Single axis solar tracker with large panels impossible? Here are YOUR suggestions.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
- In the first part of the video, I'm trying a few things to stabilise the solar panels and prevent it from shaking and wobbling when it is windy. I build a frame from aluminium rails I have left over, but no matter what I tried, nothing really eliminated the shaking. So, the conclusion was to go back to the original design and mount the panels on a fixed tilt system. I tried a lot, I learned a lot and shared a lot. That's it!
In the second part of the video, I share some of the possible solutions you have send me. Some really good, some really crazy ideas you came up with.
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Hey Andy, from an engineering POV, you're missing triangles in the right places to prevent wobble. Consider the cross bars as you did, but the vertical bars should form a triangle and join at a point PAST the top of the panel, so they should be at least 2m long. You will then mount the linear actuator to that join point. Think of it like a artists easel. However this also makes the mechanism bigger and will of course cause shading issues.
Ultimately I still think having the panels in a fixed position is going to be best. You keep complexity down and can secure things completely. If you want some adjustment, make up a 2 position or even 3 position (Summer, Spring/Autumn, Winter) mount and change it seasonally.
Agree with the angles to prevent wobble. Maybe center actuator could have a bracket holding braces to the upper corners of the panel.
Maybe some reinforcing bar at 45 degrees indented 40cm on the corners would help reduce the flex.
Andy, I think your fails are more enjoyable to watch than your successes. Not because anyone likes to see other people fail, but because it reminds us all what it means to be human. Even the annoying and frustrating things that need to be done are also a great reminder and, a hoot to watch. Oh, and your comment on how nothing in Australia is straight... I laughed so loud that I'm sure my neighbours would have heard me laugh, it was that good.👍
Thanks for your feedback and comment. It is also a reminder, that I'm not perfect and know everything. I'm learning with you and am very happy to share all this with you. In 'good and bad times' 😉
This project is proving to be quite challenging. Thanks for sharing the ideas submitted by others... some clever ideas I would never have come up with.
Yeah, I thought so too. Also very challenging solutions with a lot of mechanics and moving parts.
😂 yes its without further ado. Ado is means fuss or concern so "without further fuss" . Thank you for your videos. They are all greatly appreciated
A garage door opener makes a good long distance linear actuator. You could link multiple panels off of it. Plus it's an off the shelf item and you may be able to get a used one locally.
wow, so many great ideas that are so much better that what I had in mind, I like scissor mechanic idea as it doesn't rely on the strength of the actuator to support the panel.
Also thank you for your suggestion!
I like the car jack idea. Simple and strong.
Is it simple and strong though? A lot of hinges and moving parts. Also need a motor mount and appropriate motor with gearbox. And the space needed under the panel when fully flat... plus the support of the jack to the roof... Sounds one of the more complicated solutions to me.
OK will try again.
Use 2 car tailgate door Jack on the 2 sides n actuator on the middle. This will stabilise the 2 corners. Use a solar tracking system with wind protection so u can program at what wind the panels should lay flat in case of high wind.
push
I just settled for a fix angle on the panels and 2 support beams per panel, we get pretty strong winds here in the desert but they still there. I wish I had the funds to put them on a tracking system, but it is totally out of my range, got 26 panels all fix angle and they average 30-33 Kw per day during nice weather, during summers up 105F they drop to around 30 Kw so no complaint and is simple enough.
Perfect, if you have the space and sun, go big. Or, as big as you need. Do you have a battery as well?
Andy all this actuators can work, and "one side blocking" can be solved with simple triangle forms. all bridges use them and hi voltage pole use triangle form to eliminate linear structure problems
Super topical and timely, thanks. I'm building a similar system with 3 high wind features to command panels to fully or partially stow: (1) accelerometer vibration... structural twist amplifies acceleration... flexibility is perhaps a feature, not a bug; (2) anemometer; (3) weather service high wind warning (e.g. thunderstorm, tornado, hurricane). My hardware isn't as mature as yours, and I sure appreciate the heads-up about rigidity.
