New solar farm

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ptonsparky

ptonsparky

Tom
Location
NE (9.06 miles @5.9 Degrees from Winged Horses)
Occupation
EC - retired
First thing. I know nothing about solar and it is the reason I’m asking.

A new solar system started up a few weeks ago. Big fanfare. 5 megawatt IIRC. It was interesting to watch the panels tilt as the day progressed. Seemed like they were tilted more to the West then I thought it should but IKN.

Since things got cold they point Eastward and have not moved? Broken or is there a working temp range?
 
ptonsparky said:
First thing. I know nothing about solar and it is the reason I’m asking.

A new solar system started up a few weeks ago. Big fanfare. 5 megawatt IIRC. It was interesting to watch the panels tilt as the day progressed. Seemed like they were tilted more to the West then I thought it should but IKN.

Since things got cold they point Eastward and have not moved? Broken or is there a working temp range?
Click to expand...

Some trackers are GPS and timer driven, so they track where the sun would be irrespective of weather conditions.

Others have light sensors on them to detect where the sun is so that when it's cloudy they don't move. Most I've seen point east as a default when they can't find the sun. If it's been cloudy as well as cold I'll bet that's what you are seeing.

A few I have heard of are driven by pistons filled with a fluid with a high thermal expansion coefficient and depend on solar heating to move them; they would have a temperature operating window where the others probably would not.

Of course, the tracking system could just be broken.
 
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