DIY Dual Axis Grid Tied Solar Tracker

[@tonyfrewin4822]

Great job 👍. I thought it was rusty metal when I saw the thumbnail 😂. That’s a really nice project Sam.

[@SamsDIY]

Thank you very much! It's still working great.

[@ozb2006]

cool setup, we just had hurricane ian pass by Orlando fl and we lost power i have an apc2200 and was thinking to wire it up with a couple of panels too...

[@SamsDIY]

I'm sure you could do it, you could have solar panels to a charge controller, and an inverter running the UPS. I have a setup now like that where it's hooked into my generator sub panel with a 3 position changeover switch for grid/generator/ or Inverter power to my sub panel. UPS takes care of the power loss until you switch on the inverter.

[@cowboymcq6711]

Awesome videos dude I just found your channel. And I’m actually in CT with eversource as well and thinking of building a DIY grid tie system These videos are a big help

[@SamsDIY]

Awesome, I'm glad it helped you out! If you have any questions feel free to ask!

[@scotthenderson9918]

I really appreciate your design it's something most homeowners could realistically build, often dual axis trackers are too cost prohibitive for many. May I ask if you had any special zoning issues and or connection to the local grid? Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@SamsDIY]

Yes definitely can be done by most anyone! There was just the building permit through my town, as well as the application to interconnect to the grid. Ground mount setups are less strict from what I have gathered. Just had to make up a schematic for the electric company and then they have to commission it, which consists of them having you shut off AC disconnect to simulate a power outage, and verifying that it is rapid shutdown compliant ( stops producing power within a few seconds of no grid power, and at least 5 min delay between grid power back on and solar to resume production) Then you need a bi directional net meter from the electric company. Hope this helps!

[@christiankulmann3325]

Nice Solar Tracker.

[@SamsDIY]

Thank you very much!

[@EPMSolutions1]

Great build. Can you post any plans?

[@SamsDIY]

I can post the 3 or so pictures I got off the internet plans that I went off of. They were just previews of the full plans you could purchase but I didn't want to pay! Lol I obviously beefed it up comparitively since my panels were much larger, and I was using 3 instead of 2. Just have to figure out how to post the pictures haha.

[@arneldiocena3357]

nice project..wooden frame...interesting ...me too..i stated my prototype coco lumber structure..

[@SamsDIY]

Thanks, the wooden frame has held up great so far! It's been about 5 years. Good luck with yours!

[@earthenergyhex]

Nice, it looks like one James Biggar made only bigger and dual axis. nice work

[@SamsDIY]

Exactly! I changed the design slightly but that's who I got the idea from.

[@earthenergyhex]

@@SamsDIY Yeah you did a good job, I am gonna copy yours and build 2 of them.

[@frankanitafredriksen4744]

Is this construction strong enough for heavy wind?

[@SamsDIY]

Mine has withstood 50mph winds, it will move around a bit depending on the wind direction. If the wind is too strong I just wedge a 4x4 behind one side and turn it off, and then it doesn't move at all.

[@peninahnjenga2580]

Hey, do you have the design calculations of the project? Could you also assist with the CAD drawings. Will be much appreciated

[@SamsDIY]

I don't have any calculations and I built this just based on noting where the sun was every week for a full year. That is where I got the location for the post in the ground and I just took measurements from where I wanted fully east to be and fully west so I could get the correct length linear actuator. I added the second actuator a few months later so I could capture more in the morning and afternoon. There are CAD drawings you can purchase for this style tracker that I have seen in the past but I didn't want to buy them, even though it wouldve been totally worth it. Hope this helps!

[@hammadiazaiez9337]

can u please give us a link or the model of the 2 motors blocks

[@SamsDIY]

Sure, for the linear actuators?