Hi Andy, at the last minute I thought of an idea ... "concept wise" ... Think of a hood (Bonet) on a car. It has two hinges, spring loaded. If the two arms (one on each end of the panel assembly) come up from the roof surface at the pivot ... to the top edge the panel would be biased upward, not spring down, the spring tension would help lessen any flexing if the base frame is make all the same level and not two steps. ... then a simple stepper motor with a threaded rod etc. can screw the top center of the panel down. Pull it down rather than push it up.Being a threaded rod (kept lubricated or shielded .. no rust) you would have no mechanical things under the panel basically. make a simple rectangular frame where all four sides are the same and secure the panel to that (like a window glass frame). Thanks for helping me use my up stair thinker. (as a side note.. having been a mechanic for decades, I always used a garden pad etc. on my knees and never kneeled on the concrete directly. It has saved my knees .. now pushing at 70 (age not degrees);-)
Thanks for your suggestion. Yes some gas struts could make it work and give it more stability. But we keep adding more and more which makes the system more complex, adds more maintenance and it is more prone to failure. There is a lot we could do and try. I also only have hand tools to build such constructs. I think it all gets a bit too much. I'm really stripping it down again and start from scratch.
@@OffGridGarageAustralia I don't think you got my concept and idea .. it is because I don't communicate well. I will look for your email under the channel and send some sample ideas. It is so simple it is ridiculous ... to me that is ... How many panels 4 right ... will there be a lot of flexing when there are not "high" winds. ?
@@OffGridGarageAustralia Hi, I go by Pat ... I don't know how to find your email but I can give you mine... junk mail I let go to spam. Or I can post some links here of a website that has the hinges that I am talking about. Everyone is talking about lifting the panel, my concept is the panels are lifted automatically by the hinges no ram ... no tracks .... etc. then you pull them down somehow, even a single section .. again too ...
Here the lowest my panels will be is 19 degrees. So that will be my "lowest" position ... not 0 or flat. ... then I'll work on putting up as winter comes etc. ...
Andy, at 16:00, I suspect a diagonal cross brace might help you flexing situation, but my initial thought was for a system that had a welded square tubular frame attached to the back of the panel, and a tilting system with an actuator lying flat on the roof pushing the sliding bottom of another square also hinged to the top of the panel frame, similar to Jens in Germany presented.
ANDY, MAYBE:
(1) INSTALL IN A FIXED POSITION THE LARGE HIGHER POWERED PANELS ON THE ROOF.
(2) INSTALL THE SMALLER PANELS ON YOUR ADJUSTABLE MOUNT.
(3) CUT THE TALL VEGETATION THAT LIMITS YOUR SOLAR WINDOW.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR SECURE SOLAR SOLUTION.
Andy, I suggest to mount a scissor lift at both edges of the panel and connect the joints of both scissor lifts with a linear actuator in order to raise or lower both edges synchronously. 😉
A lot of mechanic...
I like the knowledge you share with us ❤. Have you considered trimming the top of the trees. That would increase the hours of sun per day. Well you know this stuff , I don’t want to see you up there cutting 😳😖😉. Thanks for the videos . 👍
Trimming the trees is not an option at the moment due to their height. And part of the challenge from day one was to see if I can make it without it and spend the saved money elsewhere. In more solar for example.
All great ideas I think. What is missing to resolve the stability issue with one actuator is to use triangles instead of the 90° angles being used.
Hi Andy, for lifting use two threaded rods, nuts connected to lifted parts of the panel. Turning of rods will lift up or down panels. Rods can be connected wit bicycle chain to sync their turning.
Those rods are making support of panels same time.
Hi Andy,
I’m going to predict the future. You will play around trying methods of tilting/adjusting the panels and will finally bolt them directly flat to the roof, accepting the loss in power for the gain in stability, looks and roof space.
Regards,
Bill
Fantastique toutes ces propositions ! j`attends la suite du projet... Merci beaucoup ANDY pour ce partage et cette belle et joyeuse ambiance communautaire grace a ta chaine TH-cam.
Andy the last picture with the pulley and the red "string" , that shows when it is pulled by the pulley. The "pink" colour is when the panel is flat the string sits under. So it shows panel in both the upright and flat positions.
Ah, right, I get it now, thank you... well, anyway this won't work.
Andy, bolt U channels to the long sides of the panels, hinge one u channel to the roof, and a center linear actuator to the other..
You'll get rid of alot of wobble if you mount the horisontal rails closest to the panel + you can connect two actuators 70 cm in from each side to get a really good stability in the panel.
