SOLAR PORN - OMG - I could watch this all day

[ghostwriter66]

WOW -- these are incredible -- one of the RV's that came out to the work site today had these on it and they showed me the video that got them interested ... They said that they were getting on avg 50% more amps using the tilting .. and pushing the button you can adjust it to the angle that you want it at ... WOW ...

 

[kenkoh]

Great video. Much for those tilting mounts?

 

[Carly]

Nice. There's an RV video where the panels in S. California are raised in winter, increasing amps from 37 to 52 (about 40 percent increase). Another option is just to place more panels over all the vents and stuff on the RV roof, instead of between all that. This second option could be less expensive considering installation and maintenance costs for a tilting array. And possibly less complicated when you consider shadowing from adjacent panels.

You can see one vent in this photo, but there are others under the panels:

 

[Supervstech]

WOW -- these are incredible -- one of the RV's that came out to the work site today had these on it and they showed me the video that got them interested ... They said that they were getting on avg 50% more amps using the tilting .. and pushing the button you can adjust it to the angle that you want it at ... WOW ...

Odd mix of flexible and glass panels... I bet they want the flex panels gone soon...

 

[ghostwriter66]

Odd mix of flexible and glass panels... I bet they want the flex panels gone soon...

YEP ... one of his videos shows that after a YEAR he has still excellent results with them -- me and about 10000 other ppl could argue that point ... I guess he just got luck .. but normally after a year every one of ours had cracked or clouded up or just stop producing ... then again -- S Texas oilfields get to about 120 by 1000 in late spring ..LOL

 

[ghostwriter66]

Nice. There's an RV video where the panels in S. California are raised in winter, increasing amps from 37 to 52 (about 40 percent increase). Another option is just to place more panels over all the vents and stuff on the RV roof, instead of between all that. This second option could be less expensive considering installation and maintenance costs for a tilting array. And possibly less complicated when you consider shadowing from adjacent panels.

You can see one vent in this photo, but there are others under the panels:

View attachment 7599

Quick story -- SOOO one of our techs had done that ... made some good mounts and covered everything up on the top with big solar panels ... Right outside of El Paso this young Texas Highway Patrol officer comes up on them doing about 150mph ... my guys pull over .. Trooper walks up and says ... YOU have left a panel about every 10 miles or so back there for the last 50 miles ...
Apparently - panels mounted like that are no longer panels but try to become WINGS .. and want to fly ... which 5 of the 6 did ...

 

[Carly]

Quick story -- SOOO one of our techs had done that ... made some good mounts and covered everything up on the top with big solar panels ... Right outside of El Paso this young Texas Highway Patrol officer comes up on them doing about 150mph ... my guys pull over .. Trooper walks up and says ... YOU have left a panel about every 10 miles or so back there for the last 50 miles ...
Apparently - panels mounted like that are no longer panels but try to become WINGS .. and want to fly ... which 5 of the 6 did ...

150 MPH is against the LAW, lol. Panels properly mounted on residential roofs (appropriate rails, etc.) can withstand 120 MPH winds. So, assuming a well-engineered and executed installation, if you're going 65, that would seem to permit some headwind. But one would also have to take into account how the air flows over the tow vehicle and onto the trailer roof/array. I have designed my trailer array to be just 2.5 inches above the roof surface, as specified by the panel-maker for cooling, and will be installing panel straps and rear view cameras...and avoiding major headwinds. Maybe I should also renew my pilot certificate?

 

[ghostwriter66]

150 MPH is against the LAW, lol. Panels properly mounted on residential roofs (appropriate rails, etc.) can withstand 120 MPH winds. So, assuming a well-engineered and executed installation, if you're going 65, that would seem to permit some headwind. But one would also have to take into account how the air flows over the tow vehicle and onto the trailer roof/array. I have designed my trailer array to be just 2.5 inches above the roof surface, as specified by the panel-maker for cooling, and will be installing panel straps and rear view cameras...and avoiding major headwinds. Maybe I should also renew my pilot certificate?

NO - the State Trooper was doing 150 .. my guys were doing the speed limit which was 85 (which is still tooo fast for a trailer but they never listen) ....
for all of our 5th wheel work trailers we mount them as close as we can BUT make sure they have ample air flow .. HEAT is our #1 killer

 

[orangeminnie]

What I really want are motorized tilts that can go both ways.

 

[Carly]

What I really want are motorized tilts that can go both ways.

Just park in a ditch, one way or the other. It is much easier that way, just don't go TOO far.

 

[orangeminnie]

Just park in a ditch, one way or the other. It is much easier that way, just don't go TOO far.

Not always possible when backing into a site with a travel trailer.

 

[Carly]

Not always possible when backing into a site with a travel trailer.

not to steal a tagline, but HOLD MY BEER, lol

 

[ghostwriter66]

not to steal a tagline, but HOLD MY BEER, lol

Apparently when i first started working here i set the record for the most fires started in a 6 month period by a new person. In fact the joke was if there was ever a fire then run to my desk because 90% of the fire extinguishers were in my area. While the other engineers would spend hours checking a circuit layout to see what the issue was I just had a tendency to flip the switch and lets see what happens ... made finding the issue soooo much easier ... I had never heard the expression "Here Hold my Beer" until i was presented the awarded by our OSHA Safety officer (apparently its NOT a good award to get) and the company had a T-shirt of my picture and behind me was a Building on fire and the words "Here hold my beer" on the bottom ... i of course had the biggest frame i could get made for it and hung it up at work in the shop ... apparently i did not realize that this was NOT a good award to get .. LOL

 

[Rbertalotto]

I have 420w of solar , flat on my travel trailer roof. I also have a 120w folding portable panel. My portable panel, facing the winter sun, far out performs the roof panels. Many times twice the output. There is nothing like tilting toward the sun......

 

[orangeminnie]

Apparently when i first started working here i set the record for the most fires started in a 6 month period by a new person. In fact the joke was if there was ever a fire then run to my desk because 90% of the fire extinguishers were in my area. While the other engineers would spend hours checking a circuit layout to see what the issue was I just had a tendency to flip the switch and lets see what happens ... made finding the issue soooo much easier ... I had never heard the expression "Here Hold my Beer" until i was presented the awarded by our OSHA Safety officer (apparently its NOT a good award to get) and the company had a T-shirt of my picture and behind me was a Building on fire and the words "Here hold my beer" on the bottom ... i of course had the biggest frame i could get made for it and hung it up at work in the shop ... apparently i did not realize that this was NOT a good award to get .. LOL

Does smoke or an audible explosion qualify, or does it need to have flames?

 

[ghostwriter66]

Does smoke or an audible explosion qualify, or does it need to have flames?

Smoke apparently is fine -- I have yet to set off the alarm so thats good i guess ...

 

[cass3825]

Apparently when i first started working here i set the record for the most fires started in a 6 month period by a new person. In fact the joke was if there was ever a fire then run to my desk because 90% of the fire extinguishers were in my area. While the other engineers would spend hours checking a circuit layout to see what the issue was I just had a tendency to flip the switch and lets see what happens ... made finding the issue soooo much easier ... I had never heard the expression "Here Hold my Beer" until i was presented the awarded by our OSHA Safety officer (apparently its NOT a good award to get) and the company had a T-shirt of my picture and behind me was a Building on fire and the words "Here hold my beer" on the bottom ... i of course had the biggest frame i could get made for it and hung it up at work in the shop ... apparently i did not realize that this was NOT a good award to get .. LOL

We have a similar “traveling trophy” here at work, affectionally named the DA Award. I’m sure you can figure out the acronym!