Would definitely make your job easier if somebody designed mid clamps that were flush fitting. I'm from the UK and electric is very expensive, but we only get snow for a handful of days a years so doesn't matter so much.
Kudos to you for building a solar system in such an inhospitable climate. I live on Maui and I'm building a 16.5 kW system to go completely offline. But even now on December 22nd, we will get 4.5 hours of usable sunlight ( over 1,000 watts per meter squared). Do you get enough wind to supplement in the winter?
Thank you! We have found that we can use solar all year round. The sun works just as well on those cold days as the warm ones, and a few extra panels makes up for the shorter winter days.
No doubt it is the hardest I worked for the least amount of pay lol, but I still do it as soon as I can as we get a lot of snow in Muskoka and it is more work if it get to be more than 6 inches deep and I hate those clamps too.
Top of pole mount is how every solar powered home in north Idaho I've seen is done. Reason are we don't like snow removal chores. With your solar panels tipoff polemoint and have the bottom 6 feet off the ground when panelsare set to winter angle of 65°. At this far north it maximizes solar power production and mire importantly snow doesn't really stick to them at this steep a angle. I only have to do snow solar panel chores if I get 6 feet of standing snow on the ground most years I don't. Solar powered since 1983 40 years teaches you things.
Absolutely. Every property owners circumstances and available space will make a difference. Any time you can go ground mount it makes maximizing production in the winter much more efficient!
Note to self: Do NOT put solar panels on the roof of a building in Canada, unless it's an A-Frame with one side facing south! I couldn't imagine living that far north and having solar panels that can't be adjusted seasonally.
Really depends on the owners goals and circumstances. Whenever a property can allow for ground mounted solar array--100% its the way to go. Ground mount for the purpose of adjustability, snow clearing and maximum production does provide its positive benefits. Owners should consider the cost of a ground mount in 90% of cases will exceed a roof mount installation. When you live off the grid full time, unequivocally a ground mount system has numerous benefits over a roof mounted system.
Hello Peter, that may depend on how much snow is on the panels, but we recommend you use a snow rake to clear the panels in the winter and from there generally the panels will melt what remains on the panels from there.
Ok great! I was looking at vertically mounted solar panels today just because of how much snow we get. They perform worse than south facing in the summer but if you have snow the light reflected off the ground can make them comparable in the winter when I need it the most. And you don’t need to clean them. We get 15-20 feet of snow each winter. I’m at 9k feet in the mountains. Just thought I would share since you probably get decent snow too in your spot.
@@peterwilkinson1975 Absolutely, what some of our clients use is an adjustable ground mount where you can use a crank to change the angle depending on the season.
Hello from Montana, I dont do much. I just let it thaw through the day. Not really worth my time for 30 cents a day of difference. I only pay 11 cents per KW.
Sometimes a couple initial swipes with a snow rakes enables mother nature to take over and no other effort is needed. But you’re right, for .11/kwh doesn’t pay for your time. Thanks for tuning in!
This is why I will never put solar on a roof in Canada. You end up with a crappy angle that takes forever to melt off and poor performance because of the angle in winter as well. Where as a ground mount can be tilted for maximum gain. And if you are particularly clever, you can enclose the mount and heat it for free too.
I’m at 38 degrees latitude. My 32,000 W of PV are angled at 45° to 66°. Why would you have them at 20 degrees in Canada? Guess what, most of my snow slides right off. Only the stickiest snow in below 32°F weather will stay on.
Would definitely make your job easier if somebody designed mid clamps that were flush fitting.
I'm from the UK and electric is very expensive, but we only get snow for a handful of days a years so doesn't matter so much.
We concur with the design application. Especially all of us who deal with snow clearing!
We concur with the design application. Especially all of us who deal with snow clearing!
We concur with the design application. Especially all of us who deal with snow clearing!
Kudos to you for building a solar system in such an inhospitable climate. I live on Maui and I'm building a 16.5 kW system to go completely offline. But even now on December 22nd, we will get 4.5 hours of usable sunlight ( over 1,000 watts per meter squared). Do you get enough wind to supplement in the winter?
Thank you! We have found that we can use solar all year round. The sun works just as well on those cold days as the warm ones, and a few extra panels makes up for the shorter winter days.
We pay 12 cents per kW here in southern IL and we only get a few days of snow like that, so we will wait for Mother Nature to do all that work for me.
No doubt it is the hardest I worked for the least amount of pay lol, but I still do it as soon as I can as we get a lot of snow in Muskoka and it is more work if it get to be more than 6 inches deep and I hate those clamps too.
Ground mount whenever possible!
I love the leaf blower indea would work better on an actual mount for the panels
Top of pole mount is how every solar powered home in north Idaho I've seen is done. Reason are we don't like snow removal chores. With your solar panels tipoff polemoint and have the bottom 6 feet off the ground when panelsare set to winter angle of 65°. At this far north it maximizes solar power production and mire importantly snow doesn't really stick to them at this steep a angle. I only have to do snow solar panel chores if I get 6 feet of standing snow on the ground most years I don't. Solar powered since 1983 40 years teaches you things.
Absolutely. Every property owners circumstances and available space will make a difference. Any time you can go ground mount it makes maximizing production in the winter much more efficient!
Note to self: Do NOT put solar panels on the roof of a building in Canada, unless it's an A-Frame with one side facing south! I couldn't imagine living that far north and having solar panels that can't be adjusted seasonally.
Really depends on the owners goals and circumstances. Whenever a property can allow for ground mounted solar array--100% its the way to go. Ground mount for the purpose of adjustability, snow clearing and maximum production does provide its positive benefits. Owners should consider the cost of a ground mount in 90% of cases will exceed a roof mount installation. When you live off the grid full time, unequivocally a ground mount system has numerous benefits over a roof mounted system.
Perhaps a leaf blower would get the light snow off
Leaf Blowers Are a Great Ideas for light Snow. Thanks for checking in.
I live where theres a couple months with up to -30f i was curious if the suns heat was enough to melt snow in that kind of cold?
Hello Peter, that may depend on how much snow is on the panels, but we recommend you use a snow rake to clear the panels in the winter and from there generally the panels will melt what remains on the panels from there.
Ok great! I was looking at vertically mounted solar panels today just because of how much snow we get. They perform worse than south facing in the summer but if you have snow the light reflected off the ground can make them comparable in the winter when I need it the most. And you don’t need to clean them. We get 15-20 feet of snow each winter. I’m at 9k feet in the mountains. Just thought I would share since you probably get decent snow too in your spot.
@@peterwilkinson1975 Absolutely, what some of our clients use is an adjustable ground mount where you can use a crank to change the angle depending on the season.
What are you doing with your snow covered modules this winter?
Hello from Montana, I dont do much. I just let it thaw through the day. Not really worth my time for 30 cents a day of difference. I only pay 11 cents per KW.
Sometimes a couple initial swipes with a snow rakes enables mother nature to take over and no other effort is needed. But you’re right, for .11/kwh doesn’t pay for your time.
Thanks for tuning in!
This is why I will never put solar on a roof in Canada. You end up with a crappy angle that takes forever to melt off and poor performance because of the angle in winter as well. Where as a ground mount can be tilted for maximum gain. And if you are particularly clever, you can enclose the mount and heat it for free too.
I’m at 38 degrees latitude. My 32,000 W of PV are angled at 45° to 66°. Why would you have them at 20 degrees in Canada? Guess what, most of my snow slides right off. Only the stickiest snow in below 32°F weather will stay on.
Great question, because often homes are limited to their roof pitch if they don't have the ground mount space.