On my own arrays in Maine, I always tilted the old Direct Power and Water top of pole mounts to the maximum 60 degrees and spent half an hour giving them a good coat of Rain-X in the late fall. They seemed to shed snow much better until the later snows in March when I was unwilling to get back up there and recoat.
Daryl DeJoy NABCEP Certified PVIP since 2006 Island Energy Storage <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail> Virus-free.www.avast.com <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail> <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2> On Sun, Dec 8, 2024 at 9:05 AM david quattro via RE-wrenches < [email protected]> wrote: > Here is a very interesting video about vertically mounted bifacial modules > - performing surprisingly well. > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD1MT-ek05w > > > > > > On Sat, Dec 7, 2024 at 4:36 PM John Blittersdorf via RE-wrenches < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> I'm starting to think that Vertical panels are the only sure fire way to >> keep them clear. I did a small cabin years ago with 2 panels on the south >> wall of the cabin. All they wanted is a few lights and cell phone charging >> and rarely used in the winter. It worked great. Their Trace 1200 watt >> inverter was turned off when they were not there and the C40 kept the >> batteries charged over the winter without any problems. Now I am >> stressing over an unreachable camp on an island (you may know this one >> Kirk) where I updated a 12V system with outback inverter and about 1kw of >> solar which had been shut down in the winter months. I replaced the >> inverter with >> a VFX3648, added an FM100, Installed 5 kw of PV on a ground mount at 45 >> degrees (mistake- should have done 60 degrees or more with more space at >> the bottom but assumed not much snow there, all to run a Starlink and >> Optics monitoring and lots of cameras. 60 days into this saga today at 4 >> pm, the signal was lost. Is it snow or ice on the panels, or just lack of >> enough sun (which has been minimal) which caused low battery cutoff. >> Batteries are new AGMs and I set cutoff at 45.2. I didn't want to run them >> too low. If I had some of the panels vertical and 4' above the ground, I >> could probably be assured that snow would not stay on long. Our problem >> here in Vermont is that when the clear >> weather arrives, it usually comes with frigid cold and ground and pole >> mounts are kept frozen by the ambient temperature until the sun can warm >> them up but that doesn't happen with 6" on snow on the face. Only above >> freezing >> temperatures or still air with intense sun will clear them. I'm working >> on a ground mount now that was started by a previous owner of a property >> where the base for the ground mount array is a post and beam substructure 4 >> to 8 feet above the ground. I'm thinking about putting 4 panels vertical >> and 4 at 45 degree angle on the north edge of the structure and 8 panels at >> a summer angle on the South edge with adequate space for snow shedding. . >> We have a temporary array at Approx 35 degree angle that has somewhat shed >> the snow but with no space for snow buildup, the shedding stops. >> >> I am planning to build a fence around my garden this summer with PV >> mounted vertically with the stacks of 110 watt modules I have accumulated >> from repowering pole mounts. South and North side of garden facing south >> and the east and west sides facing east and west. Any thoughts on this >> crazy idea? >> >> John Blittersdorf >> Off Grid Vermont >> >> >> >> On Fri, Dec 6, 2024 at 1:51 PM Dana Orzel via RE-wrenches < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Having installed at up to 13,200’ elevation (60° rack mount) and in snow >>> country for most of most of 37 years and dealing with installations by >>> others that almost or completely come off the roof here is my 0.02: >>> >>> >>> >>> Low angle roofs less than 35deg seem to take on most of the damage >>> incidents. Avalanches are most prevalent at 32-35+deg. Avys tend not to >>> slide at less than 32 deg. >>> >>> Is the lower edge of the array shaded or partial shade on part of the >>> array with the low angle winter sun? This allows for ice up on the bottom >>> edge or on a section of the array. >>> >>> Is there a drop zone for the snow? I use 5’ min below the leading edge >>> for a mountain install I would increase this to higher. >>> >>> I know this sounds obvious - Is there a snow fence or obstruction (door >>> shed roof) below the array? >>> >>> >>> >>> I now install esp. on lower angle roofs a mid-third rail & use 50% more >>> contact to the roof points (cheap array life insurance). >>> >>> If using a micro inverter or optimizer – attach this to the panel so it >>> flexes with the panel if necessary not the rail mount system. Watch out for >>> bolts that stick up close to the back sheet. >>> >>> >>> >>> Happy Hollar Daze all! >>> >>> _________________________________________________________ >>> >>> Dana Orzel GREAT SOLAR WORKS! >>> >>> C – 208.721.7003 E – [email protected] >>> >>> W - www. greatsolarworks.com www.solarwork.com >>> >>> *“Responsible Technologies for Responsible People since 1988!”* >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> List sponsored by Redwood Alliance >>> >>> Pay optional member dues here: http://re-wrenches.org >>> >>> List Address: [email protected] >>> >>> Change listserver email address & settings: >>> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org >>> >>> There are two list archives for searching. When one doesn't work, try >>> the other: >>> https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >>> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org >>> >>> List rules & etiquette: >>> http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm >>> >>> Check out or update participant bios: >>> http://www.members.re-wrenches.org >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >> List sponsored by Redwood Alliance >> >> Pay optional member dues here: http://re-wrenches.org >> >> List Address: [email protected] >> >> Change listserver email address & settings: >> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org >> >> There are two list archives for searching. When one doesn't work, try the >> other: >> https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org >> >> List rules & etiquette: >> http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm >> >> Check out or update participant bios: >> http://www.members.re-wrenches.org >> >> _______________________________________________ > List sponsored by Redwood Alliance > > Pay optional member dues here: http://re-wrenches.org > > List Address: [email protected] > > Change listserver email address & settings: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > There are two list archives for searching. When one doesn't work, try the > other: > https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List rules & etiquette: > http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm > > Check out or update participant bios: > http://www.members.re-wrenches.org > >
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