[RE-wrenches] 32% gain tracked VS. fixed my .02

Thu Jul 23 14:28:44 EDT 2020

I have shared this before I set [6] 250 watt PV on a fixed roof at latitude & same module [6] 250 watt on a Wattsun dual axis tracker and for 2 years compared. Almost a perfect 32% gain on tracked vs. fixed.

I live in a long N-S canyon in central Idaho high ridge to the east & to the west, & my [2] x 3200 watts of dual axis Wattsun have me full by noon most winter days depending on the previous days weather. Right now its 10 AM full. I am making electric DHW with the excess. :-]]

Dana Orzel                              Great Solar Works, Inc. 

C - 208.721.7003                       dana at solarwork.com

Idaho Contractor - # 028765         Idaho PV # 028374

NABCEP # 051112-136                        <http://www.solarwork.com/> www.solarwork.com

"Responsible Technologies for Responsible People since 1988"  

P Please consider the environment before printing this email.

From: RE-wrenches <re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org> On Behalf Of Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar
Sent: Thursday, July 23, 2020 11:24 AM
To: william at millersolar.com; RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] FW: Tracker manual needed

Kyle's dad Jeff is a wealth of knowledge also. The Wattsun HZLA tracker is the easiest way to install 5KW without a ladder. Gives you a dawn to dusk source of power with a 25% gain over fixed. If you need that for cooling or long days of pumping water, it is a good value over virtual tracking.

So it was a TR. RIP pointing south

Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar
"we go where powerlines don't"
http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/
e-mail  offgridsolar at sti.net <mailto:offgridsolar at sti.net> 
text 209 813 0060

On Thu, 23 Jul 2020 09:14:50 -0700, William Miller <william at millersolar.com <mailto:william at millersolar.com> > wrote:

Friends:

Kyle was very quick to help with information on this intriguing but ultimately inconsequential issue.  Below is his response.

William

From: Kyle Greulich [mailto:kyle at wattsun.com <mailto:kyle at wattsun.com> ] 
Sent: Thursday, July 23, 2020 6:54 AM
To: william at millersolar.com <mailto:william at millersolar.com> ; 'RE-wrenches'
Subject: RE: [RE-wrenches] Tracker manual needed

Hi William and others,

I think this is some sort of modified TR55 (tilt and roll) Wattsun tracker, but the way it's modified doesn't really make sense to me.  Without that tilt adjustment it isn't really oriented in a productive way, especially with the way the controllers are designed to work.  To me, the only messing with it worth doing would be to get the tilt oriented in a southerly direction, without that it just isn't going to work well.  Add to the fact that the panels can't be doing too much, so unless you are going all in, it doesn't make sense to really dive into the tracker.  

I attached the old guide for the TR55 tracker.  If you guys have any other tracker questions always feel free to send them my way.  It seems as though many of you have some negative feelings toward trackers, and I certainly understand that especially when it comes to early tracker tech.  But, if you ever want to discuss any of our current tech I would love to have the conversation.

Thank you

Kyle

Kyle Greulich – Wattsun Solar Trackers

t  +1.973.647.7751 e  kyle at wattsun.com <mailto:kyle at wattsun.com> 

From: William Miller [mailto:william at millersolar.com <mailto:william at millersolar.com> ] 
Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 2020 9:15 PM
To: RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org <mailto:re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> >
Subject: RE: [RE-wrenches] Tracker manual needed

Ray and other Wrenches:

I agree on all counts:

1.      This is a field mod.

2.      Not worth any effort (the arrays are temporary until a barn is built to hold the real solar).

3.      Manually point it south-ish and forget it.

4.      Tracking arrays should be replaced with fixed arrays.

I was mostly just curious... and wanting to make sure I had not yet lost my mind out in the sun.

Thanks everyone.

William

From: RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org <mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org> ] On Behalf Of Ray
Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 2020 5:06 PM
To: re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org <mailto:re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> 
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Tracker manual needed

I just took a look at your pics, its definitely a really old, modified Wattsun.  You can see the primer paint where they welded the main square tube directly to the cap. You can also see the empty holes in the bracket on the right side of the tube, where the tilt adjuster would have mounted.  It originally should have had a simple fixed N-S tilt adjustment, that was something like a DP&W head.  IT also looks like its missing the pinch bolts that tighten the cap to the pole, but hard to tell.  What are those modules, Old Siemens?

I'd just rotate it so the tilt adjust went N-S, and run the motor manually off a 12 v battery to set the seasonal tilt.  Based on the age of the modules, and overall condition of the wiring (non UV rated zip ties, exposed THHN, etc) I wouldn't put a ton of time into it.  I'm rebuilding old Top of Pole racks now with new modules, as the pole mount base and rack are easily worth more than the cost of new modules.

Ray Walters
Remote Solar
303 505-8760

On 7/22/20 3:53 PM, William Miller wrote:

Friends:

So far it looks like I have stumped all of you on identifying these trackers.  

These trackers are trying to work.  The electronics and motors are operable.  Unlike the diagram below, these trackers do not have an inclined axis to allow the tracking to sweep from east to west with the panels inclined to compensate for latitude and season.   

The trackers spun around their mounting poles and I simply want to know how to orient the axis so I can put them back to work:

A.    If I orient the axis N-S the tracker would track east to west with no tilt towards the south.  

B.     If I orient the axis E-W the tracker would alter tilt angle as the day progressed, but never facing other than due south.

This all seems strange, but maybe I just don't have my mind wrapped around the concept as applies to these units.  Maybe these mounts were modified in the ancient past when they were installed.  The original installer is no longer on this planet so he can't be asked.

I created a web site to post all of the photos so anyone who is curious can look at full sized images.  The web site is here <https://millersolar.com/MillerSolar/case_studies/26-Mystery_tracker/Mystery_Tracker.html> .

Thanks everyone for trying to help.  This is a real head scratcher.

William

805-438-5600

From: RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org <mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org> ] On Behalf Of larry at starlightsolar.com <mailto:larry at starlightsolar.com> 
Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 2020 9:53 AM
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Tracker manual needed

William,

This type of mount is a polar axis type and should be aligned with the pivot N-S. The actuator can then swing the array E-W. The attached photo is an example of how the mount was used in the C-band antenna days. (1980's for the young folks)

It's hard to tell but it looks like the elevation bolt is missing that connects the azimuth bar to the pole mount cap. Can you supply a better photo of the mount? 

Set the elevation angle to latitude for best all year performance. Elevation can also be seasonally adjusted for more gain. 

There are 3 types of sensors most commonly used in this style of linear actuator. Hall effect, reed switch or a 10 turn potentiometer. 

Larry Crutcher
Starlight Solar Power Systems

On Jul 22, 2020, at 8:33 AM, William Miller <william at millersolar.com <mailto:william at millersolar.com> > wrote:

Dave:

The trackers appear to work. I am not clear on what  direction to orient them. Do you know?

William Miller

www.millersolar.com <http://www.millersolar.com> 

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