Solar Tracking

[Wao nahele kane]

If I lived on or near South Point... I'd be leaning on Wind power as my primary source and solar as the gap fill source. But as is typical for alternative energy, it's all subject to XY and Z.

- Armed citizens provide security of a free State.

[MarkP]

You have just under 1.5 times the PV that I do but about 4 times the battery storage capacity. One of us is outside the normal envelope. Perhaps both of us and if so we are off on opposite sides of said envelope.

Since things are working I should pursue this as an exercise in optimization of what I have got. How much better can I get things without spending any more money? It's always true that you can get better performance by spending more. In my case I do think that I could benefit from aiming the panels in different directions. I am at the point where I can't store any more power even though I could produce more. I must either use more when it is produced (assuming that this means I will use less at other times) or I must produce power more of the time that I am using the power such as later into the evening.

I am very skeptical of wind power as a viable energy source for anywhere that it is not uncomfortably windy. South Pt and Upolu Pt are uncomfortably windy and low and behold that's where the turbines are. My place is basically never windy at all so wind power is dead in the water for me. As for VAWT vs HAWT, VAWT have a mystique that is oversold on the internet. In theory they are not more efficient. If maintenance is less that would be a big selling point but since almost all commercially available wind turbines are HA I am skeptical of that too.

[Wao nahele kane]

Eya MarkP,

If you've little to no wind it's definitely not worth it to add a turbine, correct. We have good moderate wind above the tree canopy (30 foot average above ground) where I'm at near the shoreline.

A split angle aim arrangement will definitely effect the energy production envelope of a previously arranged parallel/single plane array - The split angle aim arrangement will be a subjective result but on a clear sunny day there will be a greater wave length output while reducing the amplitude. As per arranging the array into a split aim configuration, you probably already know this but the individual panel strings must be diode protected if using only one charge controller and if your panels are not diode protected then adding a power diode on each string output will suffice for single charge controller use. As per boosting efficiency of output, that will be subject to the cloud activity throughout each individual day. It could work in your favor some days while working oppositely on other days. So the question remains... will it actually accomplish what you're after?

Maybe aiming the current array more to the West with a lower than normal elevation might leave your batteries better topped up in the early evening hours?

- Armed citizens provide security of a free State.