Thanks for taking the time to break down some research with all of us. I believe there are a lot of people out there that are always trying to make the determination between trackers and ground mounts. I found this very interesting!
Except his math is very wrong. Ground = 855. Tracker = 1,169. That is a whopping 36% increase! Yet he claims only 23% - 27%. We can't trust what he says. And then he says to get a 23% increase, we must increase from 6 panels, to 9 panels. Umm no! That is a 50% increase. He is bad at math!
Generally speaking, I agree. U just forgot to add the added cost of a bigger system on the fixed mount; more mppts or bigger inverter due to the higher output.
Your percentages are off, as it appears you are dividing by the wrong number. The first instance for Houston, the tracking system produced 37% more power than the fixed system for the same 6 panels. You are taking the difference and dividing by the tracking system power produced. You should be dividing the difference by the fixed system power produced. Same thing goes for Anchorage. The additional number of panels needed on fixed system to match tracking system appears correct.
I live off grid. I'm considering a tracker because even though it may be more expensive than adding a solar panel, I do not think I will need additional batteries to store the energy for later use. Instead in the afternoons I can get the most sun from the west so I only need enough battery to last me overnight. Right now I can use my solar panels in their prime hours no problem without drawing the battery. My thought is that at the end of the day my batteries are "topped off" for the night. Right now they are stationary and once you get passed 2 or 3pm I start drawing battery and by night time the batteries need to be charged with the generator. (in summer when I'm running the AC all day anyways 😅)
I did this using excel a few years ago. Just based it on the equinox. Result was just under 30%. The cost of the tracking system in my case would be very little since I started out as a boilermaker welder and these days I run a small mechatronics business. Got all bases covered. LOL.
In this case ... Ground = 855. Tracker = 1,169. That is a whopping 36% increase. The results in this video a flawed. He claims, 23% - 27% increase ... Ummm no!
Anchorage, Alaska... freeze on the solar panel then put a permanent heat pad on the solar panel's back then use home's electronics for a short time and a melt freeze will fix the problem.
I still need some trackers. It's not about how much power I get in total, but when I get the power. With pure south facing fixed panels. I start using my battery earlier then if I have a tracker system. Likewise, I start getting enough power to cover the load later.
I have had my eye on system like that for meay years the only thing holding me back was the fact that I couldn't find any information about the longevity of said system. I did hear one guy in a forum say he wasn't going to get one after his second sun chaser failed on him. Saying that both together didn't last him 7 years. That would get expensive fast 😮 once again you knocked it out of the park... 👍
Hello I purchased, 350 dollars, the activators go out, can be replaced 46 dollars a piece. Thier the things that make tracker move. I'm just starting good fortunes God bless
@@sleepingbear6116 I was expecting the tracker system would generate the double than the fixed system. For an off-grid system you need 3 groups of panels: - East - South - West For a grid-tye system all fixed panels can be directed to the south. It makes no difference. Also one can use mirrors 🪞 to increase the power generated.
@@sleepingbear6116 Great idea. Cover the dish 📡 with aluminum foil or mirror foil. I am not sure if white is the best color or aluminum. We must do an experiment.
Great information. I'm East of Houston and still experimenting with solar, so not permanent installation yet. I've mounted 2- 400 watt bifacial panels on 2x4 wood rack with wheels. I built 4 racks with 2 panels each. I have been facing east in the morning and west in the afternoon around 2:00PM. I'm retired so if I am home I flip the rack over. If I will be gone for day or more, I face panels south. When I am able to flip panels over I get over 20kw a sunny day. Facing south I get around 12-14kw. Have you seen any solar setup for east and west? I know some people might say too much trouble flipping panels. But being retired no problem, takes 3 min. just enjoying experimenting.
They are called single axis trackers and are used for east-west. Going out and manually turning the panels is quite some work. But 20kW seems like a lot for 800W of panels.
@@cleversolarpower I also have 1 bifacial 400/500 panel with viltron 100/30 smart controller. I connected to chins 100ah battery. It has made 2.8kw in one good day of sunlight. My panels are all 400/500 Hyperion bifacial panels from Signature Solar
Awesome video, thanks a lot. I've totally changed my opinion on trackers. *I have an unrelated question:* In winter when it snows, I assume panels don't produce power. Is it worth it to have some sort of mechanism to clear off the snow every 10mins automatically? Like a automatic gate mechanism, but instead of a sliding gate it's a brush that removes snow. Should work in the winter pretty well, better than climbing up there to clear snow manually right?
It would not be financially viable, but you can do it. Also, in winter, your panels are more vertical (if you can adjust the tilt). then the snow might slide off.
I live in the mid-atlantic area of the US, and here, the optimum winter angle is about 45 degrees, which is plenty steep enough to shed snow. Even the year-round optimum of 31 degrees is plenty steep, as long as the panels don't have any raised framing. I suspect most pleases that have significant snow fall will have proportionally steep angles. Of course there will be exceptions at high elevations in more equatorial regions.
