Solar Tracker,(4kw array) home-made with cheap components.

[@getlostinit3D]

Brilliant design. The flaw I see most people make is that they leave the grass/weeds etc instead of putting something down so you have to mow or weed eat the surrounding areas. which that low could also cause things to fly and hit the panels.

[@grancitodos7318]

The answer is weed killer.

[@glumpy10]

Brilliant. Nothing I admire more than than the DIY utilisation of old junk to make something clever which serves a useful and functional purpose. The smarts in this system is fantastic. Something different and off the wall that I can see would do the job perfectly. Bloody well done mate!

[@struck2soon]

Oil Burner cheers Geeza! High praise from the High Lord of scrap and waste utilisation! Some of the yield figures this produces in the summer are pretty impressive: my record day close to the summer solstice was 44 Kw/h...a couple of neighbours that have the same size system fixed onto their roofs only managed 26 Kw/h on same day....a 69% percent increase for my poxy home-made tracked system!

[@struck2soon]

Thanks Gary, pleased you're impressed! The motor consumes about 10kwh per annum; at this time of the year(summer) I am getting over 40% more yield than my neighbours with fixed arrays. So a good day that gives them 22kwh will give me about 30, therefore producing the additional power needed for a year in about a day.a

[@peterk.4266]

Beautiful project dude, thank you for showing that to us.

[@struck2soon]

Glad you like it, it is still working well!

[@JasonCarmichael]

6 1/2 years later, what is it's the condition? This is some serious MadMax steampunk action going on here! I love it!

[@struck2soon]

Thanks Jason! Surprisingly, this "Scrapheap Challenge" of the solar tracking world continues to function reliably. I think the simplicity is it's strongest point, as anything which does go wrong is usually fixed with ease. To date, I had to renew the large wooden wheel(final drive sprocket) as the first one rotted. Painting wood which is left outdoors is not a good thing, it stops it from breathing. There is now a cover over the wooden wheel. Some of the bike sprockets have also been replaced with cast-offs from the local bike shop. It averages about 4400 kwh per annun, which isn't too bad for a 4kw array in a country not renowned for sunshine. I keep threatening to do an update to this video, I will make a point of it this spring.

[@JasonCarmichael]

@@struck2soon I read that a Siemens panel degrades production 2% the first year and 0.7% per year there after. That means if these are 7 now, they are good for about 235 watts max (3,7 kW). It's amazing to see how much more energy collected by just following SOL is produced. I installed a fixed pitch {37° at 15° pitch) last year with 6.2 kWp, and average 22 kWh a day. I am building another array of panels but 2kw and the expected output is 17 kW per day instead of 7, just by tracking the sun.

[@struck2soon]

Jason, tracking is indeed the simplest way to not only increase yield but provide it for more hours of the day. Your comment re-panel output: even when new I rarely registered a full 4kw output. I have noticed that filtration from various atmospheric factors is the key hinderance. Only on those rare days(well, in England anyway) when the sky is a deep blue do I see anything approaching 4kw output. Despite their age I occasionally still see figures approaching 4kw.

[@struck2soon]

...I forgot to add that my record day was 44kwh, which was achieved just a few days from the summer solstice. We are at 55 degrees north, so at that time of year the days are very long. It is unusual for us to get cloudless days, but it happened at the right time in this instance.

[@zeogiannes]

Ingenious Rube Goldberg like machine! You were very smart to mount the panels close to the ground in order to minimize the effects of wind loading. The separate arrays is also a very good idea to facilitate monitoring and repair without affecting the entire system.

[@struck2soon]

Cheers! Since uploading this clip the system has had all the little teething troubles sorted, and now runs very reliably. At this time of year (May) I am getting about 35% to 40% more than my neighbours with fixed south orientation, that will peak at about 45% more next month. This only applies on a sunny day, when cloudy the difference is negligible.

[@zeogiannes]

struck2soon Thumbs up mate!

[@mightycatalyzer748]

Thank! A beautiful solution from improvised means, I liked it very much!

[@struck2soon]

Thank you. You need to bear in mind that a system like this will need more upkeep than one of the professionally units, but if you enjoy fiddling with such things then it isn't a problem!

[@MightyCatalyzer]

@@struck2soon Of course, I understand that very well. But this does not spoil the impression of your design in any way :))

[@sandrosachser]

Hey! Nice bicycle cogs!!

[@struck2soon]

Cheers! It is a classic “scrap-heap challenge” construction. And still working more than ten years later!

[@pauls0416]

Very ingenious! I wish I could do something similar. I just simply do not have enough sunlit area on the ground to do what you did. I have the same-size system but fixed and on my roof.

[@struck2soon]

Thanks. Hadn't planned on ground-mounted, but local council wouldn't allow us to put panels on roof because house is Grade2 Listed...this was a secondary choice but worked out better in long run.

[@nightlifebowfishingguides9661]

Pretty cool

[@jeffbeck6501]

You show the pan but not the tilt mechanism. Nice design. I have thought of similar designs but with heliostat mirrors for solar thermal, which would be a little bit lighter. I envisioned a much lighter weight set of cable wires controlling both the pan and tilt which may not be realistic at all. But my design was similar in that my goal was to try to eliminate the need to put motors and electronics on very bird. I hope to build my design someday.

