NW-Bound
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2008
- Messages
- 35,712
A sun tracking system to rotate the panels to follow the sun is simple. However, to build it to stand up to wind load and storms makes it more expensive. And mechanical parts need maintenance, and labor is costly if you cannot do it yourself.
I recall the parallel with solar water heaters 35 years ago. After the energy crisis in the 70s, there was a rush to install them. Quite a few designs used parabolic trough mirrors, which promised to provide hot water even under subdued sunlight. Alas, they all failed within a few years. Even the simpler fixed-mount panels have all busted when their freeze sensors failed and the first frosty night hit.
If I had more land, I would build a system on-ground to play with. I have land up in my high-country 2nd home, but I hardly use any electricity up there to make it worthwhile. In my city home, where I use lots of power for AC cooling I have no land to do anything.
I recall the parallel with solar water heaters 35 years ago. After the energy crisis in the 70s, there was a rush to install them. Quite a few designs used parabolic trough mirrors, which promised to provide hot water even under subdued sunlight. Alas, they all failed within a few years. Even the simpler fixed-mount panels have all busted when their freeze sensors failed and the first frosty night hit.
If I had more land, I would build a system on-ground to play with. I have land up in my high-country 2nd home, but I hardly use any electricity up there to make it worthwhile. In my city home, where I use lots of power for AC cooling I have no land to do anything.