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stefuel
Joined: 07 Mar 2006
Posts: 3353
Location: Green Harbor MA USA
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 12:09 am Post subject: While you guys are dicking around with old technology |
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I'm busy designing a solar tracking system to accurately aim solar electric panels directly at the sun for maximum capture.
It will even work on cloudy days as it remembers it's position for a spacific time of day. It updates and remembers it's last position every 30 minutes. So it will be pointed in the optimum position even if it can't see the sun. It works with as few as one panel or as many as the budget allows. We're talking lots of zeros here. And that's all I have to say about that. 
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Chip
A Barco is only a AmPro with training wheels
Card carrying member of the AVS chain gang.
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AnalogRocks
Forum Moderator
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 26706
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 12:14 am Post subject: |
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Can you incorporate some HD-8's into the design? 
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draganm
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 8990
Location: Colorado
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 12:14 am Post subject: |
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chip what arer you doing messing with that tree-huggging, hippy-loving, GREEN technology. Shame on, turn in your Republican membership card emmidiately.  [/s]
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jeffslife
Joined: 17 Apr 2010
Posts: 4190
Location: ohio usa
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 12:17 am Post subject: |
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Good for you, keep it up !
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overclkr
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 4227
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 12:20 am Post subject: Re: While you guys are dicking around with old technology |
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| stefuel wrote: | I'm busy designing a solar tracking system to accurately aim solar electric panels directly at the sun for maximum capture.
It will even work on cloudy days as it remembers it's position for a spacific time of day. It updates and remembers it's last position every 30 minutes. So it will be pointed in the optimum position even if it can't see the sun. It works with as few as one panel or as many as the budget allows. We're talking lots of zeros here. And that's all I have to say about that. |
Thats awesome big dog!!!!
I would probably want to do other things as well if I had an Ampro! 
In all seriousness, that is pretty damn cool. I wish solar wasnt so expensive. Would love to use it to power my whole house.
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dvh99
Joined: 25 Dec 2009
Posts: 2158
Location: nederland
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 12:38 am Post subject: |
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what do you use to store the energy?
i read somewhere that the sun gives you 500watt per square meter, how much surface will you cover with the panels.
edit: whats the efficiency on the panels?
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Curt Palme
CRT Tech
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 24396
Location: Langley, BC
TV/Projector: All of them!
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 12:45 am Post subject: |
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Forget the 1000 GM engineers. We have quite the group here. Price: PRICELESS!
Sounds like a lot of work, but very rewarding. Post some pix!!
Mind you, we don't have sun here in Canada, so if you can somehow harness rain and snow, you'd have it made up here. 
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cmjohnson
Joined: 03 Apr 2006
Posts: 5180
Location: Buried under G90s
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 2:12 am Post subject: |
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In my day job I design and build digital two-way radio communications systems. My largest single customer operates the largest open pit gold mine complex in the world.
CJ
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HaydnG90
Joined: 22 May 2006
Posts: 1356
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 3:23 am Post subject: |
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And this has what to do with CRT projectors?
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stefuel
Joined: 07 Mar 2006
Posts: 3353
Location: Green Harbor MA USA
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 10:17 am Post subject: |
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| HaydnG90 wrote: | | And this has what to do with CRT projectors? |
ACON technology
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Chip
A Barco is only a AmPro with training wheels
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whats6x7
Joined: 04 Oct 2006
Posts: 5924
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 1:40 pm Post subject: |
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Which panel generates the most power . . . The red one, green one, or blue one? I'll bet the blue panel goes out first, doesn't it?
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Gerbrand
Joined: 13 May 2008
Posts: 199
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 1:55 pm Post subject: Re: While you guys are dicking around with old technology |
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| stefuel wrote: | I'm busy designing a solar tracking system to accurately aim solar electric panels directly at the sun for maximum capture.
