Give me (good) ideas

SD_DRACULA

Some panels would go in here quite nicely (3.6m x 3.6m) but the problem is that the slope will be towards N

Could fit 6 standard panels there but I'd like to raise them a bit so they face S and not N, any ideas?

the_amazing_raisin

Honestly I'd just put 6 panels there

They'll do nothing in winter but will generate in summer and add you your export amount, generating some cash for you

Make sure they're on a separate string to any other arrays so they don't drag them down

conor_mc

What's the slope? Looks like it might only be a few degrees? 18-degree renusol consoles can go on a surface that's less than 5 degrees, that would net you 13 degrees elevation to the south. That said, you'd need quite a bit of ballast for six panels.

SD_DRACULA

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122174721#Comment_122174721

Yeah could parallel them with the rear roof string of the house which is also facing N

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122174727#Comment_122174727

The beams are perfectly level and firring pieces will go on top to give it angle for water run off, so yeah will be tiny about 3 degrees maybe?

Don't want ballast as it adds quite a bit of weight, might screw through the roof and into the beams with these K2 bits and rails on top. Could even control the angles a bit with this

Though I am a little worried about water ingress, GRP/resin roof finish

I was also thinking the flexible panels, they can go up to 500w even and you can basically silicone them down to the roof

Not sure I need to bother with the angle it's almost flat so and would be shaded by house in the bad months anyway

conor_mc

I wouldn’t bother with CIGS panels, you’d get a better return on just flat-mounting the panels to the roof, 3 degrees to the north is nothing, you’ll generate less than south-facing 35-degree panels, but have a better spread across the day….. subject to shading impact from second story of your house.

10-10-20

I have two panels on a shed at 15 degrees and they sure as hell need cleaning every 6 months. They had a good solid build-up of grime early this month. Plan for that eventuality.

SD_DRACULA

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122175269#Comment_122175269

Yeah I just checked, the prices are silly for flexibles, costs over 3-4 times the times the standard panels, payback is never.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122175355#Comment_122175355

I have 12 of them on my shed, at around 15 degrees S, and yeah I have clean them every now and again but it's ok since I can get to them easily, so these 6 will be handy to clean also.

slave1

Looks fierce flat, expect a lot of grime build up, I'd A frame it rather than lie them flat

bullit_dodger

But it's a flat roof (barring a few degrees for rainfall?). Why can't you face them south?

SD_DRACULA

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122175445#Comment_122175445

How are those mounts stuck to the flat roof?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122175431#Comment_122175431

If I can go for something like this, it would bump up the angles a bit but then also I probably lose space for 2 panels, they need loads of space in between for shading perhaps

conor_mc

yeah the spacing is for shading - you could be weighing up 3-4x elevated versus 6x flat (plus a bit of washing!).

SD_DRACULA

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122175929#Comment_122175929

>45cm seems like a lot to clear a 10 degree slope.

Washing will need to be done regardless, 🤬 birds

Orange-Coca-Cola

Hi, I am not sure if this is a (good) idea or not, but it is something that I have been looking at for a few months now, and I see that they have even come down in price by quite a bit. I am only learning though, so it is very possible that you have already thought of and dismissed this idea. Th solar tracking systems.

Something like this. I am only using amazon link and video as it was first result, but I have seen them in better detail on some of the more dedicated sites

https://www.amazon.de/-/en/ECO-WORTHY-Tracking-Increase-Controller-Complete/dp/B0C9PXYFG7

Like I said, I am still only learning and do not know the pros and cons of something like this, so I am not recommending it as much as putting it out there as something to look at, as you have undoubtedly more experience with panels you may already know why they are or are not a viable option and why.

I had started looking at single axis solar tracking systems, and they were far more expensive during lockdown than the dual axis versions with multi panel support are now.

bullit_dodger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122175777#Comment_122175777

I was fairly paranoid about that. So the little blocks are a bog standard pressure treated 2x4, varnished, then wrapped in water proof gorilla tape, and then finally wrapped in roof flashing. 3x eight inch screws go through them, and the 1/2 inch perspex and into the rafters below. I then taped over all screw tops and silicon gel'd the bottom of the block where it touched the perspex on all sides. Like what you would see side of a bathtub.

12 blocks and 3 years later not a drop inside. I checked them there about a month ago (I usually go up and have a look and clean off any sahara dust etc. all good.

In retrospect if I'd gone portrait, I could have gotten another 2x panels up there, but it's been good.

Ones at the back angled at 30deg to the horizontal. the ones in the front 15 deg. I could have put them all on the one large slope rather than 2 individual row…. but ….. I didn't think about it before doing it. Two panels at the back are 400w, and the ones in the front 345w.

SD_DRACULA

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122176265#Comment_122176265

Yeah I was thinking of putting in a few pressure treated bits of wood on top of the roof and when they lay the fibre glass they can go over it and seal it in as part of the roof.

Then just screw some K2 rails into them and Bob's your @unkel 😂

Roofer might come in later today and can run it past him.

unkel

Whether the panels are a few degrees N or S will make very little difference on the production. The extra cost going out of your way to put them on a bigger angle will hugely increase the pay back period. I wouldn't bother and mount them the cheapest possible way. And when you need panels the most (in winter when the sun isn't shining), every panel at any angle at any orientation, produces about the same

SD_DRACULA

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122177007#Comment_122177007

100% - did the calculations and it's minimal "losses", and yeah it's in the bad months when they're shaded fully so it does not matter anyway as they will be hibernating.

bullit_dodger

Some interesting trivia - I did some analysis on my 30deg south facing panels, verses my 35deg E/W panels in Jan.

1Kwp of south facing panels for me generated 21.6Kwhr for the month of Jan.

1Kwp of E/W facing panels for me generated 15.9Kwhr for the month of Jan.

Considering the weather was the same for both, the south facing panels (as you would expect) generated 35% more than the E/W facing ones. Basically adding any panels are good, but more south panels will help you more.

But if you can get them south…that will help a bit when as unkel says, you need it most. I'd recommend 20 deg to avoid rain/dirt build up. 10 deg or lower apparently is subject to having to clean more. I'm fit and healthy and don't "mind" going up on the shed roof, but hell if I can avoid it …. makes sense.

SD_DRACULA

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122179622#Comment_122179622

That's good to know, I did contemplate 3 W and 3 E but yeah for maximum pump S is king

bullit_dodger

Conversely E/W will be beat S in the summer, but that's when you don't really need the power as we all typically have plenty from March → Oct. This time of year, the sun rises in the north east, and as soon as it clears the horizon my east panels on the main roof start producing sometimes as early as 5am.

Setup for winter basically is your best bet.

SD_DRACULA

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122180240#Comment_122180240

Can't, fully shaded in winter by the house so they will do nothing in any orientation anyway at that time.