Fair enough! Actually I had noticed from my ground mount installation (optimised for Winter) that on bright days the generation is not too far away from peak power (better than I had expected - right now). From this I wondered if a smaller array (swiveling) to stay on peak for longer (time) would produce the same or more Power than a larger fixed array - hence my suggestion. I figured 1.5 kW panel capacity might be sufficient.
You really need a square box section frame with welded corners to eliminate twist. In forty years as a metalworker I can guarantee it will work.
If you weld up a frame from angle, they still twist. So get a frame welded together from box section and fasten the solar panel to it....... Twist will be gone.
I bet you could probably use a new shed somewhere near your pool with the roof in the right direction in the winter time. I think a new shed would cost you less in the long run, be WAY less complex.... and you would have more storage room. Make it a shed for her and it's a win win.
I thought about a roof over the space in front of the garages. WAF=1 (of 10). Better than 0, I guess...😄
Instead of calling it a shed, could it not be called a pool room / changing room / pagoda / entertainment area for WAF++ ?
So many suggestions on stiffening, but I have not seen any that has applies good theory. Start by considering the shape of the panel perimeter pieces. The panels have 4 long perimeter shapes - in this case, they are either angles or c-channels. If you took one of those, hold one end in a vise, and try to twist the other end, how much resistance is there? That is the flexing you observe. An angle will have little resistance. C-channels maybe a little more. Box shape a little more. But the best shape to resist twisting (torque) is a pipe or tube shape. The larger the diameter or the thicker the walls, the stiffer it will be. Therefore to stiffen your panels without disassembly, you would create a new rectangle that runs the perimeter of the panel, with a tube on each of the two longest sides. The other two sides will be the same "height" as the tube, and can be the shape of a flat bar or angle that is rigidly (welded?) to the ends of the tubes. They act as levers on the tubes. Metal electrical conduit may be a suitable tube.
I just posted on my channel my prototype large panel, single axis lift. It would be cost prohibitive for most people, I imagine. It is likely going to cost upwards of $500 to tilt four 300 watt panels, after reinforcing the panels and the actuators,but it works, and I’m guessing, will increase production by more than 30% when complete.
Hello Andy
After viewing your efforts to construct a variable tilt system on your porch roof, I wonder if you have considered something quite different. Maybe an array could be mounted in a rigid frame on a four wheeled trolley. The trolley could be moved during the day to be in direct sunlight (around about the area where three panels were propped up on the ground). I suggest that the tilt angle won't be necessary to alter during the day but designed to be laid down during bad weather and storage for the Summer months. ie. manually laid down (or stood vertical on the trolley for storage in the shed.
I like your humour!
I like YOUR humour😄
So I instruct my wife to move a 200kg trolley around the yard, using a S.P.A.T. to get the best angle, ensure the cable is not tangled, twisted or rolled over, ensure the cart is secured so it does not roll away when it's windy and also crank down the panels to a flat position if the wind gets too much.
You must be single 😂
G'day Andy nice idea on the frame but a few thin diagonal bracing but all cool I can understand the problem not easy fix another idea let the actuator lift the frame like a sissor jack not straight from roof to frame and a quick idea you can use a raspberry pi to control different heights in the day
The big problem is, we're adding more and more to the setup. Not sure if this is worth it... I'll try with a fixed installation first.
What is on the other side of the house roof?
On a solar farm they have the mounts lined up north/south and the panels tilt to the east in the morning and track the sun all day long until sundown. The panels are on a frame and it pivots at the middle of the panel array, but that also requires a bit of height to do that.
That's a free 120sqm roof on the other side but points to WSW, so not ideal for winter sun.
Such a ground mount tracker also requires a big hole filled with concreted to give it the necessary wind stability. I neither have the location nor intention to do that. We have such a system here the University and I like how the many trackers are looking in all directions when it is cloudy...
I’ve done no experimentation to back this but I have considered this sort of thing before. My conclusion was that unless I have a ground setup where there is plenty of land it wouldn’t work as well due to shading. With a roof, more panels is a better spend.
Unfortunately the maximum system size is dictated by the long cable that runs from the pool back to the garage, so using more than 1 of these micro-inverters is not possible. Andy is not yet allowed to tie into the house's wiring, as there is a power purchase agreement with the house system.