It will even work on cloudy days as it remembers it's position for a spacific time of day. It updates and remembers it's last position every 30 minutes. So it will be pointed in the optimum position even if it can't see the sun. It works with as few as one panel or as many as the budget allows. We're talking lots of zeros here. And that's all I have to say about that. |
Just remember that on a cloudy day it is generally NOT a good idea to point the panels to where the sun would have been. It is better to point the panels straight up. The reason is that the panels then see the full sky, while when tilted they see part of the horizon. There is a guy in the Netherlands that explains this difference between direct radiation and global radition. Unfortunately it is in Dutch, but you could try the Google translation: http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=nl&u=http://www.siderea.nl/artikelen/hellingshoek2/hellingshoek2.html
Ideally, you would couple this tracker to the MPP tracker from your inverter. In that way the combination would always result in the maximum efficiency.
I will pm you about my consultancy fee
Gerbrand
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akajester
Joined: 09 Jul 2008
Posts: 934
Location: Wisconsin
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 2:33 pm Post subject: Re: While you guys are dicking around with old technology |
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| stefuel wrote: | I'm busy designing a solar tracking system to accurately aim solar electric panels directly at the sun for maximum capture.
It will even work on cloudy days as it remembers it's position for a spacific time of day. It updates and remembers it's last position every 30 minutes. So it will be pointed in the optimum position even if it can't see the sun. It works with as few as one panel or as many as the budget allows. We're talking lots of zeros here. And that's all I have to say about that. |
This has been done so many times. These tracking devices are all over the place to buy. I was working on designing one myself that is microprocessor controlled but soon found it was a waste of time. With all the government and power company subsidies available right now, just have the darn thing installed with the system.
Dale
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TheVerge
Joined: 19 Jul 2009
Posts: 928
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 3:18 pm Post subject: Re: While you guys are dicking around with old technology |
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| akajester wrote: | | stefuel wrote: | I'm busy designing a solar tracking system to accurately aim solar electric panels directly at the sun for maximum capture.
It will even work on cloudy days as it remembers it's position for a spacific time of day. It updates and remembers it's last position every 30 minutes. So it will be pointed in the optimum position even if it can't see the sun. It works with as few as one panel or as many as the budget allows. We're talking lots of zeros here. And that's all I have to say about that. |
This has been done so many times. These tracking devices are all over the place to buy. I was working on designing one myself that is microprocessor controlled but soon found it was a waste of time. With all the government and power company subsidies available right now, just have the darn thing installed with the system.
Dale |
They come with your solar array do they not?
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Curt Palme
CRT Tech
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 24396
Location: Langley, BC
TV/Projector: All of them!
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 3:25 pm Post subject: |
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Way to take the wind out of his project (or his sun out of his panels).
I'd say that pretty much EVERYTHING has already been done, cheaper, maybe better, and certainly less time consuming, which is why I got out of building 'projects' decades ago. But heck, the alarm that I built in Grade 7 for my parents' house worked for 25 years, and never had a false alarm, unlike the 'pro' system our neighbors had put in by some shady company.
Thing is, buying something ready made doesn't give you near the pleasure of having designed or built something yourself, plus you learn something in the process.
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akajester
Joined: 09 Jul 2008
Posts: 934
Location: Wisconsin
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 3:39 pm Post subject: |
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For sure Curt. It's always more fun to do it yourself.
This was one of the solutions I was going to try, until I got into microprocessors. This uses LEDs to sense the sun strength, very cool and inexpensive. You just connect it to some relays and it works.
Dale
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Curt Palme
CRT Tech
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 24396
Location: Langley, BC
TV/Projector: All of them!
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 3:40 pm Post subject: |
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Nice! That's more or less a Wheatstone bridge, but it's driving a motor rather than a meter..
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akajester
Joined: 09 Jul 2008
Posts: 934
Location: Wisconsin
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:00 pm Post subject: |
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The green LEDs are supposedly the best as they contain Gallium Phosphide. I never knew that LED could be used this way. Very slick.
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Curt Palme
CRT Tech
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 24396
Location: Langley, BC
TV/Projector: All of them!
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:01 pm Post subject: |
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Me neither.. something to remember.
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AnalogRocks
Forum Moderator
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 26706
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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Where are the red and blue LED's?
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