Solar panel that tilts. (1 Viewer)

[Richard n Ann]

Has anybody fitted a panel to their roof that can be tilted? I'll be fitting a 150w panel when we get back, and I want it to be of use in Spain during September and October when the sun starts getting lower. We usually park with the awning facing west so we get good afternoon sun therefore the back of the van usually faces south.
I'm thinking maybe put a piano hinge at the back of the panel so the front lifts up 45 degrees. The front of the panel would maybe sit on aluminum 20 x 40 'unistrut' and have 2 scallop knobs to release it.

Anybody got thoughts or experience on this?

 

[Doctor Dave]

Has anybody fitted a panel to their roof that can be tilted? I'll be fitting a 150w panel when we get back, and I want it to be of use in Spain during September and October when the sun starts getting lower. We usually park with the awning facing west so we get good afternoon sun therefore the back of the van usually faces south.
I'm thinking maybe put a piano hinge at the back of the panel so the front lifts up 45 degrees. The front of the panel would maybe sit on aluminum 20 x 40 'unistrut' and have 2 scallop knobs to release it.

Anybody got thoughts or experience on this?

When I had a narrowboat I had a large solar panel that I could tilt and turn. It certainly produced a lot more electricity than when flat on the roof. It was always my intention to make it automatically follow the sun but I didn't get around to that - but I did motorise it using two golf trolley motors, on to tilt and one to turn. I had a box of tricks connected by a multiway cable to the motors, the cable was originally for connecting a trailer board. Only needed to move the panel about once per hour (only when moored up of course) and before going to bed turned it to the east to catch the early morning sun.

In my opinion it is well worth having your panels movable if you can overcome the mechanical bits.

Even using the electric motors to turn and tilt I was still getting much more than flat panels. Probably easier on a boat than a motorhome though.

Dave

 

[DBK]

I've seen folk do this and it will give improved performance in the middle of the day with aow sun but unless you lower them again you will get less power than a flat panel at the beginning and end of the day. However, compared to the extra power you should get around mid-day the less may not be significant.
However, my worry would be hinging at the back could create serious trouble if the latching system undid itself while travelling at speed.

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[Doctor Dave]

I've seen folk do this and it will give improved performance in the middle of the day with aow sun but unless you lower them again you will get less power than a flat panel at the beginning and end of the day. However, compared to the extra power you should get around mid-day the less may not be significant.
However, my worry would be hinging at the back could create serious trouble is the latching system undid itself while travelling at speed.

As I said, I moved the panels about once every hour (up or down as appropriate or clockwise to follow the sun and then catch the early sun long before getting up!)

My narrowboat didn't travel at speed, only 3 or 4 mph!


Dave

 

[tonka]

In theory all good and yes it will give a stronger signal for a time..
BUT the sun moves left to right and goes up and down so there is never a best angle unless you can track it like some of the expensive ones do.
Fit flat and let it do it's job, after all even in winter, you will have more sun in Spain than in UK.. Also panels only need daylight to work.

 

[Doctor Dave]

Have you experience of a movable panel? I have and know the results I obtained - and I never go to Spain.


Dave

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[Popeye]

I saw a beat up old Sherpa in France last year and the best bit on this old wreck was his tilt and turn Solar.

A real simple job, to turn he'd made up two circular pieces of marine ply with a set bolt straight through the centre onto some sort of roof mount.

Attached to the upper Ply disc was a single opening double glazed window casement but instead of the glass he had mounted a solar panel to it, so of course he had that rather pleasant parallelogram mechanism which changed the angle extremaly well, all line of sight stuff but he only cahanged it every hour or two and he was getting very good results compared to one laid horizontle to the sky.

Top and bottom on decent quality mechanisms is a grub screw to increase or decrease frictional resistance and it would spin through about 350 degrees when the cables would resist any more movement.

I actually too a picture, can I find it? can I hell!

 

[Richard n Ann]

In my experience too it makes a big difference when they are tilted towards the sun. What I'm proposing won't add hardly any weight to the panel, and it can be left flat for mid summer anyway. I take on board about safety, it would make a right mess if the wind got under it whilst driving, probably put a separate mate safety bolt in the middle of the frame in case any of the side knobs came loose.

 

[Minxy]

One thing that comes to mind is that you'd need to inform your insurers what you had done as it wouldn't be the 'usual' installation due to the risk of it coming undone when you travel, regardless of how well you fix it, if the wind got under it it could shatter the panel. If you really want to go down that route I'd be tempted to just get an an additional free-standing panel and put it up on your roof as/when required at the angle you want.

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[magicsurfbus]

Ours is dead level and fixed. Every time it rains it has a perfectly level puddle on it to bugger up its efficiency when the sun comes out again. To my mind all panels should have a slight tilt on them for drainage.