The micro-inverter itself can only accept 4 panels also, and more production is not required/usable in any other season than winter - the panels at a steep angle are the correct technical solution to the winter production requirement - the mounting thereof just needs to be safe and have an good "Wife Acceptance Factor" - I suspect that the simple mounting system Andy already has is the best solution, the rear feet just need to be located beyond the curve of the panel folding down, so that the rear rail can be disconnected and the panels lowered safely flat to the roof when not in use.
Perhaps add a locking mechanism onto the roof with a pin/latch, so that the panel can be locked in the down position also.
Thanks Stefan, well summarised.
Thank you for confirming german curse words to me. I was told them many moons ago and wasn't sure if I was saying them correctly.
Hahaha, teaching in all directions... 😂
Hey Andy, you could use springed double bed mechanics with actuator on the opposite side (as I am). Greetings from Hungary, congratulations for your development and great YTchannel.
Wow, you have a nice Victron system.
Car 12V/24V window winder mechanism. Or those manual interior commercial window openers you used to get, they had a starter handle.
I used one inch 80/20 extruded aluminum to mount my panels and support them. They are mounted on my Ford Transit, and fly down the highway.
Incorrect: it is without further to do. You are right Andy.
Hehehe 😉
Hi Andy,
I think you can gain stability by actually fixing your test setup in the middle of the panel where the actuator would go.
Using lager, more stable horizontal bars instead of the small one may also make a difference.
And last, adding 2 gas springs on the corners is a cheap way to gain extra stability ?
I have also seen lid supports with rails and fixed settings.
Bed actuators use that system. Along the actiator there are supports with “hooks” that support the bed they won’t come down and can cary all the persons weight until the get fully extended at which point it can come down. Maybe you can copy and adapt some of that, bed actuators seem to be quite stable.
we need more user submitted design idea review videos!
In Indonesia (East Borneo)
I have used a 1 axis solar tracker system. energy gain can reach 8 hours of full light. the average is in 5 hours of irradiation.
Using 1080 wp PV module, I can get 5 - 8 kWh/day
Nice, yeah, it can work and make sense. I'll try the fixed tilt system now and see how this goes.
Is that one module with 1080W?
@@OffGridGarageAustralia
I'm using ( 2 x 160wp ) and ( 2 x 380wp ). one bracket can mount PV modules up to 1500wp, plenty of space left. And currently designing a bracket for modules >2000wp
(4 or 8 pcs × 550wp)
…another idea for the automatic tilt system can be to use on left and right hand side of the panels a gas pressure spring (to pull the panel up) and in the middle you can than have one actuater which regulates the angle. As a result, you get 3 fix points to mount the panel…
Some people have suggested to use gas struts, so yeah, that could be an additional solution. Thank you.
You are going to control the linear actuators, 2 or more is whats needed. How are you going to control these? If you have a logic plc you could verify actuators with analog feed back to verify position.
I won't. Hence the idea or requirement to have only one actuator.
I still think I would tilt two panels in portrait mode side by side fixed at x degrees in that last row and then cover the rest toward the trees in landscape mode flat. No shading concerns and you'll get the best all around output throughout the course of the day without having to worry about lifts or other such complexity.
Done!
@@OffGridGarageAustralia I'll send you a personal email with drawings to cement it, LOL! Cheers to SPATs!
I think you missed one important part of Dominic's suggestion. His wide aluminum brace will prevent the wobble. Is it about 1" x 3"? @24:12
I have 1kw of panels on single axis homemade tracker. 4.5 sun hour days but produce from 9 am to 7 pm full charge. My cheap panels are only making 800 watts/hr after 2 years. More panels coming soon to replace these. Would like to share pics
Oh many...You have sparked sweet memories again with that second intro! 🥰
Ps. when you have put your hands into that pile of metal beams...I had a vision of some nasty spiders biting you and turning into a spiderman ☠😫 Don't you wear at lest some gloves while working in the garden between plants or pieces of timber?
Ps2. Can you just program the actuator to stop when some stoping force is exceeded?