[@SamsDIY]

Okay I found some time to write the linear actuator info down! For the East/West actuator, I used WindyNation LIN-ACHD-18. This is a 12/24v, Heavy Duty, 18" stroke, 750lb. I paid $185.99 last year in March. For the North/South actuator, I used Progressive Automations PA-03-12-600. This is a 12v, 12" stroke, 600lb. I paid $138.99 for this last year in May. Hope this helps, let me know if you need any more info!

[@hammadiazaiez9337]

@@SamsDIY thank you so much ❤️

[@gorillamotors]

I see you have a windy nation 18" HD actuator for the E-W movement. What actuator is that for the N-S movement? How long a stroke?

[@SamsDIY]

At the time I had a Progressive Automation actuator with a 12" stroke but I switched to a lighter duty cheap one with a 16" stroke since it is nice and balanced and doesn't take much to move it N/S.

[@haftomweldekidan4013]

Great work! What is the power source for the solar trackers?

[@SamsDIY]

The power source is a 12v SLA battery with a small 10w solar panel hooked to it to keep it charged. That runs the tracker and the two linear actuators.

[@rohitdama6446]

Really a good project.

[@SamsDIY]

Thanks!

[@rohitdama6446]

@@SamsDIY Can you plz tell me what is the difference between dual axis solar tracking system and automatic solar tracking system using arduino

[@oldshield]

good stuff sir

[@SamsDIY]

Thank you!

[@DanielSann]

That looks great well done. Do you have any idea how much more energy do you get using the tracker compared to a fixed angle and direction? For example if you place the panels 30° S, i'm trying to understand the effectiveness of the system. Thanks!

[@SamsDIY]

I would basically get to peak output almost right away vs when it was fixed it took 2+ hours to line up right. I gain more in the morning and in the afternoon. Ill have to look at my charts from 2019 to find out, I had a fixed ground mount at first.

[@ibrahimandiaye1697]

Great dear how the programmation

[@davidcromapix9083]

And another question is whether the wood is coated with polyurethane? greetings from Argentina !

[@SamsDIY]

Just the deck stain, on top of the pressure treated lumber.

[@onthelake9554]

I understood you to say the ac goes from the Iq7 micro inverters directly to a breaker in the panel ? No main inverter inside ? Thanks

[@SamsDIY]

Yes sir, the MC4 connectors on the solar panel go to the microinverter, and that converts whatever the DC output voltage from the solar panel is to 240v AC. The 240v has to run to a mechanical AC disconnect within 10 feet of the grid meter, then it goes into a 2 pole 20 amp breaker, on the direct opposite side of the 200 amp breaker on the top left of my service panel. So it is on the very bottom right. The 2 hots, black and red in my case, go to the 20 amp breaker, and no ground is required. The IQ7 inverters require a communications gateway called the Enphase IQ Envoy, which requires a separate single pole 20 amp breaker. Hope this helps!

[@onthelake9554]

@@SamsDIY Oh the Envoy is telling them what to do ? Do you like this system , has it give any trouble ? Thanks

[@SamsDIY]

@@onthelake9554 I have had no issues whatsoever with this setup, I really like it and recommend it if you plan on adding more solar to your existing setup in the future. I only have 3 solar panels but I have the ability to connect 12 more without changing anything with the wiring setup. I believe you can have 15 IQ7s on one 20 amp string. The Envoy is just keeping communication between the inverters and the grid, and it also logs all your data as well as being linked to the "enlighten" app on my phone, and I can see all the data it sees.

[@SUPERNVA-gr4sr]

Dog:come here cat let me sniff you butt real quick

[@SamsDIY]

Right lol!

[@engrtalhaaltaf]

Hi sir can you provide me kinematics of this mechanism please I am also working on similar project

[@SamsDIY]

I never drew any schematics for this build, but I might have a couple photos of a CAD drawing showing the layout of a smaller version. I'll see if I can locate the photos!

[@engrtalhaaltaf]

@@SamsDIY I really appreciate your reply

[@crlsjd9381]

How much did you spend to build this solar tracker?

