PV Trackers [RE-wrenches]

[Travis Creswell, Ozark Solar]

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Trackers are so cool.  But only long as your customers modules aren't on
them!  Non owners think they are the way to go but owners and installers
don't love them for long.  They do have their place but in many cases the
real world life cycle costs easily favor adding more modules to the fixed
array.

ZomeWorks are very reliable.  We've hade no failures, other than some shocks
which are available at any auto parts store, in over 20 racks installed
since 1992.  We typically see all of our installations once every 12-18
months and they've always been working (don't' forget to grease the pillow
block bearings).  But..... they aren't early risers and customer complain
about that (they did buy a tracker, shouldn't it face the sun?)  They face
due west for at least 2 hrs after sunrise and it's typically 3 hours before
they are actually tracking.  Claims are made every year that they've fixed
this but we haven't installed one in several years to verify the "new"
claim.

Array Technologies (WattSun) makes a really neat product.  Tracks very well
and not affected by wind.  But we have had some serious electronic and some
minor mechanical reliability issues with ALL of the few we have installed.
They've broken facing sunrise and they've broken facing sunset.  I've always
been able to bypass the controller and get them back to noon while I waited
for replacement parts and the opening in my schedule to repair them.  They
are quick to send out new parts and are very good to work with.  None the
less I won't be installing any more.  It's hard to make a living giving away
labor to support a product time and time again.  Especially when you know
you will have to do it again soon.  I've got one broken right now that I'm
afraid to go fix since it will just break again in 3 months.

I've haven't sold a tracker since I started telling customers that I would
not warranty them.  I've lost about $6k of billable labor screwing around
repairing WattSuns and will average $2k+ every year for as long as I'm in
business continuing to repair the ones I have in the field.  Chalk it up
lesson learned that on average I get taught again every 4-6 months.  I
really wish I could afford to buy all of the WattSuns back from the
customers and get them out of my life.  Don't write them off just because of
me though.  I'm confident they are working hard at making the product better
all the time.

Regardless of who makes the tracker it is a moving thing.  It will break and
when it does it won't be convenient.

Wow I just started typing and look at all the electrons I wasted.

Travis Creswell
Ozark Energy Services, Inc.


-----Original Message-----
From: Ian Woofenden, Home Power [mailto:ian.woofenden at homepower.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 2004 6:31 PM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: RE: PV Trackers [RE-wrenches]

 

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Zomeworks passive trackers are  slow to wake up in the morning, but 
much more reliable overall than motorized trackers in my experience. 
I'd like to hear others' experiences.

(Personally, I have a hard time putting a 50 year product on a 10 
year product in the first place, but that's another issue...)

Ian

>Frank - checked out the site .  So much better than Zomeworks!
>
>Thank you!
>
>Barbra K. Kerr

>Have you tried www.wattsun.com ?
>SUNcerely,
>Frank Fowler

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