We're at the point of actually needing to start setting anchors into the ground for our solar install here at our house. Unfortunately, I did the initial site survey mid-winter, guessing about the obstruction from vegetation and also guessing about where I'd actually be able to put anchors into the ground for the panel mounts. OUPS came out and marked the underground utilities today and my preferred site for the array is out of the question. In trying to find an alternative, I also realized I'd really missed a lot of obstructions in the winter due to lack of leaves. So given that I'm really constrained by where I can put anchors in the ground, there's one site where just looking around I could see a lot more sky than anywhere else. When I did a new survey (using Spyglass on iOS), I realized that due south is basically clobbered by 2 large cherry trees that are in a place I can't access to cut down. I've attached a chart that has the path of the sun through the sky each month vs the treeline. Given that the East sky isn't great, and the South sky is completely clobbered, it seems like the array needs to face southwest (roughly 225*) to maximize the clear sky available from the only location that's even slightly viable. However, "ignoring" half the day just feels really wrong if I'm trying to catch sun! What do you guys think of this?
Is there a ballasted rack alternative for your preferred site where you don't have to drive in anchors or dig ?
If they put them on roofs why can't you put them on the ground ?
Larry
The ground mount I've bought would be moderately difficult and expensive to switch to a ballasted array and, to be honest, the ideal spot is only *somewhat* better than this spot. Basically it just picks up a small gap east of south before it's blocked by those two big trees.
There is a free app that runs on Android and will use your phone camera to plot the sun position at various times of year as an overlay so you can see what is blocked. Seemed pretty accurate the time I messed with it.
I guess you have to work with what you have - what else can you do ? Move or find a friendly neighbor that will host your PV seem to be only other options.
Larry
Single axis tracker aligned north south? Get the morning and the afternoon