Solar panel tilt?

[Oneleggedcowboy]

I see where some folks have tilt panels for when they park. What is the difference in charging efficency?

 

[Willy]

I'd say it's not worth the effort. I have my panels at a very shallow incline (dirt/dust 'n stuff washes off with rain) that's 'fixed'. Just get a slightly higher wattage panel. I find that, especially during the summer, I get more power than I need. ..Willy.

 

[Van-Tramp]

It depends, but the norm is about 15 degrees of angle to maximize incoming power. See, the panels only produce maximum power when facing exactly at the sun, and since the sun is never exactly directly above you (unless it is high-noon and you are on the equator) you need a little angle.

Is it worth it? That is dependent on your setup. If you are not getting fully charged each day with your current setup, a tilt can get you another 20% (or more) incoming power over the day. Myself, I have enough panels on the top of my van that I am usually charged up by noon anyway, so a tilt is unnecessary.

 

[Oneleggedcowboy]

Hey Willy n vantramp thanks for the info. Sounds like a try it and see to me!

 

[akrvbob]

If you've sized your system right most of us find we have more than we need in the summer. However, in the winter it can be a very different story! Tilting the panels can be the difference between barely enough and plenty.

The hardware necessary to make it tilt is all basic stuff and will cost you less than $50 and probably less than $20, so price shouldn't stop you.

What should make you reconsider is how convenient is it and will you do it? The guys with low top vans pop them up and down without a second thought to make a quick trip so that's very easy and probably worth it. But if you have an RV and you have to climb up on the roof every time you want to drive into town you might get tired of it. On the other hand if you are towing a car or scooter, you can park the RV for a long time and just leave them up for a long time, why not? It's a few minutes work every few months and well worth it in the winter.
Bob

 

[SternWake]

While I can tilt my framed panel, I almost never do. The tilt is nice to reach the junction box, but I have not had to do that in 2 years either.

Tilting in winter can make a large difference, especially at higher latitudes. If there is reflection off snow and ice, and the low temperatures, output might rival summer time noon outputs.

One should worry more about maximizing wattage of the roof rather than getting the most from each panel by tilting them.

Tilting is a PITA, much nicer to just have more wattage to make up the difference.

 

[Oneleggedcowboy]

Well my rig is a slide in camper on a 4x4 pickup and I only have one leg. Thats a tough climb up and down on the campers rear ladder. I think its a try and see, I can mount it tiltable with my farmboy engineering and then f I get desperate I can tilt it. Good points Bob and all you guys, yall r a resource and ya aint bashfull about advice and opinions! I like that!

 

[sparky1]

angle from horizontal the panels be tilted? Books and articles on solar energy often give the advice that the tilt should be equal to your latitude, plus 15 degrees in winter, or minus 15 degrees in summer. It turns out that you can do better than this - about 4% better.

 

[Willy]

Hey! I've got a slide-in camper on a 4x4 too! One thing I'd like to mention re. manually tilting panels is, if you forget to keep on it, the output may be significantly worse than of you were to just leave laying flat. ..Willy.

 

[Oneleggedcowboy]

Good point Willy!

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I think its a try and see, I can mount it tiltable with my farmboy engineering

I've seen reports of tilted panels rlpped from their roofs by sudden high winds that catch them just right. Make sure you engineer them hell for strong . . .

Regards
John

 

[wagoneer]

At the latest RTR even at a bad angle I was fully charged by 10:30. That Arizona sun.

 

[Oneleggedcowboy]

Over engineer is us farmboys motto Optomistic and Wagoneer how much wattage you got and how much battery bank. Price wise a 100 watt seems to be the bargain area.

 

[peacetara]

Perhaps a stupid question, but what kind if hardware do you need to tilt? In the summer I have more than enough for my needs, but in the winter, that isn't always true, and am thinking about changing my panel to tilt, but I don't even know what sort of equipment I might need? I can screw screws and stuff, just not so good at figuring out what bits and bobs I need. Anyone know the magic bits and bobs to make a panel that can tilt?

 

[wagoneer]

door hinges are a start a wood pole is acceptable cut to length you can get fancy and a lot of people will chime in. I got a 240 panel off craigs for 150 and 2 x 6 volt agm's for 100 dollars the panels were left over from a guys house build the batteries came from a re-cycler. I do not and will not live in the snow I am nothing fancy as people will attest to that have seen my non-build.

 

[vanguy]

peacetara, you could check out my build thread. i set mine up so it can tilt, all with cheap hardware from home depot. i just put door hinges on the front and the rear nuts can be unscrewed. but i would have to put something under the rear of it to hold it when tilted, it doesn't stay up on its own.

https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-fantastic-vent-and-solar-install-to-conversion-van

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

AM Solar makes a kit to convert their regular mounts to tiltable. Go to their website and take a look, it will give you some ideas on how it can be done.

Regards
John

 

[vanguy]

harbor freight also has a tilt kit, but the box says it only works for panels with a plastic frame, whatever that means

 

[Oneleggedcowboy]

Great solar tilts guys, I was going to use aluminum tubing nested in aluminum channel and use clip pins to fasten the side that comes loose and bolts in the other side. Wonder about how much it will ratyle?