Mount Panels with Spacing ??

[kittysmitty]

I will be mounting three 135 watt panels using a pole mount. Should the panels be mounted close together or is there an advantage mounting them with say, 6 inches between the panels. Would the wind load be reduced? Would the gap help with reducing snow buildup? Better cooling in the summer? Thanks

[Mary B]

I left a gap but I had space on the frame for it. I think it helps with cooling. Didn't make a bit of difference for snow buildup, I still have to go out there with a push broom with a long handle and clear them off

[thirteen]

I'm trying figure out how to overcome the snow problem I'll have with my 9 panels.  I'll be putting up them up 500 feet up from my house but to get to them is a tough climb even in the summer it is steep. You half crawl up the mountain in the summer. The winter will not be fun. I tried to get up there last winter and one little slip and down you travel. I may end up with a rope with knots tied every 2 ft.  I will put 6 in between my panels. I might try and put a deflector above them to get the wind to blow over them getting rid of some snow hopefully. They guy about 2 miles from me is fortunate his panels face the normal wind and he never has snow on them. I'm at 4000ft elevation he is at 3200 ft. 13

[frackers]

If they are mounted in portrait mode then the cables will be long enough to link together with the 6" gap. In landscape mode, put the panels as close as possible. I made that mistake and had to make up loads of short jumper cables to connect up the strings.

[gww]

I mounted mine tight as I could get them.  I baisicaly use them as a roof to a lean too/shed.



I find that if I have to sweep snow I am glad they are like they are.  I just wish the were not so tall or that I would have wired them differrent.  I wired half left as aray and half right as an aray.  wish I would have did top and bottom wiring cause I could clean one aray even if I couldn't do both.  If you have hard winters maby you should think about making it a two tilt aray with one tilt being strait up and down for winter.  I bet pv watts would tell you the losses arn't as bad as the hill in snow.
Good luck
gww

[gww]

The rest of the same
gww

[Mary B]

I have been thinking about enclosing mine to store gardening tools in, save me some space in the workshop. Wonder what it does for windload on the structure?

[gww]

mary
I don't know about wind forces.  It was in my mind that it helped with the wind cause it would slow down the lifting effect on the panels.  I thought the wall would change the force to were wind pushing from the back would push down on the front.  I also did it cause I am familure with sheds and leantoos built with simular stuff and the sience of the stuff may not be correct but so far I have been lucky and had no issues.

My logic above may be illogical but so far so good and knock on wood and all that kind of stuff.
gww

[Mary B]

I deal with high winds frequently is why I am curious. Average wind speed here is 18mph, in winter 3-4 days of 45mph++ is not uncommon during storms. Beats the heck out of structures.

[gww]

I am in a low wind area but we have had some scary winds a few times a year.  I can't believe my turbines are still flying.

I believe with the wrong wind there is no winning.  I had a line of trees that were probly ten inches round where broke at about 10' to 15' in the air.  My panels do have a line of ceders about 50 to 75 yards behind it that sort of look like they would break the wind and shelter it a bit. 

I have had shingle blown off my roof but not since I put up the solar.

I did no math, just did what I thought would work.
Gww

[FL Solar Design Group]

I'm not an engineer, but in my experience it is my understanding that the difference in this scenario would be negligible. For example, nothing changed in terms of PSF wind uplift when Unirac moved from 1" to 1/4" mid-clamps. The gaps were reduced by 75%, but the difference was so small, I suspect that an engineering change was not justified.

[thirteen]

I decided to go with three panels per pole (3) and one/two more next year. They will be horizontal, one row, no gape between them, and  the top will be about 12 ft off the ground.  I'm moving them over about 20 feet and it will lesson the wind impact from the windy ridge just to the right (West/Northwest). I put three flags up on the ridge and watched them this winter so the move will help the panels. I do get gusts of wind from the So east off and on during the spring and early fall.I normally get very little wind. I will have to rotate them twice each year because of the mountain towards the south. It blocks me during the winter for about 3 months. I only get about 1 1/2 - 2 hours at best during the winter. Roughly from December to thee middle/end of February.
I'll try and get some pictures of the installation. It will be an interesting time. 13