this post was submitted on 27 Oct 2024
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Asklemmy
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TL-DR: I want dual axis solar array on my hiace rooftop
Explanation:
This video clearly states the advantage of having this feature on your solar, gives you more than 8 hrs of peak power (8:00 - 17:00) with a comparatively small surface area (perfect for space-concious application), compared to about 5 hrs laying it down flat (10:00 - 15:00)
And yes, I get it. A 30% increase in energy collection daily isn't significant to justify the maintenance that can come with actuation.
But as a guy living in a van full-time, 30% is the difference between having 2 ceiling fans on for an hr and 5 hrs through the night. Yap, full blast, it's hot here.
Further more; this video show-cases the single axis solar array, Then I started wondering, if it reaches high noon, this guy will have to I dunno, turn his car around? So that the solar panels can actuate another way around.
Surely there is a solution to this somewhere... right?
https://www.reddit.com/r/VanLife/comments/1avrsbd/rooftop_solar_tracker/
Looks like someone out there had the same idea.
https://www.roboteos.com/shop
They're currently selling a packaged system for ~$5k, which is a bit pricey, but maybe worth if you're full time on the van life. Looks like you could probably fit 2 of these units on a typical roof, obstructions permitting. Alternatively you could do one tracker and one flat unit.
It looks like ground based 2-axis tracking systems can be found for ~$500-1k, you'd just need to bring your own expertise to mount it to the roof and program the controls yourself.
Semi-unrelated: others mentioned painting your van white (which you already have) but I'll raise you one better - consider painting it with an IR-Emissive cooling paint, e.g., https://i2cool.com/
There's unfortunately few products on the market at this time, but keep your eyes peeled.
Oof, 5k? Thanks for the insight
Edit: On further reading, I noted that the package is 400 watts of solar.
I got approx 1kw on my roof and 9.6kw of batteries, so.. five-figures dollars ๐ฌ
The original plan was extending to about 1.5kw, but then I thought having tiltable 1.5kw will be significantly better
That's why I decided to tackle the tilting problem first.
Thanks for bringing roboteos on my radar.
so far i landed on a sketch.
Have a Crack at the design integrity Engineers :)
That's pretty good!
Thanks, this is probably one-axis (west to east) solution, but it's the only less complex solution that is easy to automate, maintain, and handle off-roading(when retracted flat, of course)
It definitely beats parking the van facing north and reparking again at noon to face south.
You only gotta worry about greasing that central gigantic screw, as IMO is the only vulnerable point exposed to the elements.
The actuators and motors are splash proof. They will also be protected on the metal case when fully retracted and moving at highway speeds
I don't have enough knowledge on the subject to suggest a solution.
But asking a question along a tangent since you mentioned heat:
Which colour does your van and its roof/interior have?
If its a darker colour, maybe trying a lighter colour would help reduce the heat gain?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_2lsMXR_wo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLVNjS403M8
Thanks, I was looking for a portable dual axis solar tilt solution to capture more electricity from the sun from my rooftop.
If it was heat, I would have just moved to a higher altitude place with a bonus of fresh, cool air.
My van is white, BTW ;)