Hi Nick, I have just set up a stand alone system with 6 12v 190amp lead acid batteries in parallel to a 12v 2500w inverter with a PL60 charge controller. I’ve use two old roof top solar panels 310w to charge them. I get plenty of sun hours but the batteries are always too low in the morning to run a 2000w toaster or kettle. Would I be better getting a 24v or 48v inverter and connect the batteries in series?
Good video, but maintenance he makes it a deal breaker.. actirvaters Go out can be replaced 46 dollars Amazon. Only other part is computer running it. And no reports on failers. (From my research) 30% adds up. Takes less space, looks Cool (fun to watch 😊) i got on sale 350 big reason made jump 550 is little high my opinion. Ill make video on some day? God bless and enjoy the day!
I said 40° tilt angle for the fixed system, but i actually calculated it with the most optimal year round tilt angle of 28°. year round tilt angle = latitude -2.5°. So little error there in the voiceover but not in the numbers. Thanks for noticing.
the tracker is moved by 12V 6-10Amp battery, u can also charge with with a small solar panel mount to the tracker so it will be charged during the day, but the usage is very low as the actuators move every 5-10 min a bit
*Due to the extreme drop in prices in the solar sector it now makes much more sense to simply install more solar panes instead of a tracker!* Tracker = mechanics & electronics outdoors = susceptible to maintenance and repair! Solar modules = at least 25 years maintenance and repair-free! So that you have yields all day long, you should install them in S-E (in the morning) and S-W direction. In the meantime, however, a storage system makes more sense.
At time @2:10 your math is very wrong. Ground Mount = 855. Tracker = 1,169. That is a whopping 36% Increase! Your computuon of a 23% "difference" is ridiculous.
Thanks for taking the time to break down some research with all of us. I believe there are a lot of people out there that are always trying to make the determination between trackers and ground mounts. I found this very interesting!
Except his math is very wrong. Ground = 855. Tracker = 1,169. That is a whopping 36% increase! Yet he claims only 23% - 27%. We can't trust what he says. And then he says to get a 23% increase, we must increase from 6 panels, to 9 panels. Umm no! That is a 50% increase. He is bad at math!
California High Desert gets Crazy Winds Randomly so a Sturdy Ground Mount Rack is Preferred - Thank You for the Video 🤙🏆
Generally speaking, I agree. U just forgot to add the added cost of a bigger system on the fixed mount; more mppts or bigger inverter due to the higher output.
Your percentages are off, as it appears you are dividing by the wrong number. The first instance for Houston, the tracking system produced 37% more power than the fixed system for the same 6 panels. You are taking the difference and dividing by the tracking system power produced. You should be dividing the difference by the fixed system power produced. Same thing goes for Anchorage. The additional number of panels needed on fixed system to match tracking system appears correct.
I live off grid. I'm considering a tracker because even though it may be more expensive than adding a solar panel, I do not think I will need additional batteries to store the energy for later use. Instead in the afternoons I can get the most sun from the west so I only need enough battery to last me overnight. Right now I can use my solar panels in their prime hours no problem without drawing the battery. My thought is that at the end of the day my batteries are "topped off" for the night. Right now they are stationary and once you get passed 2 or 3pm I start drawing battery and by night time the batteries need to be charged with the generator. (in summer when I'm running the AC all day anyways 😅)
do we need to worry about wind and stress on the tracker compared to fixed ?
I did this using excel a few years ago. Just based it on the equinox. Result was just under 30%. The cost of the tracking system in my case would be very little since I started out as a boilermaker welder and these days I run a small mechatronics business. Got all bases covered. LOL.
Then your calculation was spot on. Thanks for sharing!
In this case ... Ground = 855. Tracker = 1,169. That is a whopping 36% increase. The results in this video a flawed. He claims, 23% - 27% increase ... Ummm no!
Anchorage, Alaska... freeze on the solar panel then put a permanent heat pad on the solar panel's back then use home's electronics for a short time and a melt freeze will fix the problem.
Best solar power channel hands down.
Except his math is terrible. Ground = 855. Tracker = 1,169. That is a whopping 36% increase. Not 23%, not 27%.
I still need some trackers. It's not about how much power I get in total, but when I get the power. With pure south facing fixed panels. I start using my battery earlier then if I have a tracker system. Likewise, I start getting enough power to cover the load later.
I have had my eye on system like that for meay years the only thing holding me back was the fact that I couldn't find any information about the longevity of said system. I did hear one guy in a forum say he wasn't going to get one after his second sun chaser failed on him. Saying that both together didn't last him 7 years. That would get expensive fast 😮 once again you knocked it out of the park... 👍
Hello I purchased, 350 dollars, the activators go out, can be replaced 46 dollars a piece. Thier the things that make tracker move. I'm just starting good fortunes God bless
@@sleepingbear6116
I was expecting the tracker system would generate the double than the fixed system.
For an off-grid system you need 3 groups of panels:
- East
- South
- West
For a grid-tye system all fixed panels can be directed to the south. It makes no difference.
Also one can use mirrors 🪞 to increase the power generated.
@@ajarivas72 I'm making like a radar dish under the mount for tracker.. paint white?
@@sleepingbear6116
Great idea. Cover the dish 📡 with aluminum foil or mirror foil. I am not sure if white is the best color or aluminum. We must do an experiment.
