What style of Tracker is this?

[emartin00]

I guess they're for reals. HOWEVER, they are NOT mounted on a house. That's just the trick angle of the photo. They have a MASSIVE support structure...........et z

I think we've already established that they are on the house. The house likely has a large support structure built into it. It's possible the house was designed ahead of time to support this load. Obviously this isn't something you could plop on the average roof.

[foo1bar]

It's possible the house was designed ahead of time to support this load. Obviously this isn't something you could plop on the average roof.

Possible?
I can't see it being anything other than that the structure was designed to support the load - including having the ridgeline/pivot-point at a pitch and orientation that was designed with purpose of maximizing the solar.
I'd bet that the steel structure supporting the pivot point was designed - then the house was designed to fit into the empty space underneath. With the one where it's a group of these, I think the building underneath looks more like a shed / garage.

[SunEagle]

Sorry to disappoint.

Well technically he may be correct. I would seriously doubt that an array that big is supported by a simple house structure.

I would imagine there is a very sturdy support structure that the house is built around. And the tracking mechanism would be much more than a simple multi axis (motor/cylinder) system.

I was hoping that anyone that had a first hand experience with those arrays would step up and provide some detail but until that happens we will all just be guessing.

[MikeCanuck]

Bump! Hi all, long time no visit, I've been sick for awhile but FINALLY made my way out to find this solar installation.

It's way out in middle of nowhere, about 1.5 hours west of Ottawa or 1.5 hours northeast of Kingston off 401east.
There are actually TWO installations - one with 4 units on Country Road 8 and another one about 1.3km around the corner with 5 units on Country Road 5.

They are actually not houses, except for maybe one of them nicer than the rest - they seem to be large storage units.
You can see the large storage door on one of the pictures compared to standard sized door next to it. And one pic with an opened storage door.
Also there is no tracker; they are all fixed installations as you can see. Each one is QUITE large - never seen a single array that huge and 9 arrays in total!
Nearest comparison to me are turbines for wind farms. A sight to behold and was well worth my drive out!
No sign of any batteries on site, so I suppose they are grid tied and can probably power up the entire closet town of Rideau Lakes and then some.

The owner was not there, but I did talk to the next door farmer who thought I didn't know what there were and jokingly said they were landing pads for the aliens. Ha ha. Then he said the properties are owned by a millionaire businessman who is into doing unique but successful things.

Enjoy the pics!

MikeCanuck

[foo1bar]

Also there is no tracker; they are all fixed installations as you can see.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=Merri...=off&sourc e=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi3pvDH 2uHJAhVB5yYKHfpRBG0Q_AUIBygB&biw=1656&bih= 975#imgrc=eSBGfFh_nsf45M%3A

vs.

http://imgur.com/GEamNmq

That looks like it's not fixed to me.

[foo1bar]

Also there is no tracker; they are all fixed installations as you can see.

I think in your pictures I see hydraulic rams to tilt the system in one direction or the other.
The second picture looks like the shadow is such that it's tilted toward the sun.

And lastly - there'd be much cheaper ways to build it if you weren't tilting this thing back and forth.
You'd be able to use smaller steel structure elements and have the support system to the ground spread out to the edges of the array rather than just a small line at the middle of the array.

[littleharbor]

Quote;Originally posted by MikeCanuck View Post
Also there is no tracker; they are all fixed installations as you can see

I doubt they would have built such asymmetrical roofs if this weren't a tracking array.

[emartin00]

They are single axis trackers. In picture #6 you attached, you can clearly see the actuators or hydraulic rams on the top and bottom pivot points. You can also see the clearance in the pivots that allows it to rotate toward the camera.

[SunEagle]

They are single axis trackers. In picture #6 you attached, you can clearly see the actuators or hydraulic rams on the top and bottom pivot points. You can also see the clearance in the pivots that allows it to rotate toward the camera.

I agree with you. This system has the ability to track the sun in one direction. Probably from East to West. Someone spent a lot of money to build those things.

Also Google Earth does not show them back in Sept 2015 so they must have just been installed.

[Higher-Ground Farm]

Not sure if they are bigger than these, but there is another series of buildings like this near where I live too. I will have to get down there again, and fly my drone over them to get a good look.

[Higher-Ground Farm]

Here is a street view.

[SunEagle]

Not sure if they are bigger than these, but there is another series of buildings like this near where I live too. I will have to get down there again, and fly my drone over them to get a good look.

Those show up on the May 2015 Google Earth photos and look very similar to the ones in the other photos. Maybe designed and installed by the same company.

[MikeCanuck]

here are some more close ups, i guess I missed taking a good close up of the tracker underside thinking it was fixed

Higher-Ground Farm: man, i guess you're surrounded by rich farmers and their toy projects

[J.P.M.]

here are some more close ups, i guess I missed taking a good close up of the tracker underside thinking it was fixed

Higher-Ground Farm: man, i guess you're surrounded by rich farmers and their toy projects

single axis trackers at ~ 20 deg. tilt. The array portion looks structurally robust enough, but I'd like to see what's under the building skin and the footings and then how or if such a design is considered cost effective.

Thanx for the flix.

[SunEagle]

single axis trackers at ~ 20 deg. tilt. The array portion looks structurally robust enough, but I'd like to see what's under the building skin and the footings and then how or if such a design is considered cost effective.

Thanx for the flix.

Probably some pretty big columns or a steel structure that can withstand high winds. Not something most home owners will be able to build.