[@SamsDIY]

I spent $260 on the whole tracker setup from windy nation, then I had to buy two linear actuators. I got one from windynation I think that was like $200, the other one was on amazon for like $75 I wanna say. I got the 14 and 16 gauge wire for free, but its cheap and you only need short lengths to run to the actuators. so total around $500, but there are cheaper trackers on amazon. The wood and everything I already had. Had to buy a 10ft. 4x6 to go into the ground and some rebar/concrete.

[@annakquinn7084]

What are the specs if that baby?

[@SamsDIY]

The solar panels are REC 270watt, there's 3 of them on the tracker for a total of 810watts. With those I usually get about 6 to 7 kWh per good sunny day at this time of year. I have the eco worthy dual axis tracker controller and I have a 12" N/S linear actuator and an 18" E/W linear actuator. I have a 10 watt solar panel also attached to the frame to charge the 12v battery constantly that powers the actuators. Hope this helps!

[@annakquinn7084]

@@SamsDIY I meant the baby in the chariot

[@SamsDIY]

Lmao she's a two year old girl now! Lol.

[@MrIonutz2008]

I don't know about arduino, i suppose the ldr's are triggering on when in shadow, what happens to servo when cloudy and both ldr's are in the low light and both are sending signal ? Thank you

[@SamsDIY]

When they are in low light they move until they are all equal signals for N,S,E,W. When the light is even it is satisfied and stops moving.

[@neilwani1178]

I was going to use an old 12 zone sprinkler controller box with 12 relays and a power supply to control the actuator.

[@JasonCarmichael]

Does your SunTura tracker have an option for an anemometer, to park for high wind?

[@SamsDIY]

Mine does not from the factory, but I have heard of others setting up a park position if it sees a certain wind force.

[@jimjakosh2506]

What is the total wattage of your panels and How many KWH does it produce in a month? Are the components from Windy World made in the USA?

[@SamsDIY]

The total wattage is 810 watts - Three 270 watt solar panels. It produced just over 130 KWh in June, 100 KWh in July because it rained so much! 1.8 MWh since I installed them. WindyNation is out of California, but I believe the parts are made in USA by them, I'll check on that to be sure!

[@jimjakosh2506]

@@SamsDIY We live in SW Michigan and we had a fair share of rain in July too. I have 6 panels for 1950 watts on an N-S adjustable system and I made 241 KWH in July which was only about 20% of our usage. I adjust them manually when they get abut 5 degrees off perpendicular to the sun at 1:00 in the after noon. I check the charging rate and when I make the 5 degree adjustment on a real sunny day, it is a 25% increase. I wish I would have put a 1 axis tracker on it. They are heavy to move so it would take a pretty good motor to lift them. i bought my panels from Solar Biz out of New Mexico but the panels are Suniva - made in Michigan until they closed their doors.

[@a6o932]

Hey is there anyway I could contact you personally. I have a ton of questions concerning inspections being it's grid tied.

[@SamsDIY]

What state are you in? Each states inspection will be different to an extent, here in CT they are pretty easy to satisfy.

[@a6o932]

@@SamsDIY I'm in Texas. They are some of the most back ass ward people I've ever worked with in regards to get answers from inspectors. Pretty much anything that's electrical has to be installed and inspected by an electrician and stand alone arrays are not really addressed as to the inspection method if there is one. They are not really DIY friendly.

[@SamsDIY]

@@a6o932 Man that sucks, yeah in CT if you own/have a mortgage, you can do all the electrical yourself, you don't need an electrician. But you obviously have to look up every code and make sure you follow NEC standards. The electric company also comes and tests the system after it's inspected by the town, to make sure it is rapid shutdown compliant. They simulate a power outage with your AC disconnect. They weren't inspecting my wiring or breaker panel, but with my setup it was pretty straightforward. I presented my one line schematic to the electric company and a plot plan to the town.

