Area Calculators?

2 Posts
Mar 17, 2008 08:03 am
Area Calculators?

Do any of the Panel or Tracker Manufactures have calculators to plan out a system (area)? My system will fit into a triangle and I want get the most into the area I can. I used an area calculator to Tile my kitchen this year and it was very helpful.

Paul
 
Mar 24, 2008 07:19 am
Re: Area Calculators?

I am just a little confused by your question so, please, bear with me.
At first I thought you wanted to know how to figure the area of an equilateral triangle, but then I thought, no, everybody that has graduated high school or its equivalent knows how to do that. The simplest being; half the base times the height. For those that may not have graduated high school yet or perhaps were out sick that week - http://www.clarku.edu/~djoyce/trig/area.html

I then remembered seeing a photovoltaic modules that was actually built in the shape of a triangle.
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/products/view?id=22184
But now we need some dimensions. Now that we know there is such a product I am reasonably sure that Sharp builds corresponding square PV modules to mate up to the triangular PV modules and it would be reasonable to assume that Sharp would have an area calculator for there triangular PV modules systems. Wow! I think I know now what your are looking for and its not easy. So far I have not been able to find the corresponding module or anything except dimensions. My best guess would be to contact www.sharpusa.com with your specific diemensions and ask them. Evidently its a big secret they want to keep for themselves.
 
2 Posts
Mar 24, 2008 08:21 am
Re: Area Calculators?

Let me try this again. I have an area square or a rectangle or a triangle, I want to mount as many panels on trackers as I can in the area I have, and not shade any of them or have them hit each other. With the tile company they ask you to input the sizes you’re planning to use and you’re total area and it does the rest. Take a look, (http://daltileproducts.com/mosaic_design.cfm click Design Tools and then click Floor Tile Calculator, this makes it a wiz)

Maybe we can get the solar industry to learn from this industry. I do also have an email back from one of the tracker manufactures who said they would draw it out in AutoCAD and send it to me. I plan on sending them the sketch of the area today and see what they can tell me will fit in there.

Paul
 
462 Posts
Mar 24, 2008 01:25 pm
Re: Area Calculators?

Paul, there are calclators out there but they are a little more complex than laying out tile which is why people tend to charge for this type of service. You are dealing with multiple dimensions as well as earth and sun angles that change daily. Trackers use algorithms base on these inputs to track the sun throughout the year. For your project you may just have to simply figure out the sun angles at your location, usually 15 degrees +\- from your latitude, and using the height of your panels, along with a little geometry, you should easily be able to tell where a maximum and minimum shadow is going to extend during the year with regards to your panel angle.
CAD will make it easier since it would calculate all the spacing and angles for you.
« Last Edit: Mar 25, 2008 11:04 am by Tom Mayrand »
 

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