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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 13 Oct 2022 07:35pm
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Been jockeying my array around a little and got curious about early morning/late afternoon sun. There's a bunch of online calculators about peak sun hours and how well they do, etc., which of course varies month by month. For my zip code I get about 6 hours in summer and a bit over half in winter. And, I guess, these are spread halfway between sunrise and sunset, or is it noon? I'm a little fortunate, considering my trees, that there is a decent clear window for a couple of those peak hours. They also get some sun in the late afternoon but despite that, and that the panels don't point that way, it sounds fruitless to try and get anything at that time.
Here is a random online calculator for location, just the first one I saw.
https://footprinthero.com/solar-calculators
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 13 Oct 2022 07:38pm
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Paulz, send me an email please.
Thanks, Dave
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 13 Oct 2022 08:32pm
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For me, in a practical sense:
If you aim for 'solar south' (not the opposite of magnetic north) and have good exposure (which we have heard you do not, peak solar hours would be essentially 9am-3pm to get 6hrs./10am-2pm for 4. And that being seasonal.
Splitting the direction to the mid-point of your exposure hours, whatever they are, is the best you can do, sans multi-directional or tracking.
With LA bats, where starting charging asap after the nights depletion, getting the charging going right away was what I wanted so I aimed E-SE (since my solar exposure ends about 1pm.
With LFP it doesnt matter about asap so the direction (or split into multiple directions or tracked) that get the most total hours at the best angle to the sun for the season should be what gets the best charge.
And some seasons are better conditions than others so there Is No Consistency.
At some point I stopped the analytical exercises and just did it.....
Later I read that if you are within like 10* +/- of the 'ideal' angle to the sun or direction you will get something like 90% of the available solar. So there is a fair bit of leeway.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 13 Oct 2022 08:59pm
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Quoting: gcrank1 At some point I stopped the analytical exercises and just did it..... Later I read that if you are within like 10* +/- of the 'ideal' angle to the sun or direction you will get something like 90% of the available solar. So there is a fair bit of leeway.
I read that too. Also watched a YT video yesterday, after just washing my panels, on a comparison between filthy panels and freshly cleaned. About 3% difference. But it doesn't hurt to do the best you can while you're at it.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 13 Oct 2022 09:13pm
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Currently for me I'm aiming the pannels at the hole in the trees. There on the north corner of a clearing. I did clear my cabin site of all tall trees going south for the future. Way easier to cut the big trees down with no cabin.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 13 Oct 2022 09:27pm
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When you starting your build Bret? Thought you were just waiting on lumber prices.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 13 Oct 2022 09:55pm
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Lol, Ive got it figured that iffn I cut two Jackpines just to the south of my toolshed that I can get another 1-1.5hrs of exposure.
Ive got plenty of trees on the property, wont miss those two and the new tractor will take the bull-work out of the trunks.
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NorthRick
Member
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# Posted: 14 Oct 2022 12:44pm
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Quoting: gcrank1 If you aim for 'solar south' (not the opposite of magnetic north) and have good exposure (which we have heard you do not, peak solar hours would be essentially 9am-3pm to get 6hrs./10am-2pm for 4. And that being seasonal.
There is noon and then there is "solar noon," when the sun is due south of your particular location. It varies by your location within your time zone. For Anchorage, solar noon is close to 2pm right now. It will change to about 1pm after daylight savings time ends.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 14 Oct 2022 07:08pm
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Quoting: paulz When you starting your build Bret? Thought you were just waiting on lumber prices
There at acceptable levels now but I cant see starting something like this and race for snow in about 1 month. Working out all the kinks in the plans, making material lists and going to get a plan to the building dept in March.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 14 Oct 2022 10:28pm
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With all the recent devastation from the fires and now hurricane Im betting that there will be a shortage of building materials come spring. And with the ongoing inflation (devaluation of purchase power of the currency) Im also betting prices are not going down.
If there is any way to lock in current pricing for a spring build (a 'contract' or even a note and start paying it down now?) you may want to consider it.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 15 Oct 2022 05:34am
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For the stuff I need they have actual came down since the hurricane. I'm sure il see a low price mid winter then it creep up into the summer. I have a plan for that, buy everything I need as soon as the permit is given.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 15 Oct 2022 10:49am
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The smart guys say 'timing the 'market' only works by pure luck. Sure, that is the stock markets but....we are talking 'commodities' here.
They also say 'dollar cost averaging' does work to one's advantage, helps to smooth out the ups&downs of pricing.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 15 Oct 2022 02:22pm
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I bought a pallet, skid or whatever they call it of plywood, 50 something sheets, long before I did my shop roof. New I was going to need it and a great deal came up...
Anyway back to solar, this morning I heard they now make combo shingle/solar panels. So I guess you shingle your whole roof with them, no regular shingles. Must be a wiring nightmare, unless the plug into each other.
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NorthRick
Member
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# Posted: 16 Oct 2022 01:02pm
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Quoting: paulz Anyway back to solar, this morning I heard they now make combo shingle/solar panels. So I guess you shingle your whole roof with them, no regular shingles. Must be a wiring nightmare, unless the plug into each other.
They are expensive as heck too.
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