 

[Richard n Ann]

One thing that comes to mind is that you'd need to inform your insurers what you had done as it wouldn't be the 'usual' installation due to the risk of it coming undone when you travel, regardless of how well you fix it, if the wind got under it it could shatter the panel. If you really want to go down that route I'd be tempted to just get an an additional free-standing panel and put it up on your roof as/when required at the angle you want.

An additional 40w panel would only give us 80w which wouldn't be enough. We need, according to my rough calculations, at least 100w when in clear weather to replace what's taken out of the battery by the compressor coolbox overnight, even with 150w on the roof a few overcast days I'll be getting the EHU lead out.
When I'm doing a job I do it 110% or not at all, so by the time I've finished fixing anything to the roof there'll be as much chance of it coming off as any fixed panel (in fact less chance if fixed by a 'professional')

 

[Armytwowheels]

We tilt our panels in the winter, in Spain and have some plans of the design that Colin came up with, if you would like to see them?

The increase in the energy produced is well worth the effort.

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[seanoo]

This is my setup. 1x 130 watt elevating panel on roof of van along with a 80 watt flat panel and 2 x 100 watt panels that elevate built onto my car trailer for Spain

 

[Richard n Ann]

We tilt our panels in the winter, in Spain and have some plans of the design that Colin came up with, if you would like to see them?

Yes please .

 

[Armytwowheels]

Here they are. The first one is the complete design, but he then modified it slightly, as show in the second pic. Any questions just ask.

Our panels are 2x120w feeding 400ah AGM batteries. We are quiet power hungry campers and have no trouble providing we get the sun of course!

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[two]

It may depend what kind of panel you have. According to some salesmen newer ones are claimed to be indifferent to the angle of incidence and work just as well when flat. I don’t happen to share that view, however, but they may be getting better.

Another thing I still have to discover is whether a panel will “max-out” before the light reaching it is perpendicular. If that is the case, there may be less to gain from tilting in bright sunshine. In winter, however, you may need to grab every advantage you can.

I like the idea of a tracking system but they’re rather expensive. If cost is an issue, I think that a directed ground-level panel may be the best answer, as you can also move it away from any shade.

If you mount a panel as proposed, I’d place the hinge on the leading edge to prevent wind trying to lift it.

 

[DBK]

If you have the room on the roof two panels mounted flat might be a simpler solution than one tilted one.
If the sun is at 30° then a flat panel will present only 50% of its surface area to sun (cos 30° = 0.5) so two panels would produce the same power as one of the panels tilted perpendicular to the sun. Leaving aside any variations caused by light hitting the flat panels obliquely of course.

 

[Hagstrom]

I used the Aire and Sun tilt kit on our old Laika but quickly got tired of having to constrain parking angles etc to maximise the solar gain and having to get up on the roof to raise and lower them.

I've seen Colin's (Mr ArmyTwoWheels) arrangement and it looked as though it would do the job well.

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[Richard n Ann]

Finished fitting this morning. Just waiting for a pair of 30mm padlocks to be delivered, they'll stop the panel lifting if the metric 8mm bolts work loose.. more pics to follow...

 

[Richard n Ann]

 

[Richard n Ann]

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[Richard n Ann]

 

[Richard n Ann]

Ball bearing hinges

 

[Camping Gaza]

F*** That!

Sorry, but I would not like to be following that down the motorway at 70mph, Locked down or not, stuck on with a bit of sikaflex and screws. Its facing into wind!

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[Derbyshire wanderer]

If that is a permanent tilt which it appears to be as the threaded bars are locked into the channel I can see that it is going to catch a lot of wind and most likely blow the panel out of the frame as it seems hinged at the rear of the roof.
Back to the drawing board or potentially have it hit someone on the road?

 

[Richard n Ann]

Wouldn't do much to the gallon with it up would it . No it's easily lowered and bolted down for moving, we go to Benidorm for 5 or 6 weeks in the autumn so it's worth doing then, but most of the time it will stay flat.

 

[Don Quixote]

I would say your asking for trouble with that fitment. Should that rip off on the road it would kill someone and I doubt your insurance will cover you as its a modification to the bodywork of the vehicle (have you asked them?) Then across Europe I bet you will get stopped and fined for it. Whilst I commend your for the idea and work perhaps a rethink for the safety of other and yourself - make it so you can lower it secure it flat whilst on the move then your on a winner.

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[Don Quixote]

I have just read your post above. Perfect then. WELL done

 

[Don Quixote]

Looking at your post perhaps a greenhouse window opener might work for you that you can reach and rise or lower from one of your roof lights? Got me think now what I can do with ours............... DAME........

 

[movan]

Help a

I've seen folk do this and it will give improved performance in the middle of the day with aow sun but unless you lower them again you will get less power than a flat panel at the beginning and end of the day. However, compared to the extra power you should get around mid-day the less may not be significant.
However, my worry would be hinging at the back could create serious trouble if the latching system undid itself while travelling at speed.

Dumb blonde please .... why would a flat panel get less power at mid-day, when the sun is directly overhead?

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