I was wondering if someone recognises the song 😄
Spiders and snakes we have down here. Sharks and crocodiles as well. More or less deadly. If someone get bitten, it is in the news. It's that of a rare occasion.
if you went with the one that had the rails with the wheels on the inside you could have a rubber skirt which would do away with all the leaves in the track or dirt after the wheel has passed the flat will just flop back down into place keeping the tracks from getting dirty
Yeah, I know, but look what we are doing, adding more and more to the system...
The flexing happens because the framing of the panel is thin. Because it’s designed to be supported on all corners.
If you’d like to support the panels at only one point then the structure needs to be reinforced in a way that adds material in the dimension that gets shorter and longer as it flexes and twists. All of the reinforcements you have done so far are oriented off-axis and so they won’t be effective - they will tend to twist in the same way the material in the existing frame does.
When the frame twists the diagonal axes are changing in length. And so you need to add material on the diagonal axes to counter the flexing.
Another way to reinforce the panel is to add a round tube along the bottom edge of the panel with ribs attached to the tube and upper edge. The tube and ribs will bear the torsional load that allows the panel to twist.
One more thought is to use tubing and ribs to extend the reach of the actuator.
Final thought is that the prop brace is only supporting the panel at one point. Lifting with a triangular shaped brace should alleviate this source of flexing.
I drive a flat bed semi and lately have been hauling a lot of solar panels and also huge commercial grade batteries. The batteries are so big that only 2 fit on a 53 foot trailer and weigh about 20 thousand lbs each. Id love to have one of the batteries i haul and a truck load of the new panels lol.
One day, you will get one! But you can start with the solar already and get a few panels (even used ones) and charge a smaller battery. Get a small inverter and run your fridge and freezer from it to start with.
@@OffGridGarageAustralia I have about 30 grand in my solar power system already but it's not as big or as capable as yours. I power my whole life including my air-conditioning with solar and about 40 kw of lithium. You have the most beautiful home tho and the solar to go with it
@@matthewknight5641 Oh, wow, then you know how it works and are energy wise too. Thanks for sharing.
Heya, a lot of good ideas woundering with what you will come up to.
I have had 2 wind generators at an altitude of about 350 meters in central west of Victoria Australia (North northwest of Ballarat) and they where a bit of a disapointment. They where competetive when PV was $10 or more per watt but not any more.
To avoid flexing you have to have a very rigid top structure. It could be made by two beams 2 meters long (the length of the panel + a little), two end beams say 20cm and a cross beam from corner to corner. To avoid allways having the top of the panel at a minimum of 20cm high it could be hinged to the top of the panel like the bottom and then let that be flat on the roof as well when it is down. it would however still not be perfect.
The best would be to make a box structure 10 or 20 cm high with diagional beams in both walls and ends. The panel when down would then be 10 t0 20cm above the roof but flat with the roof. The hinges should be on the frame. The lower part of the panel could hang over the frame so that it would come closer to the roof when it was tilted up. It may no look so good but it would be strong.
Thank you for your suggestion and sharing your wind generator experience. A lot of effort to set one up and install it for little gain. As you said, it makes little sense if the conditions are not right...
Thanks Andy
Wayne, thank you for your millions of comments!
Maybe you should look for narrowboat solar supports. Narrow Boat Solar Panel Tilt & Flip Large Mounts
I get close to zero energy during the winter, but that is to be expected in Norway, the land of the midnight sun 😅
To stop the wobble, I’d try attaching tethers to both top corners and then tension them with the centre support.
Iron beams and welding for the win, and a bad back 😂
I need Andy2 to give me hand with such a heavy construct. 😄
Andy, you need trusses. One or two up left to bottom right profiles should make it.
you may be able to use something like a snow fence for sheilding.... just create a low pressure(speed) zone so the osilation doesnt occur?
That sounds easy when you say it.
@@OffGridGarageAustralia have a look at snow fences. it likely would stop the oscillating as you have a consistent lower pressure zone under panel. vortex wind generators are a great example of this problem. though for them its leveraged.
Another thing: I will put my panels in two different positions on my house: flat for summer. (with spacing underneath though to breath away the hot air), and tilted for winter. At some point in time I would put it in winter tilt, and at some point in time in summer (when the visibility irritates me ;-) ).
It would be on a flat roof of which the remainder would be a grass roof terras. As a matter of fact, maybe I should do full grass, because the grass underneath the panels would help keep it cool.
2 steppers with ball screws.
