Mounting solar panels

[PassIntent]

So recently it occurred to me that being able to move your panels with the progress of the weak winter sun might be a good thing. (Duh right?) But here is my thing. I'm not always going to want or be able to do that. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on how you might mount the panels to the top of your van or cargo trailer or what have you so that  either side could be tilted a bit to catch more of the sun. Without taking them off the roof. I'm sure you could do it with fancy mechanics but what about something simpler? All I can picture for myself is a little crank but that doesn't seem very efficient. Any ideas?



P.I.

 

[wagoneer]

I just got a huge panel on top even on overcast days it's all good.

 

[29chico]

So recently it occurred to me that being able to move your panels with the progress of the weak winter sun might be a good thing. (Duh right?) But here is my thing. I'm not always going to want or be able to do that. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on how you might mount the panels to the top of your van or cargo trailer or what have you so that  either side could be tilted a bit to catch more of the sun. Without taking them off the roof. I'm sure you could do it with fancy mechanics but what about something simpler? All I can picture for myself is a little crank but that doesn't seem very efficient. Any ideas?



P.I.

If you search this site you will find a few threads about tilting panels in winter.  A few folks do tilt in winter.  A number have panels that can be tilted but don't bother anymore.  Then there are those, like myself, who don't bother setting up panels to tilt. 

Putting up more panels is often cheaper/easier than engineering a tilt system and will net more power year round.  Of course, if you only have a small area to mount panels, you may want to do a tilting setup.  Setting up your panels to tilt both ways would be a more complicated system that would also end up being less secure.

I have had very good performance in the winter, providing there is actual sunshine, from the systems that I have installed with the panels mounted flat.  High thin clouds can result in very high charge rates with flat mounted panels.

 

[SternWake]

I put a Stainless steel Clevis pin protruding outwards in each corner of my framed panel, and can tilt the panel 90 degrees toward either side of the van on those pins, and lock it down  as well..


I'd love another hundred watts, but I can't seem to be be bothered to go up there and actually tilt the panels for more solar harvest, and have only bothered doing so perhaps 8 or nine times since 2007.

I used a foam cooler lid to prop it up, and a bungee cord to a Pad eye to prevent the wind from lifting it further.  I designed a better system for holding it at an angle, but never bothered actually making it..

Solar is cheap enough now. I paid 720$ for 130 watts in 2007, If I had to do it over, One huge 300+ watt panel would be on my roof, and not designed for tilting at all.

 

[blars]

I've got the amsolar rocker-foot and tilt-bar system, not cheap but it could probably be duplicated cheaper. http://www.amsolar.com/home/amr/multilist_19/accessories_miscellaneous.html It puts a captive nut on the short end of each panel corner, and an L-bracket for each on the roof. T-bolts secure the two together. To tilt, a bar with another captive nut is put between the L-brackets on one side and the panel with an aditional t-bolt. I'm getting about 50% more power this winter with my panels tilted.

 

[wagoneer]

I flat mounted a huge panel to my roof rack and do not tilt or even clean it,

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Hinges and a couple aluminum angle arms can be used for a cheap, easy tilt system.