough

ELM327

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120244792#Comment_120244792

A quick google brings me to Solar Carports and Pergolas – Solar Structures Ireland?

Sent them a mail anyway

the_amazing_raisin

On a slightly related topic, I'd love to put a solar awning over my decking at some point. I get way too much light coming in the back windows, to the point that we get migraines if we're in the back rooms too long

Something like this would be kinda cool

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rilQrbaCQFg

Except instead of the whole set of panels moving, you'd have one set permanently out and another row could roll out from underneath when needed

Would probably use bifacial panels since they might catch some reflected light from the ground. It would probably also be a good case for optimisers or micro inverters, since the two rows would be getting different amounts of sunlight

I don't think my idea exists, at least not in Ireland. Might need to learn to weld first 🤔

Anyway, gotta get the roof covered in panels first 😁

bullit_dodger

For the laugh.....

https://www.donedeal.ie/fencingequipment-for-sale/telegraph-poles/33288937

I'm with you slave1 on the deep anchour, but it wouldn't matter that much with the weight of those puppies. Even a full gale and the panels exposed.....they would be going NOWHERE! That's why I liked BigLars job.

Probably overkill really, but if they are cheap, you have the land then why not......?

unkel

If they can deliver for free for up to 15 miles, they might be able to deliver a bit further...for a fee. 20km for free, 80km for an extra €150?

Supercheap in terms of suitable materials delivered for a ground mount. A few large strings PV strings would cost you thousands and thousands in steal alone and a lot more involvement in welding, etc....

paulbok

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120244769#Comment_120244769

Even having only room for the above array in the picture, I'd make it a bit taller, then you could utilize the space underneath for bikes, bins, garden equipment etc.

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120245220#Comment_120245220

I wonder if the same seller also has a load of high quality copper wire that they just found somewhere 😏

bullit_dodger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120245950#Comment_120245950

Probably a few iron gates and some lead to throw in - LOL

Mr Q

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120244851#Comment_120244851

Yeah that is them alright. Not seen one in the flesh but could be a good option for you depending on price

Big Lar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120244368#Comment_120244368

Behold the cheap and cheerful up-cycled Telephone Poles, these bad boys are sunk 1.0m into the ground.

1.0m wall plate straps bent around the top with oddles of galvanised nails on the top photo and Galvoband on the bottom photo where there is more shelter.

Poles cost me €20 each, got them of the lads putting up poles for the fibre rollout.

unkel

I love it. Not only is it a supercheap solution, but it is very sturdy, should last and re-uses already very old and well used materials. And can be easily recycled. Double edged sword: because it's so cheap and DIY, it reduces the payback time of the system. Class.

Bonus that the chicken can roam under it. I've some panels that go over my back wall, I often see cats there taking shelter or hiding from the rain. I guess it's also quite warm under there when the sun shines.

Out of interest @Big Lar - is that shed on the right yours as well and does it have a steel roof? If so, a prime candidate for another cheap and easy install of a string of panels!

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120247187#Comment_120247187

Must have been fun digging a metre down, after about 10cm I'm hitting hard packed soil and clay with plenty of rocks. Did you have to get a mini digger in or anything?

DC999

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120247187#Comment_120247187

Class. Thanks for showing us all a clever low cost way to do it. Love it!!

ELM327

I love love love the telephone pole idea. That's phenomenal.

bullit_dodger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120247363#Comment_120247363

It's legend those poles. One possible optimization I'd suggest is affixing both ends of the panels with a hinge to the poles. Something like this.....

Then you could adjust the panels 15-20 degrees easy enough. In theory you need like 40+ deg freedom for Ireland between high summer and winter, but even 20 degrees will give you the majority of benifits of a fully adjustable panel for summer/winter. I think trying to get 40 deg freedom would be tricky with the above due to spatially the way the upper hinge would move in an arc

Ground mount, if your willing to do a bit of work can be sourced and installed pretty cheaply I think. Not for everyone mind you. many people couldn't be arsed, but personally I'd derrive great satisfaction for years looking at something I did "on the cheap". Spend the money you save on batteries.

Respect Lars.

Big Lar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120247349#Comment_120247349

You can be right certain sure there was a mini digger involved, I am gone to old and too fat for that sort of manual labour anymore.

