[RE-wrenches] Spacing between ground mounted sub-arrays at 48.5 degrees N latitude

[Jason Szumlanski]

I third the use of Sketchup. I use it every day from design, to
presentation, to permitting, to construction documents.

Below are links to a few images of a recent 3D model I did. The goal here
was to have a 10 degree tilt angle and have no shade on the next row on
December 21 at 9:00am. Turns out I need 1' 9" spacing to do that in Naples,
FL.

http://www.solarsouthwestflorida.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/2014-02-16_17-46-16.jpg
http://www.solarsouthwestflorida.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/2014-02-16_17-43-22.jpg
http://www.solarsouthwestflorida.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/2014-02-16_17-53-19.jpg
The same concepts can be applied to a sloping surface. In fact, if you have
a survey, you can trace the contour lines (or get them in CAD preferably)
and create a pretty precise sloping terrain.

I know Chris already offered to help, but I'd like to take a stab at it,
too, to see how close our answers are.


Jason Szumlanski

Fafco Solar




On Sun, Feb 16, 2014 at 5:11 PM, Mac Lewis <maclewis1 at gmail.com> wrote:

> I second Chris's suggestion of Sketchup.  Its very easy to use and does a
> great job modeling stuff like this.  There is a free version from Google
> that is more than adequate for this.
>
> Good luck.
>
>
> On Sun, Feb 16, 2014 at 3:08 PM, Chris Mason <cometenergysystems at gmail.com
> > wrote:
>
>> I use Sketchup for these calculations now. It will do real shadows at any
>> time of any day you want.
>> If you are not familiar with it, send me the exact Google Earth
>> coordinates and I will mock something up for you.
>>
>>
>> On Sun, Feb 16, 2014 at 5:35 PM, Bob Clark <bclark at solar-wind.us> wrote:
>>
>>> Wrenches:
>>>
>>> I have a customer who wants 40 solar modules on ground mounts (not
>>> poles) in an area that slopes to the ESE at 7 degrees.  Putting these
>>> modules on one ground mount assembly so that the modules are in a 0 degree
>>> slope East to West would leave the east end about 20 feet in the air.  Not
>>> acceptable as the customer wants a profile as low as possible for aesthetic
>>> reasons plus the wind can be quite strong on occasion.
>>>
>>> So, I am trying to figure out how far apart 5, 8 module sub-arrays
>>> (landscape orientation 2 E-W by 4 N-S tilted at 35 degrees S from the
>>> horizontal) would have to be North to South and East to West so that they
>>> are low profile yet do not shade each other on the winter solstice at 48.5
>>> degrees N latitude.  These calculations are complicated by the ground
>>> sloping to the ESE at 7 degrees.
>>>
>>> Can anyone point to an online calculator that takes into account the
>>> slope of the ground?  Or can anyone help me with the geometry of this
>>> situation.  I have gone around in circles and thoroughly confused myself.
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance.
>>>
>>> Bob Clark
>>> bclark at solar-wind.us
>>>
>>>
>>
>> --
>> Chris Mason
>> President, Comet Systems Ltd
>> www.cometenergysystems.com
>> Cell: 264.235.5670
>> Skype: netconcepts
>>
>
>
>
>
> Mac Lewis
>
>
>
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