@@ajarivas72 I like you.. lol just going to make dish to reflect at peak of day. Be Nice if dish moved with tracker? Hmmmmmm lol
Good Afternoon ! Thank You. TAKE CARE..
Awesome! You just saved me $$$ and time. Thank you...
Glad i could help!
Definitely love your videos! They’ve been extremely helpful, so helpful when in fact, I went ahead and ordered your book.
Thanks for your support!
tracking means maintenance and expenses when broke, easer to put extra pv on solid mounts
Exactly.
Trackers are good but not for windy areas.
Great information. I'm East of Houston and still experimenting with solar, so not permanent installation yet. I've mounted 2- 400 watt bifacial panels on 2x4 wood rack with wheels. I built 4 racks with 2 panels each. I have been facing east in the morning and west in the afternoon around 2:00PM. I'm retired so if I am home I flip the rack over. If I will be gone for day or more, I face panels south. When I am able to flip panels over I get over 20kw a sunny day. Facing south I get around 12-14kw. Have you seen any solar setup for east and west? I know some people might say too much trouble flipping panels. But being retired no problem, takes 3 min. just enjoying experimenting.
They are called single axis trackers and are used for east-west. Going out and manually turning the panels is quite some work. But 20kW seems like a lot for 800W of panels.
@@cleversolarpower I have 2 panels per rack and have 4 racks = 8 panels total
@@cleversolarpower I also have 1 bifacial 400/500 panel with viltron 100/30 smart controller. I connected to chins 100ah battery. It has made 2.8kw in one good day of sunlight. My panels are all 400/500 Hyperion bifacial panels from Signature Solar
Great information, thanks!
Awesome video, thanks a lot. I've totally changed my opinion on trackers.
*I have an unrelated question:*
In winter when it snows,
I assume panels don't produce power.
Is it worth it to have some sort of mechanism to clear off the snow every 10mins automatically?
Like a automatic gate mechanism, but instead of a sliding gate it's a brush that removes snow.
Should work in the winter pretty well, better than climbing up there to clear snow manually right?
It would not be financially viable, but you can do it. Also, in winter, your panels are more vertical (if you can adjust the tilt). then the snow might slide off.
@@cleversolarpower Ok, thanks a lot
I live in the mid-atlantic area of the US, and here, the optimum winter angle is about 45 degrees, which is plenty steep enough to shed snow. Even the year-round optimum of 31 degrees is plenty steep, as long as the panels don't have any raised framing. I suspect most pleases that have significant snow fall will have proportionally steep angles. Of course there will be exceptions at high elevations in more equatorial regions.
Hi Nick, I have just set up a stand alone system with 6 12v 190amp lead acid batteries in parallel to a 12v 2500w inverter with a PL60 charge controller. I’ve use two old roof top solar panels 310w to charge them. I get plenty of sun hours but the batteries are always too low in the morning to run a 2000w toaster or kettle. Would I be better getting a 24v or 48v inverter and connect the batteries in series?
You need to join a Solar Forum. Nobody on RUclips is going to redesign / fix your system.
Good video, but maintenance he makes it a deal breaker.. actirvaters Go out can be replaced 46 dollars Amazon. Only other part is computer running it. And no reports on failers. (From my research) 30% adds up. Takes less space, looks Cool (fun to watch 😊) i got on sale 350 big reason made jump 550 is little high my opinion. Ill make video on some day? God bless and enjoy the day!
What about the probability of damage from hail?
Both would be susceptible.
Why would you give the fixed system the worst case mount angle instead of the optimal angle for annual production??
I said 40° tilt angle for the fixed system, but i actually calculated it with the most optimal year round tilt angle of 28°. year round tilt angle = latitude -2.5°. So little error there in the voiceover but not in the numbers. Thanks for noticing.
@@cleversolarpower Oh, ok. Thanks for clarifying. Great videos overall, btw. The info you share is much appreciated.
How much energy does the tracker consume please?
No idea, but it wouldn't be much anyway.
the tracker is moved by 12V 6-10Amp battery, u can also charge with with a small solar panel mount to the tracker so it will be charged during the day, but the usage is very low as the actuators move every 5-10 min a bit
I think I would prefer a tracker vs ground mount. Simply because I have limited space, with trees and houses all around. Phoenix, Arizona metro area.
Then a tracker makes sense 👍
I have open sky, but got tracker because 30% adds up fast!
Dual axis trackers never makes financial sense when compared to fixed mount because of their tendency for mechanical failure.
*Due to the extreme drop in prices in the solar sector it now makes much more sense to simply install more solar panes instead of a tracker!*
Tracker = mechanics & electronics outdoors = susceptible to maintenance and repair! Solar modules = at least 25 years maintenance and repair-free!
So that you have yields all day long, you should install them in S-E (in the morning) and S-W direction.
In the meantime, however, a storage system makes more sense.
350 for tracker on sale, ground mount moving?? Lol
At time @2:10 your math is very wrong. Ground Mount = 855. Tracker = 1,169. That is a whopping 36% Increase! Your computuon of a 23% "difference" is ridiculous.