Then use an arduino or esp32 to control the servos and throw an error if the steppers lose steps. (Similar to z axis on a 3d printer.)
Use the same esp32 with a voltage divider on it to tap the panel itself to change the tilt using PID and use a mic for the noise for wind and then just sunset data to drop it at night.
Voila, done. Minimal code too.
The panel flexing problem would be a weakness in the corners, maybe trying to reinforce the corners at least on the top side where the actuator will be. Some kind of bracket with 2 90 degree bends (corner of a cube) that can be bolted on three sides of each of the top corners of the panel frame.
This could also keep the total profile low.
Andy, in the video you cut the rails outside behind the Off Grid Garage, it looked like there was a lot of sunshine behind the garage , why not put a ground mount behind the garage?
Yes, this is a really good spot. For 1-2h a day. Then it's back in the shadows...
Hello Andy, I have been thinking about your twisting solar panel issue. Just fixing some roof mounts wil not solve your problem, you need a 3d structure with triangles.
Also considering the storm issue, it would be nice if a reverse angle was possible.
I think you need 2 triangle shapes on the sides (closed or welded) that are connected by crossing diagonal bars, both at the bottom and the back. These will give the structure more strength against twisting in any direction. By not choosing a 90 degree angle for the back, you can create an opposite and very shallow angle for the panels in case of storms. The hinge for tilting should be at the back, so that the solar panel front just lifts up for the storm position (could also be horizontal for minimal air resistance and maybe even summer use).
This way you have a very rigid structure to mount your solar panel, and by moving the hinge to the back of the mount the actuator needs less power.
I can make a design if you find the idea interesting, but still somewhat unclear.
It is too much of a hassle to build such a frame. It also would be very heavy and I need Andy2 to help me get it up the roof. And this is just for one panel!
I'll go with the static tilt system as originally designed first and see how much energy the system will generate.
I would try reinforcing / bracing the corners Andy, for prototype / test purposes you could try 45cm square plywood / aluminium backer plate if you have left overs. The same sort of idea you see used to reinforce "helium metal" storage shelving.
@@OffGridGarageAustralia I agree that building something strong is a hassle, but if you are not sure about the strength of your roof, it may be wise to invest some time.
The frame does not need to be very heavy, as you do not need very strong materials with the right design. Compare this to the back of a cabinet (Ikea for example). Even the thinnest sheet of board adds plenty of strength. But without it, the cabinet collapses. You could even use metal wires instead of cross-beams.
If you are not willing to invest time to make this setup strong (and safe), then i think just filling up the roof with as many extra panels and inverter capacity as you need, may a much better idea and has a higher WAF as long as cost is not an issue.
90 degrees Alu profile 30mm*30mm or wider screwed to the frame on the long side will reinforce the frame and probably reduce or remove flexing enough.
The question is, will a reduction of movement be enough or is it still bad for the panels and they will suffer over time? I would rather see a 'no movement' solution.
Did you check out the Everlanders? Jason used air injected actuators... his is just horizontal expansion, but maybe different concept?
You could use a half sissor like dump beds. They use one cylider and have a leg on both sides.
Yeah, my t-shirt is back on show 🤩
Yes, it is still alive! Thanks a lot. I didn't know you're still watching!!!
@@OffGridGarageAustralia yes, I do every episode. it's my favorite show!
Now I have two solar systems. 14.4 kW in the US, and 7.8 kW in Croatia :)
@@antetarokic Oh, wow, that is great to hear. You're full in!
The panel is a two dimensional structure and the flexing is happening on the third dimension. That is why two 'vertical' actuators will make it very rigid. The solution involves the third dimension.
Yes, which also makes it a lot more complex...
Great explanation by the way!
I think the idea from Oliver using a car jack is good. But not a car jack, just the principle. You would have to build the mechanism, I think it shouldn't jam its simple and would be reliable.
Hi Andy, just a wild though, how about keeping the panels flat on the roof but have an angled diffuser raised at an angle, might just give you cloudy day conditions. There also might be a reflector option to do the same kind of thing.
Clouds are the diffuser already. In these conditions my garage setup works well enough. I need these panels to perform in sunny conditions when the others are shaded.
Maybe look for the way "Dobson telescopes" are mounted if you want it to track?