[@struck2soon]

Jeff, the system only works for azimuth....the tilt is fixed. I adjust it about 3 times a year according to season. The thicker wire rope is due to our exposure to strong winds here, if you live in a sheltered spot then thinner wire would be ok. Don't be put off by the controller unit, it was easy to install and only cost US$ 35 from Redrock Solar.

[@Fester_]

Yeah, like , no , but , yeah like I had one of those but I threw it out. Thanks for the upload, great endeavour.

[@tucoremirezful]

Just my cup of tea 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@thetiger9401]

what components did you use as sensor to.track sunlight?

[@binarumah]

wow,amazing setup!

[@struck2soon]

Luqman Radzuan , thanks! Still functioning well 5 years later, although have made a few modifications. The battery is now supplied by it's own mini-panel, and all of the drive mechanism is now under cover.

[@schontasm]

You've created a really amazing system there. What happens to the panels and wire rope when it's really windy ?

[@struck2soon]

Solving that particular problem has taken a while. However, with a good amount of tension on the wire rope the system is fine up to about 25 knots. Wind speed above that reqires panels to be secured, which I do with a system of posts which are in ground and have a bolt that is dropped through holes on back of frame base. If really strong winds forecast then they are also tilted back to the lowest angle setting to reduce windage.I can post a video of securing system if you like?

[@zeothorn]

Unless you are in a place that there is no snow,wind and rain that might work,still you could just used actuators and NASA idea of tracking the sun is more simple and no need for power source(battery)

[@acklan3]

Very very cool!

[@struck2soon]

Even cooler is the improvement in yield: about 40% better than my neighbours with fixed systems from March through September.

[@acklan3]

struck2soon Forty percent!! I am think of a passive system . www.motherearthnews.com/diy/solar-tracker-zmaz77ndzgoe.aspx?PageId=1#axzz36px0VIqx

[@Dally_Sparkles]

THATS AMAZING

[@alexanderveber6320]

By far the coolest self made sun tracking system ! How about the second axis of sun angle?

[@jwsolarusa]

Awesome brother and thanks for sharing. I would like to see your indoor setup. What are you running on this system? What are the controllers? Cheers

[@struck2soon]

Cheers! Here in the UK solar generation is supported by the government, they pay a generation tariff based on the amount of electricity you produce. To qualify for this payment your system has to be grid-connected so that any surplus is fed to the grid. The beauty is that they pay for your actual generation, regardless of how much of the solar electricity you use yourself. So the indoor set-up is very simple: from the inverter it runs straight through a separate generation meter then out through the main meter to the grid.

[@jwsolarusa]

Ok

[@jwsolarusa]

I just added you to my google+1

[@kurtlangeberg1329]

I was thinking bicycle gears would work the best. They would have a more positive connection than using a belt driven system. I would like to know how the brain is made and wired up. Have you thought about doing a video on that?

[@struck2soon]

Good idea Kurt, I shall try to put a clip together showing wiring and tracker mounting.

[@jwsolarusa]

Ok. Thanks

[@garryentropy]

Amazing, does the extra energy won by turning the panels comfortably exceed the energy required to turn all the sprockets and wires

[@StephenTrenewablenergy]

Great info video great work.

[@struck2soon]

Cheers!

[@CedarworkshopNet]

Great idea!

[@kennytyrer1965]

Very clever set up seen quite few on here but yours feel something like I would like to try/ build could u email with a list of parts needed and web links as well,probably only start off with a one panel project for now...cheers Kenny ;)

[@struck2soon]

The tracker module is available from www.redrok.com, proprietor Duane Johnson also very helpful over telephone. Cost of unit about 30 quid shipped.Motor is an old Suzuki Swift wiper motor, got mine on ebay for less than 20quid. Main work was trying to sort out a reduction gearing system, I was lucky to have an engineering mate who machined a series of shafts and bushes to mount used bike sprockets on. He also machined the slots in mounting bar to allow adjustment of sprockets. I am sure something simpler would work, maybe an old motorcycle gearbox? The greatest loading will be in windy conditions, and believe me those panels develop a huge turning moment when wind above 25mph. Good luck!

[@kennytyrer1965]

Thanks for the advice...i'll give it a go ;)

[@Moranda-Media]

nice set up

[@normanmcgill9532]

This is so cool. You mist be an engineer to figure that all out. Where do you use the power?

[@struck2soon]

I am no engineer! Just a nut-bar with an over-active imagination. Power is used in the house, with excess exported to the grid.

[@shodanxx]

How does it handle heavy winds and snow ?

[@struck2soon]

When strong wind is forecast (35mph plus) I orient the panels to face south, at that position I have posts in ground so I can peg them to stop wind loading putting a strain on mechanism. For really strong winds I can also lower the elevation of panels to present a smaller area to the wind. We don't get huge amounts of snow here, but so far have had no trouble from snow.

[@kremicfein]

How do you calibrate the system?

