PV Trackers [RE-wrenches]

[Kurt Nelson]

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A couple thoughts on trackers:

Up North here, you really need a load that benefits from the summer
"tracker season".  I used to think this was essentially the grid-tie
customer going for the net zero annual home.  Off-griders typically have
lots on sun in the summer and little tracker gain during the winter
period when they really need it.  Some with lots of irrigation or
refrigeration may be the exception.

Customers always notice their tracker position and when it is not right.
Mick S. always says "the problem with wind systems (compared to PV) is
that when they are not working everyone notices".  Customers also never
notice the position of their (seasonally adjustable) top-of-pole mounted
array.  

I have a really wonderful customer who has recently noticed that her
Wattsun doesn't wake up until about 9 to 9:15AM (here in late
August/early September @ 45'N and tracker powered PV direct).  I'm
thinking that while the prime solar period for fixed arrays is three
hours either side of solar noon??? 

At this latitude, I have a few customers with 1X trackers that we shut
down for the winter (late November thru Feb, when the clouds come to the
North) as it seems like the tracker will last longer not having to move
during sub-zero conditions and the gain so small.  Then again, I also
have customers who run them all year and they really hang in there!!
Most problems are with lightning and little stuff.  Still the service
call(s).

Kurt Nelson
SOLutions

 
-----Original Message-----
From: Travis Creswell, Ozark Solar [mailto:ozsolar at ipa.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 2004 8:07 PM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: RE: PV Trackers [RE-wrenches]

 

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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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