Can't be bothered drawing a design but you could use gas struts similar to ones on a car tailgate. One mounted each side and the actuator in the middle. They would have to be mounted in such away so that when they were folded flat they would have the effect of holding the panels down. It the up position they would support both sides to stop flexing.
I think it would work but would take a bit of trial and error to get it to work. I hope someone can understand what I'm talking about haven't explained it very well!
Could work, yes. Quite a few people have made that suggestion...
Use angled steel, welded together and boltes to the solar panels? Surely this will fix your wobble?
I don't have angled steel, just aluminium.
Like most people's solar panels, my solar panels have MC4 connectors.
After they have been outside making power for a while, it is sometimes necessary to disconnect them for troubleshooting, new wiring configuration, upgrading and so on.
But every time I try to do that, I am so frustrated! Disconnecting flying MC4 connectors can be so hard!
Most of these are cable mount MC4 males to cable mount MC4 females. They are so stuck together!
I have several MC4 removal tools. Some plastic, one metal. They are no help at all. Feels like I'm nearly ripping my shoulder muscles apart trying to disconnect a male MC4 from a female MC4. All the tools do is squeeze the two locking tabs in. This does not free up the connectors from each other at all.
Have you found any MC4 tools that make this job easy?
Check the flex when hinges are installed
How about a single axle with 2 lifting arms for lifting and lowering the two extreme ends, but controlled by a single actuator.
Hi Andy Can you tell me where you got the feet for the tilt system please, When you built the frame, i think it would have been better to have 2/3 cross supports first to give the panel rigidity, then the uprights.. Have a think on using a 2.3m poly pipe with a T in the middle, then 2 90 deg bends on the end and join them with a 60mm straight to a 90 deg bend to a 2.3m straight. On the bottom straight put a chain from there to the bottom of the panel Fully adjustable and sturdy but manual and fairly cheap.. As Paul said think of an easel.. I have seen this on a video, i will try and find it for you. P.s great video and keep up the great work :)
Have two rails fixed to the roof under the panel and fix polly pipe clips to the rails for the relevant angles
I have the links for the tilt system in the description.
You could use a scissor mechanism along the back to stabilize it while only using one linear actuator. I mean across the back edge, not perpendicular. I can't find an email to send you a diagram.
It's best to rant in German. It sounds much nicer than English rants 😂
And it's so much easier 😂
With such easy access to your roof and the fact that you are not trying to track east to west and only the summer and winter angle I would just do this manually maybe once a week. You proved this yourself by comparing the 3 panels at a greater angle in the garden to the 1 panel at a lower angle on the roof. Don’t over engineer this Andy. As they say “keep it simple stupid”
I have now installed a fixed tilt system as originally planned.
Mr negative Nellie, you need two items for the start of this project. First a toy that tracks the sun so you can chart angles and directions thru the year. Second a wind monitor to do the same. Once these figures are known then everything else is easy😊
Mr. Seem-to-know-everything, you haven't watched my other videos about this project. I'm not building a tracker here 😊 The title is just click-bait 😂
@@OffGridGarageAustralia Response is apt
Torsion would be best sorted with angle rather than box section. If you can get large sections of aluminium angle instead, for the same weight you can get more distance away from the plane of the panel, which is better leverage against twisting. It also allows you to use a simple hole and bolt to mount an actuator.
When it comes to actuators, have you considered a hydraulic solution? the fluid can help balance for different resistance on each strut so that they come up level without needing to use sensors or logic to keep electric actuators aligned with eachother. Much easier to monitor and control a single pump for flow and pressure for reference points.
without further ado
phrase of ado
without any fuss or delay; immediately.
"without further ado he hurried down the steps"
That sounds wrong. Who is Ado?
I've had three firgelli actuators fail recently stripped out screw drive it's plastic they also won't supply the replacement parts at $400 for each actuator kinda sucks
Great, sound like good quality...
Grammar (spelling) police here. It should be too big not to big. Love your videos Andy.
Comment Police here. Last warning!
Love your comments, Matt 😄
What about using very long and narrow panels like the SLP080S-12M or something similar. Then you could statically tilt many of them due to the low shadow angle. Then combine them with Reino’s tilting idea.
