[RE-wrenches] Reducing Glare from Solar Modules

[benn kilburn]

Sequoya/William,
Is the neighbour/neighbourhood simply complaining to the system owner, or
are they formally complaining to the city/town?
I would suggest that it should be up to the complainant to perform the study
that proves that glare is an issue.  Would this not be the case?  I guess
each jurisdiction would have its own regulations for these matters, but I
would think that the complainer would have to justify the complaint before
putting any burden on anyone else.

"exaggerating or fabricatingŠ" is almost certainly the case.  Does the sun
not reflect off the metal roof as well (if it is tin/silver in colour)?  Or
from any windows?  Would they want the metal roof to be replaced or windows
relocated as well? 

Many surfaces will produce a glare/reflection on a certain point given the
right angles (time of day/year).  Is it reasonable to complain to your
city/town that the "new building" across the street sends a glare into your
kitchen blinding you while you eat breakfast?  What about if that new
highrise across from your office building blinds you while you sit at your
office desk?  Who do you complain to, your city for allowing it to happen or
to your boss, hoping for a new office?

I don't envy you. Complainers are tough to deal with.  Good luck!  (maybe
suggest that your customer offers to buy the complainer a gift card for some
new curtains/blinds, as a peace offering)

There is a college in this area that is working on a great renewable energy
training program and they are being given a hard time for wanting to install
a few large pole mounted arrays about 1000ft or so from a major highway,
because of reflection concerns!!!  Now this is in a rural area that has many
tin sided and roofed barns and sheds. Apparently they are having to submit
reflection studies.  I would have a hard time believing that a farmer would
have to submit the same studies when building a new barn in the same area.
 
Benn 

DayStar Renewable Energy Inc.
www.daystarsolar.ca  *  Ph: 780-906-7807
Construction Electrician Solar Photovoltaic Systems Certified
Certificate # 0007S
HAVE A SUNNY DAY




On 20/08/12 2:06 PM, "William Miller" <william at millersolar.com> wrote:

> Sequoya:
> 
> It is possible the complainant may be exaggerating or even fabricating the
> claims of glare.  Before I did anything, I would perform  a study to
> determine if the angles of incidence really support the complaint.  This
> involves some trigonometry and possibly CAD work.  I would be happy to
> brainstorm an approach with you off-line.
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> William Miller
> 
> 
> At 11:21 AM 8/20/2012, you wrote:
>> Content-Type: multipart/alternative;
>>          boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0468_01CD7EC5.F4621C60"
>> Content-Language: en-us
>> 
>> We have a customer who is up against a very unhappy neighborhood in
>> Wyoming regarding his solar installation. It consists of 24, Schott Poly
>> mods flush mounted on a 4/12 pitch, metal standing seam roof. The next
>> door neighbor is complaining that the glare from the modules is blinding
>> him at certain points in the day (and year).
>> 
>> Has anyone come up against this issue and do you have any solutions that
>> we may employ (i.e. anti-glare film, some kind of coating, a shade cloth).
>> The customer is more than happy to lose efficiency instead of losing the
>> entire installation.
>> 
>> Thanks-
>> 
>> Sequoya Cross
>> Backwoods Solar Electric Systems
>> 
>> 
>> 
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