Demo of Zombie Pneumatic Solar Tracking (solar panel on equatorial mount controlled from afar).

Using air pressure on a "pneumatic grid" to move solar panelS on equatorial mount. A tracking solar panel is much more efficient than a stationary one because it is always pointing straight at the sun and getting the maximum solar energy to convert to electricity. But it is expensive to add motors to each solar panel so people just leave them stationary. With this air system, you set it up so that air pressure slowly increases over the course of the day and it can move 10 or 12 solar panels in different places to keep them pointed at the sun (it doesn't have to be equatorial mount, but equatorial mount is the easiest one to demonstrate)

[@BalticHomesteaders]

I love the engineering and maybe I'm missing something but why not use a higher torque motor to spin the panel directly?

[@Brians-Easy-Low-Tech-Solutions]

Thank you. It's because one of these "timers" and one air pump can spin 10 or 20 or 30 panels at the same time. I don't know the cost of 10 higher torque motors or the maintenance on this compared to higher torque motors on every tracker, but hopefully this will be cheaper. Also, if the float is a fairly good fit into the cylindrical containers, you get a "damping" effect for wind gusts, because the wind energy gets transferred to the water around the float. I think this will mean these things (if they ever go mainstream) will last longer and if anything goes wrong, you can fix it without ordering a bunch of parts from the manufacturer.

[@AutoNomades]

Interesting ! So if i understood good, it is more like a blind clock, well adjusted to the sun's course than a solar tracker using some captors ? What happends when the maximum course of the day is reached ? Is there some automatic reset every night ?

[@Brians-Easy-Low-Tech-Solutions]

I'll probably do it like a 24 hour clock. Any tiny leaks in the system will let the air out over a few hours, return the water to the lower tank and reset the thing to the morning values.

[@AutoNomades]

Ok ! @@Brians-Easy-Low-Tech-Solutions

[@ChristieNel]

If you're going to use an electric motor, you can just as well use full tracking electronics?

[@Brians-Easy-Low-Tech-Solutions]

On every solar panel? I also realize that I can use the low pressure air as an analogue "timing circuit" to automatically switch on and off things in my greenhouse (that doesn't have electricity). So, it might be able to close and open thermal blinds at night and in the morning and maybe automate other chores in the greenhouse too. all it needs to do is have another set of containers and a cam that rises and switches on and off various valves as it rises. I currently water everything there on the same schedule (dictated by my electrical timer) but not all plants need the same amount of water, so this analogue timing system would probably help with the watering too.

[@ChristieNel]

@@Brians-Easy-Low-Tech-SolutionsUnless you can drive them all from the same motor? Which low pressure air do you mean?

[@AutoNomades]

@@Brians-Easy-Low-Tech-Solutions For the venting there are passive solar pistons working with air or wax (like in the cooling fluid system of the cars), expanding with heat.. Can be used to open windows, to moove the pannel in the right direction...