These are already as long as the roof allows. Longer ones would stand over the gutter😄
@@OffGridGarageAustralia Yes but not longer than what you have, just half or a third as wide as what you have. Same length. Long and narrow.
you need One actuator pushing a triangle actuator in the centre the 2 ends of the triangle Attached to the bottom of the frame of the solar panel on both sides. (though you may lose some range) The triangle will make everything stronger
That's a lot of triangles and mechanics...
1 triangle on each solar panel the triangle will stop it from twisting.
Wieso machst nicht über Kreuz X ? Würde das nicht weniger wackeln.Hab dich kurz gesehen im live chat von Jens ✌Ja das ist das Problem umso größer das Panel ist umso eher ist es wabbliger.
Think of a roof trusts. You need to make them in angles so the force is pulled to the center and it will be stable.
Seeing the scissor lift options and then seeing someone using a scissor lift car jack... Sure it's overkill but it's ubiquitous and should be cheap to buy from the local wrecking yard....
Making a frame for the back of the solar panel for stability, that panel is so big that it can be used as a gate! Hmmmm what do you do to give a gate more stability? How about a cross brace? That way you Link all three rail's diagonally... Not sure if this would work for this specific application... You tried different ways and all of them had the rails at 90° angles to each other but maybe, just maybe one rail at 45° from the top of one side to the bottom of the other crossing the middle rail in the middle of it... It's so simple that it might actually work....
My wooden gate is built that way, has two hinges on one side and the latch on the opposite side and it doesn't wobble....
I too have been considering adding panels that are aimed specifically at the winter solstice sun... I plan to fix them in one position and be done with it, it doesn't matter if they don't perform well during the other months, the other panels do very well except for the last week of June and the first week of July and this is where I need just a little more power...
I might have to mount my winter panels to gates LoL... With the gate latch, I could even make the angle adjustable by drilling a few more holes LoL... Basically adjust it and put a padlock on it to lock it in place LoL....
Another idea: Buy Solarpanels with other dimensions. There are some with a width of only 54 cm, e. g. from sunpower. But unfortunately they are much more expensive. Advantage: They don't make too big/long shadows.
That would not help at all as I would need many of them, so the area to reach my 2kW is the same if not larger...
@@OffGridGarageAustralia Well, think about all your invests in solving this problem. You waste money and time and much more to find a solution that solves any point in this situation. Find a compromise.
In the other way, we're well entertained to watch your videos. ;)
@@erwa8729 I'm not considering this as a waste of time or money. As I'm trying different things to see what is working and what not, I'm more than happy to share my findings.
Hi Andy, der Lüfter von deinem Multiplus rattert ziemlich laut. Da gibt es mittlerweile von Victron ein Upgrade Kit, das man kostenlos via Händler bekommt. Der Lüfter ist zwar bei Volllast immer noch laut, aber das Kattern bei Teillast ist dann weg.
That's not bothering me as it hangs inside the garage.
Hi Andy,
Why don't you use a gas cilinder left and right (like a car hood) and 1 actuator in the middle?
That may work. Just, where to mount them. They need to have a very defined mounting point.
Hi Andy, Reinforce the panels? KISS
Hi there have you heard of GEB batteries (general electric battery co ) they seem to be pretty big sellers in the EU
Yes.
Frame would be stiffer i you install second set of 3 cross rails under the horizontal rails in addition the the 3 cross rails on top.
I'm running out of rails...😁
@@OffGridGarageAustralia They do not have to be expensive rails. Square tubes or "C" or "L" shaped pieces would do the job.
The more "boxy" is the frame the stiffer it is. Flat frame will newer be stiff.
Who is "Ado"? 🤔🤔
🤣😂🤣🤣
Its pronounced "adooo"
Some great ideas from your viewers 👏👏
I'm sure you'll get there in the end tho 🤞👍
Oh, and try the longest bar attached to the panel 1st, then the 3 shorter bars underneath 😉
Are you Ado? You seem to know a bit about him...
@@OffGridGarageAustralia 😂🤣😂 🍻🍻
Have you thought of a gas strut system? Like a car bonnet.
Yes.
Wie wäre es mit einem Scherenheber? Der greift mit einem Antrieb an zwei Positionen an.
Find locations to mount more panels, even though its may not be the ideal location you will still get power some of the time. A tracker costs money and requires maintenance, better to put that money into more panels.