[@jamesdemuro5923]

Turn the motor the other way and you won't have water issue . very easy

[@SamsDIY]

Yeah you mean mount the motor end on the top correct? I had no way to mount it in that position since it clamps around the tube and it sticks past the mount. I had limited room in the top and a bunch on the bottom so that's why I had to do it that way. Other actuators mount at the top and bottom, but not this one.

[@chuckgreen355]

nice work

[@SamsDIY]

Thanks a lot!

[@Mr.Engineer.]

Could you share where you got that light sensor from?

[@SamsDIY]

The light sensor is part of a kit by WindyNation. They sell it for $259. There are also cheaper ones on amazon but this one has served me well!

[@Mr.Engineer.]

Thank you. I am in the process of designing a 20kW tracker array for my house. So every bit of tips and tricks is valuable :) Planing to build my own tracking logic, so will probably make my own light sensor as well. How well does your design cope with snow loads during the winter and what angle are you then usually at?

[@SamsDIY]

@@Mr.Engineer. Nice that'll be a big one! Mine has no problems with snow load as I went overkill on the actuators since we get pretty heavy winds sometimes. With snow its usually almost at a 45 deg angle in the winter, so any buildup more then 2 inches slides right off.

[@Mr.Engineer.]

Yeah, it is a little ambitious and I am worried about wind gusts. It is going to be a pretty big wind sail. I don't think I have room for 2 smaller ones as one will shadow the other. But nothing are set in stone, so will see how it goes. How far north are you? I am at 60 degrees north and get heavy snow cover during the winter, but since I am so far north the panels will be at a high tilt so it will probably fall off quite easily. I am more worried about those winds.

[@SamsDIY]

I am in Eastern Connecticut, USA so New England weather in the winter, can be a lot of snow sometimes. Wind gusts get up to 60-65 mph pretty often so it has to withstand that. Theres a tracker within 10 miles from me that has 20 panels on it I wanna say, thats a big setup.

[@DonManTV]

👍

[@SamsDIY]

Thanks man!

[@jamesrobertson946]

Your controller is good, but I have not have one to last over a year I have three so at 250 dollars each it builds up over 10 years

[@SamsDIY]

Yeah I had an issue about a year and a half in, but the company had me send it back and they fixed it for free even tho it was out of warranty. It's tough being exposed to the elements constantly. The issue wasn't with the controller but the light sensor getting wet under the clear dome.

[@neilwani1178]

@@SamsDIY I have an idea I am thinking about. I have an old 12 zone sprinkler control box. I want the box and a 12 volt power supply indoors. I was thinking of using the 12 wires of 24 volt ac lines from the sprinkler system to to connect to 24 volt relays. Eleven of the relays would have the outputs tied together. They would send power for a 12 volt power supply to tye actuator. They would move the panels a minute or two 11 times a day. Then the 12th wire would send minus 12 volts to the actuator for enough minutes to reset the system for the next day. Do you think this would work?

[@reviewit8680]

Great work!

[@SamsDIY]

Thanks!

[@reviewit8680]

@@SamsDIY I created the same thing with a different twist. I wish I could upload a picture here. I built because of your video! David

[@SamsDIY]

That's awesome!! I'd love to see a picture of it if there's a way haha.

[@reviewit8680]

@@SamsDIY Mine are single axis because of the wind in northern Maine. So next spring I will build another and make them offset on 2 racks of 3 panels. That should give me son for 8 plus hours. Thx again.

[@davidcromapix9083]

Can I ask you what kind of wood did you use in this project? thanks

[@SamsDIY]

I just used pressure treated wood and then I used a brown deck stain over it after the wood was nice and dried out. I used about 6 or 7 coats of stain, letting it completely dry in between coats.

[@davidcromapix9083]

@@SamsDIY Thank You, I appreciate your comment and details

[@1sysop198]

nice work

[@SamsDIY]

Thank you!