[@struck2soon]

Sorry, not sure exactly what you mean by "calibrate"...which part of the system are you referring to?

[@kremicfein]

struck2soon I mean the mechanical part, how and how often do you have to adjust the end-position of the panel to the limit switch?

[@struck2soon]

kremicfein I tend to only alter the limit switch position about twice a year. I move them to a much shorter travel in October, and move them back to their full limit in February. I have recently changed the attachment of the limit switches to the wooden disc to velcro instead of screws to make changing the position easier. Hope this helps!

[@kremicfein]

struck2soon yeah, makes sense. Thanks for the info 😎👍 Very nice setup btw

[@struck2soon]

kremicfein Thanks! I have made a few tweaks and improvements since this initial setup, but it remains largely the same. Yield has been averaging 4400Kwh per annum for the past six years, which is about a third more than the predicted yield for this area. I should really compare it to my neighbour's yield to get a true comparison, perhaps I will do that.

[@usuariouser224]

Hardware and software?

[@fredivory4304]

Talk about using "available resources".

[@struck2soon]

Fred Ivory yes it's a bit like "scrapheap challenge"! The system has had various tweaks and modifications since this was filmed, but is essentially still the same. It continues to perform well, average annual yield for the past five years has been 4400 Kw hours. The installer's predicted (optomistic) yield for a fixed system in our location was 3300, so I am pleased with the result.

[@MatteoOnlyFlyFishing]

i like it!

[@yoshikoroseboro5937]

With plans from Avasva you can make it really easy.

[@struck2soon]

Avasva is a really crap product, my system is simpler, more reliable and a lot cheaper! Only an idiot would use it. Avasva, you SUCK!!!

[@duanecjohnson]

Hi struck2soon; Here are a couple of links I have on this system: www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#thompson This has a fairly detailed description on the drive mechanism. Also the fix for a special problem this system had where the sensor was confused by diffuse reflections from the backside of panels in front. And a list of struck2soon's KZbin videos on this. www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#Andrew The tracker used in this system is the: LED3XS24Vc3RIP Standard Single Axis Solar Tracker with Reverse Inhibit & Parking www.redrok.com/led3xassm.htm#sellled3xs24vc3rip $45us plus $4us shipping to the US or $10us shipping to the World. Duane C. Johnson redrok [e-mail] www.redrok.com

[@struck2soon]

Thanks Duane, I really need to post an update video to show some of the tweaks and adjustments I have made over the past few years to improve the reliability and operation.

[@solartrackers]

interested

[@struck2soon]

linear actuators for solar trackers are actually not very effective at higher latitudes. We are at 55 degrees north which means the sun is above the horizon for about 270 degrees azimuth near the summer solstice, linear actuators are necessarily limited to less than 180 azimuth by design. I actually tried a linear actuator as my first attempt and ran into the problems mentioned. Far better to use a rotary actuator!

[@solartrackers]

@@struck2soon long length and heavy loading can help to solve this issue. You can design short lever length, because Max50000N push&pull force and customize to 2000 mm stroke. It is easy to implement 270 degrees rotation.

[@struck2soon]

linear actuators for solar trackers I guess this would mean actuating one of the panel joining wires rather than my central drive hub?

[@solartrackers]

@@struck2soon linear actuators can customized to the same voltage of you central drive hub, so you needn't extra one. Details need decide by your power system design.

[@struck2soon]

linear actuators for solar trackers ....I don't think you understand my question. Basically, how are you getting the linear actuator to convert to rotary motion above 170 degrees without interfering with central hub? The Red Rock sensor/driver can take a range of voltages from 6 to 500, so very adaptable without any specialist equipment. It is literally plug and play, and only cost about US$40.

[@than5000]

😄

[@jeffbeck6501]

Have any of you check out AARON DOVER's channel about atmospheric energy? It is the best info on youtube. He is the greatest youtuber of all time. He will blow your mind.

[@ahmedalassadi5226]

WTF is that !!??.. v.complicated and many metal parts subjected to rain and rust ..

[@struck2soon]

Ahmed, what on earth is complicated about some old bicycle sprockets and a windscreen wiper motor? It really couldn’t be simpler, unlike the very expensive professionally-made tracker my neighbour has, which requires a technician every time he has a problem.(that has been almost every week since it was installed six years ago.) Regarding your claim about rust, it has now been in operation for eight years in the damp British climate with no problems. I anticipated re-painting the frames every ten years, which I don’t feel is unreasonable. Simple is best my friend...

[@freelifeboilermonkrecords]

too much going on here sir.

[@struck2soon]

Mungu, you have a choice: either pay a fortune to get a simpler-looking tracker or make one yourself. Doing this saved me about 15 thousand dollars compared to buying one. In my mind that makes it worth being a bit more "too much going on" than the commercially available alternative.

[@freelifeboilermonkrecords]

@@struck2soon wind and power Missouri has a great time tracking system they cover with the patent holder in Michigan.

[@freelifeboilermonkrecords]

@@struck2soon 2 actuators. One for tilt the other for sun window orientation based on time. One controller 2 30 amp bkrs I believe.