camelot-forum.co.uk

Having returned I thought to get the now very old grey cells working again I would put out there my current problem. what is the best use for 40 Suntech Bifacial 535w panels. There second hand with the worst 12 earmarked as cheap roofing sheets split 6 North facing 6 South facing (attached to existing shed) The remaining 28 as a landscape 14 long x 2 high vertical fenceline that can rotate to horizontal to track the sun midday.

renewablejohn wrote: ↑Mon Mar 27, 2023 4:31 pm Having returned I thought to get the now very old grey cells working again I would put out there my current problem. what is the best use for 40 Suntech Bifacial 535w panels. There second hand with the worst 12 earmarked as cheap roofing sheets split 6 North facing 6 South facing (attached to existing shed) The remaining 28 as a landscape 14 long x 2 high vertical fenceline that can rotate to horizontal to track the sun midday.

Welcome onboard John. Reads like you've got it sussed? That is a serious amount of Watt harvesting potential

Depending on how bad the cracking is, we have discussed " captain tolley's" which is used on boats, cars & allsorts, a pour in crack filler, "might" make things easier for you, damage dependent.

https://captaintolley.com/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=captain+to ... izmcd032_e

Or maybe heat gun a sheet of clear car lamination protection film? We have some on our skoda Yeti they've lasted for years now. (might shore em up somewhat John)

Have loads of old glasshouse glass so have been cutting to width then sealing round the edges to the frame with clear silicon sealant. Dont know how well it will work being bifacial as I am only doing the exposed side.

Thats quite a bit of power, how are you planning to connect electrically ?

Gridtie, Offgrid, Charge Controller to batteries ?

Is this your first foray into renewables ?

renewablejohn wrote: ↑Mon Mar 27, 2023 4:31 pm The remaining 28 as a landscape 14 long x 2 high vertical fenceline that can rotate to horizontal to track the sun midday.

That sounds exciting. How are you going to build/power the mechanism to do this? I wish I had more mechanical nouse to do something like that.

nowty wrote: ↑Tue Mar 28, 2023 3:13 pm Thats quite a bit of power, how are you planning to connect electrically ?

Gridtie, Offgrid, Charge Controller to batteries ?

Is this your first foray into renewables ?

This is part of my problem as I am only on a single phase grid supply. Being rural upgrading to 3 phase grid supply will cost an arm and a leg yet I have a requirement for 3 phase to run a pellet plant and a briquette plant currently supplied by diesel generator. (Approx 15kw required) Also have 750w hydro turbine running 24/7 during winter which I want to feed into a battery bank but advised to use lead acid rather than lithium.

As for first foray not really that came with my two girls, Belliss and Morcom Steam engines generating 350 kw each using biomass.

Andy wrote: ↑Tue Mar 28, 2023 10:27 pm

renewablejohn wrote: ↑Mon Mar 27, 2023 4:31 pm The remaining 28 as a landscape 14 long x 2 high vertical fenceline that can rotate to horizontal to track the sun midday.

That sounds exciting. How are you going to build/power the mechanism to do this? I wish I had more mechanical nouse to do something like that.

Simple central shaft with panel either side acting as counterbalance to each other then electric window opener to rotate to correct position.

renewablejohn wrote: ↑Tue Mar 28, 2023 11:40 pm

nowty wrote: ↑Tue Mar 28, 2023 3:13 pm Thats quite a bit of power, how are you planning to connect electrically ?

Gridtie, Offgrid, Charge Controller to batteries ?

Is this your first foray into renewables ?

This is part of my problem as I am only on a single phase grid supply. Being rural upgrading to 3 phase grid supply will cost an arm and a leg yet I have a requirement for 3 phase to run a pellet plant and a briquette plant currently supplied by diesel generator. (Approx 15kw required) Also have 750w hydro turbine running 24/7 during winter which I want to feed into a battery bank but advised to use lead acid rather than lithium.

As for first foray not really that came with my two girls, Belliss and Morcom Steam engines generating 350 kw each using biomass.

3 phase Off Grid inverter systems to that spec exist, although I have no experience of them.
https://voltaconsolar.com/parallel-conversol.html

This confused me too, whilst thrashing around the net (generally Australian results for solar admittedly) it was saying that there are (no mention of off grid only) 3 phase into one inverters allowing use in regular fashion of Renewable Johns panels, but when speaking to someone previously (a nice seller a few years back now) he said "not that pile" (meaning factory solar ..ie 3 phase, so I need to remember & dig deeper, it makes perfect sense to me as to incompatibility as per longstanding commercial versus domestic ..but needs clarity or blowing out of the water, keen to see the workaround obviously.