Posts for solar panel mount - Concrete question

[glort]

Aloha glort,

I pretty much agree with you but I found the thread interesting and informative.

As they always are here! :0)

I have an offer in on a place atm. Pretty sure the agent is BS ing me about other offer's, ( what a surprise!!!) Trying to get my offer up. I can pay what the owner is asking, I'm just not of the opinion the place is worth it going on what I have seen others in the area go for. Maybe the Mrs and I looked a bit too exuberant with it ( which we were)  but at the end of the day I won't let heart rule head.
If by some some miracle of Miracles we do get it, I might look at doing a solar farm of my own.

It's one acre with a lot of trees that will be introduced to a chainsaw and a LOT of hedge trimming as well.  The expansive roof of the buildings faces an off direction so I would look at  Putting some panels on frames myself and making a bit of an outdoor area under them.  Could expand the existing outdoor area on the house but it would also be facing the wrong direction.  A lot of places we have seen are very clear but the one we like best has to be heavily wooded doesn't it?  :0(

I have read that tracking seasonally here adds 15% to the efficiency and tracking east west movement adds another 15%.  At this stage I think I'll dial in for winter if I do something fixed like making a shelter of some sort. If I do  a frame setup then I will make that adjustable. Might be able to do that with something like a Hydraulic Jack and locking pins or counter balancing.
Rotation may not be that bad either. I picked up a Huge bearing from a truck repair place today. Think it might be out the gearbox. I grabbed it for the man cave along with a piston but maybe could be put to use for a solar frame?

The used panels seem to have become more plentiful the last couple of weeks. Lots of people removing them to knock down places and re build Duplexes or apartments.  Many are still asking stupid money and showing how clueless they are about things but I have had a couple come back now after realising how far wide of the mark they are.  I'm going to stick to +200W panels now.  As the new panels are going over 350W at the top end, I don't think the older ones are worth worrying about.  Too much time and cost to erect them in the first place.

If the weather holds, I have negotiated to get a full 1.7 Kw system with inverter, panels, rails etc for $350. have to remove myself but that's OK. Won't have to worry about some clown just cutting the connectors off the panels  or other stupidity. I bought the tools for the job a while back so might get to put them to use.  All depends on the weather now which unfortunately is not predicted to be good.
From there will be difficult to get hold of but anyway.

The place I am looking at has 3 phase power. Not really sure why.  It has no pool, just a couple of split AC units and solar water heating with gas appliances.  Not really a big draw household.  In any case it might be bit of a pain to back feed each phase.  I'll have to see where each circuit goes or just move everything onto one circuit and back feed that.  Didn't think to check in the garage if there was 3 phase connected there in a socket but I can't see myself being that lucky. If I am then I can run the Lister with my 3 phase motor and back feed each phase individually to balance the draw out. Putting a 3 phase socket in would be handy but also not cheap giving where it would have to be run.

Looking forward to giving that a permanent home and finally getting it sorted.  :0)