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

[Jason Szumlanski]

Here's the Sketchup animation output from the same model with three arrays
at 35'6" spacing from 8am - 3pm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofBmpk1tQ7Q


Jason Szumlanski


On Sun, Feb 16, 2014 at 7:26 PM, Jason Szumlanski <jason at fafcosolar.com>wrote:

> I would never present something like this to a customer, but this is just
> a quick and dirty estimation based on the criteria given at 48.5N, 85.0W
> with the panels oriented to true south and tilted to 35º, ground slope down
> to 112.5º azimuth at a slope of 7º.
>
> The area shown as gray would have shade at some point between the hours of
> 8am and 3pm.
>
> It's not shown in the image, but if you wanted the next array to be
> precisely true north from the first, you would need to put it about 35'6"
> away to ensure zero shading on the winter solstice.
>
> I used Canadian Solar CS6P modules at 65.5" x 38.7" with 1" spacing
> between panels.
>
>
> Jason Szumlanski
>
>
>
> On Sun, Feb 16, 2014 at 5:57 PM, Jason Szumlanski <jason at fafcosolar.com>wrote:
>
>> 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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