One big ass pole mount array

Joined
Nov 27, 2015
Messages
783
Location
S.E. Idaho USA
rsz_img_20180502_122859336_hdr_2.jpgMy own design, for better or for worse, 4 arrays, each with 12 245 watt modules, all on one big ass pole. This is what happens when a crane guy also does solar. The benefit to me and my customer was this was all done in my shop, not on site, so I work cheaper. The big pole was direct embedded in a 8' deep hole with about 5 or 6 yards of concrete. A couple weeks later I and a helper, and the crane showed up and mounted the already delivered rack withs the panels already mounted and wired, onto the pole and were done in half a day. This was about 5 years ago, the next year the same guy had me built a duplicate just out of the picture, but higher to avoid shading. All non engineered and non UL approved, pretty sure I wouldn't get away with this today, regardless of the fact that they have not fallen over. All used, recycled pipe, and very cost effective as compared to "store bought." I have built and installed over 40 of these 12 module pole mount racks, in three different states, over the last 10 years. I have a special trailer to deliver them, ready to go, and an over width permit (10' is all, so no pilot car required. I have the biggest one ever ready to deliver shortly, I'll post a picture in a few days of that one.
 
It would be really cool if they could track but that would probably be a LOT harder. (And take up a lot more room.)
 
With the cheaper prices for PV, any tracking system really has a hard time being cost effective, especially looking down the road a few decades. Not much to go wrong with a fixed mount, nothing like NO moving parts! Installing more PV while keeping to a fixed array, pencils out better.

My area is right near the corners of Utah, Nevada, and Montana, so going out of state isn't far. The one big array I delivered to a buddy in Elko was the furthest I've been, and we set it using his small crane on his mechanic's truck. I've been impressed with the way the panels shrug off the road trips, zero issues, they are tough, tougher then I thought.
 
are there nonmotroized tracknig arrays? like a tank of liquid that sun heats up as it moves thru sky and pushes a mount aroudn with, ofr small lightweihgt arrays?

been ponderign idea for a while but fugured someoens alreayd tried it somwhere. sorry for spelling amm wiped otu tired
 
^^^^ Excellent idea .
But at those prices it effectively doubles the cost of a solar installation, for a 20-30% increase in output.
Probably better off just investing in extra fixed panels with a distributed set up and avoid the complication of moving tracking mechanisms..
 
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