ELM327

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120247715#Comment_120247715

Haha, I'd be the same on both counts too.

unkel

@bullit_dodger - "One possible optimization I'd suggest is affixing both ends of the panels with a hinge to the poles."

Honestly? That is all a bit 1990s when panels were at a huge premium and you needed to squeeze every last little drop of juice out of them to even remotely make a case for them

Now just dump those cheap as chips panels as cheaply as you can into a fixed setting. Just like @Big Lar has done.

Sure, for someone with severely restricted space in their Dublin 10m2 backyard, who wants to play amateur-engineer in their spare time, go ahead and make your hinge system. Hell, do it properly, robotise it and let it not only hinge but also fully the sun throughout the day 😂

bullit_dodger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120247862#Comment_120247862

What you can't go to woodies and get a dozen or two €3 euro hinges and screws? If your going to go to the trouble of getting a digger in.... do it right!

No half arsed cowboy nonsense! Get it done. :-)

Jokes aside (and I am joking above - kinda) going back to what ELM is trying to solve here is that he wants a array specifically configured to optimize winter generation. This means highly sloped panels in winter. These panels would be pretty piss poor in summer time due to the bad slant angle from the high sun. What Lars has is fine as he's taken the best of both worlds.

So while there's a merit unkel to just fire and forget, this is a little different.

Get it done (tm) - LOL

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120247715#Comment_120247715

I'll be adding too lazy in my case as well. Dug out a section of the garden by hand for decking 2 years ago, probably 15m2 total

I swore I'd never use a shovel again after that! 😂

slave1

I agree on tilting, it's very little extra effort if building a custom ground mount, the panels don't need to be tilted every single month, my Nov tilt does me till beginning March for example and May/June/July is little in the difference.

Tilt angle for midlands goes from 60 in June to 14 in December

Big Lar

I considered adding a tilting mechanism on my panel setup but my fear was that any movement in the panels in high wind would lead to wear/tear and failure of hinges and whatnot.

ELM327

Yeah for me adding a tilting mechanism is just something else to break down the line. Keep It Simple, Stupid, is my motto.

As above my summer generation is already covered by my 8.2kWp. Anything else I add,it will in the summer be exported to the grid anyway. On a deemed export this doesnt help me at all. I'm aiming to bring my winter generation up to 100% of usage. Even if it means at the cost of 100% loss in summer (ie these panels only generate from october to march, and zero in the summer) that is ok. This is not about ROI or anything, it's a hobby and a goal of mine to be 100% off grid.

bullit_dodger

Nahh, you're over thinking it - this is simple. Just needs a straight piece of steel, drill a two/three holes it. Each hole will be the different angle you want. Affix it to the hinge on the panel. Done! You need brackets anyway to affix the panel to the poles/wood, so just use a hinge instead. Cheap as chips on Amazon. 10x of them for like a fiver.

10 Pieces Stainless Steel Folding Butt Hinges, Hinges for Window, Cabinets, Closet, Wooden Boxes : Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

If this was a normal array, like unkel mentions I wouldn't bother either (!), but with panels optimized for winter generation, they'll be pretty poor in summer. You will have 8kWp of panels potentially only generating 40-50% of what they could generate for summer month. Why miss out on that FIT payment when we are on a smart meter for the sake of a few rods and hinges. The production doesn't follow exactly a sine wave, but with the panels potentially 40-50 degrees away from the optimal orientation you'll lose a lot. Again, if it was a normal array I wouldn't bother - but it's good return for little time/effort here.

As slave says, you'll only have to move them twice a year by moving the rods to the other hole. Simples.

slave1

...and for me tilting is not about generating mad high in Summer, it's about maximising my evening generation for cooking and dripping excess into an EV that was not on the driveway all day, and then Winter maximation. When I last tilted it took about 10minutes and the string output increased by around 12%

unkel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120248404#Comment_120248404

Easier and probably more effective to just add another 10kWh of CALBS (€1300) if you want to charge your EV a bit more after PV is no longer optimal

slave1

Easier to tilt for 40minutes a year than spend €1,300 🤑

bullit_dodger

40 minutes.....why so long ? :-)

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120248383#Comment_120248383

Stole the words out of my mouth, no fancy electric tilt, just a manual system to raise and lower one end of the ground mount