Mounting your solar panels can be an afterthought when considering your first solar power installation. It is an important element of your design, however, and should perform reliably for the life of the solar panels.
A popular method is to mount one’s solar panels on top of their roof. It is a simple and convenient solution, and so most folks attach their solar panels this way. Most often these mounting parts can be purchased right off the shelf.
As natives of northern and higher altitude climates, we discovered a couple issues that pushed our solar panel installation in a different way. We’ve been working on ideas to improve the convenience, flexibility, and performance of a basic solar power system.
The first thing to think about is snow. Every time snow gets on the solar panels, they have to be cleaned or they won’t put out much electricity. If your solar panels are mounted to your roof then you can imagine this difficulty.
In the mountains of Washington and Colorado, we have been working on a solution. We are designers and craftsman who desire convenience and performance with our own home based solar power systems. And like everyone else, we don’t want to spend an arm and a leg. We call this solution the Rotek system.
With the Rotek system your solar panels will be installed away from the roof, so the solar panels can be rotated easily and smoothly to any tracking angle. With this configuration we can make seasonal adjustments and more accurately track the Sun.
The true advantage of this can be tapped during the Winter months. The solar panels can be steeply pitched or angled toward the ground, a negative tilt, so the snow cannot build on the photovoltaic surface. This rotational capability is also good for polishing the glass and general maintenance.
The solar panels can be left in negative tilt so long as there is snow on the ground. We all know how well snow reflects sunlight, so the panels will still receive their beam radiation. A simple adjustment is all it takes to restore the solar panels to their original tracking angle when desired.
The second big issue to consider is heat. As our roofs accumulate heat, they will increase the operating temperature of a roof mounted solar panel. Performance tests have shown that higher operating temperatures will reduce the solar panel’s discharge current. This lost current output can be as high as 2 or 3 amps depending on the unit, which correlates to better than 20% energy lost against baseline operation.
The Rotek system has the added benefit of running cool, because fresh air will circulate on the backside of the solar panels. The advantages with heat reduction are double. There will be an increase in electrical performance, and a general reduction in wear and tear from maintaining lower temperature.
You will have to come up with a way to install your solar panels. It should be simple, reliable, and mounting them on your roof may be the best option. For those who have to deal with the snow, or who would like to fine tune their performance, they should consider a remote installation like the Rotek system. The Rotek system is a simple to use and easy to install system designed for the home enthusiast.
Walter Hull is a mechanical engineer with expertise in solar power systems. For a limited time you can get his free checklist to solar power from your own land.
categories: solar energy,solar power,science,home improvement,environment
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