Deck shade structure that turned into a grid tie solar PV project!!
- Thread starter alia176
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Yes, I read that part before about the passive solar in the winter. By having it hinged or operable you could keep them down in the winter and pop them up in the summer. Be interesting to compare the tradeoff of the 10% year round lose on those panels vs. the passive solar gain your getting through the window in the winter (if that part is even readily quantifiable).
Anyways, nice job. Looks like a lot of hard work you've done.
I went 10° and at this time of the year in AZ I'm producing measurable power from ~7AM-7PM.
I think the 10% loss at a set angle depends also where you are located.
alia176
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- #24
Thanks for the kudos. This project is taking a long time to complete.
As far as the angle, I'd need to raise them in the winter since the sun is so low and this will block the upper windows unfortunately. They need to be flat for the summer due to the sun located directly above head
I do have them hinged on the extreme East and West ends but I doubt that I'll be messing with them all that much.
Passive solar gain during winter is very important at our house. The bricks on the floor are made to absorb heat all day long and release at night. Most of the homes up here are made with passive solar heating in mind for the winter. Additionally, the natural light coming through the high windows will be even more critical since the PV panels will cover all of the lower row of windows. We experimented with the panels at 35deg and they looked awful (aesthetically) looking from the inside out through the high windows, instead of seeing beautiful blue sky, you now get to stare at the backs of panels!!! Yeah, wife shot that down in a nano second
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Looks good, but it should considering your an electrical engineer. If the Ken you mentioned is the same Ken S. I know, please send him my best. He's a good guy. 
DanS HJ-45
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Dang!
That looks great brother!
So..... you're saying you have time on your hands and conduit bending experience when I am ready to build my little solar system???? Kate and I will feed you, and Riley can run wherever he would like. Deal?
Dan
That looks great brother!
So..... you're saying you have time on your hands and conduit bending experience when I am ready to build my little solar system???? Kate and I will feed you, and Riley can run wherever he would like. Deal?
Dan
DanS HJ-45
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So long as I remain unemployed, you can abuse me all you like
Sweet. Kate will be pleased...
Dan
Nice Ali! I'll bet its nice to see those sun rays turned into $!
alia176
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- #31
Update
well, made some more progress lately. All wiring is done, including AC and DC. Grounding is done and properly bonded. I have it wired up in two strings: north and south. Currently, running on the south string only and still waiting for a solar panel diode to arrive for a panel in the north string. W/o this piece, I can't turn on the North string.
The following are the inverter wiring. This inverter can be used in various configurations: 240/240delta/277/208. Simply landing the wires in specific ways and messing with two jumpers configures the inverter for a typical 240vac configuration.
well, made some more progress lately. All wiring is done, including AC and DC. Grounding is done and properly bonded. I have it wired up in two strings: north and south. Currently, running on the south string only and still waiting for a solar panel diode to arrive for a panel in the north string. W/o this piece, I can't turn on the North string.
The following are the inverter wiring. This inverter can be used in various configurations: 240/240delta/277/208. Simply landing the wires in specific ways and messing with two jumpers configures the inverter for a typical 240vac configuration.
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alia176
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- #32
More wiring pics
The following pics are of the utility disconnect, utility meter socket wiring and DC disconnect siwtch. Pretty straightforward stuff.
Utility meter socket (future REC meter will go here)
utility disconnect for AC
DC disconnect, located at the bottom of the inverter. I'm only using two slots for two strings but the unit can accommodate up to four strings. There are four fuses built in (four black looking things on the top left). In the DC world, Black is positive and White is negative. I decided use red on one string to help me keep track of the wiring.
The following pics are of the utility disconnect, utility meter socket wiring and DC disconnect siwtch. Pretty straightforward stuff.
Utility meter socket (future REC meter will go here)
utility disconnect for AC
DC disconnect, located at the bottom of the inverter. I'm only using two slots for two strings but the unit can accommodate up to four strings. There are four fuses built in (four black looking things on the top left). In the DC world, Black is positive and White is negative. I decided use red on one string to help me keep track of the wiring.
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alia176
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- Thread starter
- #33
More wiring pics
All DC wiring and ground come to this J box
Closeup of the J box. There are terminal blocks mounted on DIN rails:two fused and two non fused. NEC says that less than two strings doesn't require remote fused disconnects, the main disconnect at the inverter will suffice. I didn't have to put the fused terms here but it was convenient location for quickly disconnecting the strings to check something.
Typical #8AWG USE-2 ground wire scheme throughout the system
All DC wiring and ground come to this J box
Closeup of the J box. There are terminal blocks mounted on DIN rails:two fused and two non fused. NEC says that less than two strings doesn't require remote fused disconnects, the main disconnect at the inverter will suffice. I didn't have to put the fused terms here but it was convenient location for quickly disconnecting the strings to check something.
Typical #8AWG USE-2 ground wire scheme throughout the system
alia176
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- #34
It's ALIVE.......
Well, the time finally came for me to "throw the switch"! I did this four days ago and maniacally started to chant in my Gene Wilder's voice "IT'S ALIVE".....
It's 9am so the South string hasn't reached a full Vpv= 375 vDC yet but can't complain of the power production
The all important number that we live/die by: KWH So far, South string has been producing about 12kwh/day. On my electric bill, we used approx 15kwh/day last month. When the North string is online, I should be able to make more than we use.
Mpp = Maximum Power Point tracking. This is where the inverter is doing the most efficient conversion of power from DC to AC. You want to see Mpp as much as you can.
After our camping trip to Ouray this week, I'll tidy up the loose ends, slap some labels on and call for county inspections and the utility to install my REC meter.
Well, the time finally came for me to "throw the switch"! I did this four days ago and maniacally started to chant in my Gene Wilder's voice "IT'S ALIVE".....
It's 9am so the South string hasn't reached a full Vpv= 375 vDC yet but can't complain of the power production
The all important number that we live/die by: KWH So far, South string has been producing about 12kwh/day. On my electric bill, we used approx 15kwh/day last month. When the North string is online, I should be able to make more than we use.
Mpp = Maximum Power Point tracking. This is where the inverter is doing the most efficient conversion of power from DC to AC. You want to see Mpp as much as you can.
After our camping trip to Ouray this week, I'll tidy up the loose ends, slap some labels on and call for county inspections and the utility to install my REC meter.
What is the total panel rating of the south string?
How many panels are on south string?
Awesome job! I loved the deck when I saw it. I had no idea how big the PV array was going to be.
It was hard to picture it then.
Looks awesome now!
It was hard to picture it then.
Looks awesome now!
