Tracker efficiencies - generalized [RE-wrenches]

[bob ollerton]

Two of the best things about living rural...

----- Original Message -----
From: "Joel Davidson" <joeldavidson at earthlink.net>
To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
Sent: Friday, March 22, 2002 1:38 PM
Subject: Re: Tracker efficiencies - generalized [RE-wrenches]


> One of my customers at Golden, CO (cold and cloudy winters), goes out in
the
> evening to look at the sky and pee. He has a string on his Zomeworks
trackers to
> pull them around to the east. In the morning before he goes to work, he
releases
> the string.
>
> jeff.oldham at realgoods.com wrote:
>
> > Hi Windy,
> > Yes, I am including passive trackers. Although I think the design of
these
> > things is one of the most elegant of mans mechanical creation. I just
can't
> > get past the "psychological wrenching" of seeing the sun on the backside
of
> > the array for at least an hour in the morning! I replaced my two about
8-9
> > years ago w/a Wattsun and have been a lot happier. I work on the Wattsun
> > about once a year and as you said the Zomeworks rarely ever need work.
> > However, I, and maybe folks I know, pull them over in the morning and
tie
> > them off 'til the sun comes on 'round. This is a lot like work. In my
larger
> > installs w/multiple trackers they sure look stupid pointing all over the
> > place and these are commercial customers that care a lot what the
install
> > looks like! I agree with you in that the best application (and probably
the
> > only one) is for water pumping. I agree with Ian in that over the life
of
> > the array tracking is not as economical as a fixed array. In my over 20
> > years in this field I'I've only had two clients pissed off at my designs
> > (knock on wood!) and both cases it was over trackers that I could not
> > satisfy them with. I'm "fixed" in my ways for good now!
> >
> > Have a good weekend all.
> >
> > -jeff
> >
> > >       From the Solar, Wind & Hydro Powered office of:
> > >       Jeff Oldham
> > >       Gaiam- Real Goods & Jade Mountain
> > >       Design & Consulting Group
> > >       11755 Mid. Mtn. Rd.
> > >       Potter Valley, CA 95469  USA
> > >
> > >       Ph: 303.222.3814
> > >       Fax: 707.743.1820
> > >
> > >       www.solardevelopment.com
> > >
> > >       "When you turn to face the Sun all shadows fall behind you"
> > >       - Old African Proverb
> > >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Windy Dankoff, Dankoff Solar [mailto:windy at dankoffsolar.com]
> > Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2002 5:03 PM
> > To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
> > Subject: RE: Tracker efficiencies - generalized [RE-wrenches]
> >
> > >.... Personally, I've about
> > >had it w/trackers. I'm willing to work on mine all of the time but my
> > >clients are at their wits end.
> > >
> > >Jeff Oldham
> >
> > Jeff,
> >
> > Are you including Zomeworks passive trackers in the above statement?
> > That would be very surprising. They are extremely durable in my
> > experience. You replace a shock absorber or two every 5 years or so.
> > Leakage of the working fluid is pretty rare and can be fixed by
> > replacing the cannister assembly.
> >
> > UNIRack now has a passive tracker on the same principle.
> >
> > To estimate the gain from passive tracking, you need to take the
> > theoretical data you might get from NREL, and subtract a factor for
> > less accuracy, less range of motion, morning wake-up delay, and
> > occasional wind-shift. I would guess it's about 15% less gain.
> >
> > We sell lots of passive trackers for water pumping systems, only
> > discouraging their use in extreme wind areas or extremely turbulent
> > sites.
> >
> > Windy
> >
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