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A solar tracker with a vertical config would mitigate most of the damage while generating more output for the farm.

by 1970-01-01 3y ago

btbuildem 3y ago
Doesn't that raise the cost of the installation by an order of magnitude?
- sokoloff 3y ago
  Adding tracker capability typically costs no more than the panels, so definitely not an order of magnitude increase.
  - toomuchtodo 3y ago
    And utility scale generators already use 1 axis tracking to maximize production. Hail storm predicted? Panels rotate to vertical to minimize vulnerable surface area. > Many large-scale PV systems integrate intelligently controlled single-axis trackers that can execute peril-specific defensive stow strategies. Leveraging these capabilities, plant operators can manually or automatically rotate a tracker-mounted PV array to an optimal tilt angle for hail risk mitigation. This defensive posture will reduce hail-impact energies and the exposed hail-field impact area, effectively decreasing the number of direct hail strikes and decreasing hail-impact energies. https://www.pv-magazine.com/2022/12/24/weekend-read-navigating-hailstorms/ https://www.pv-magazine.com/2022/12/24/weekend-read-navigati...
    - gpm 3y ago
      I wonder if it might actually be cheaper to use the panels to protect the tracking (and other) equipment, and just replace them. If they're flat on top like this only the panels should be exposed, it's easy to see if they're broken, and apparently they're less than half the cost of the system.
  - marcosdumay 3y ago
    That's the kind of information that has to be specified in time (yours and the GP's). If your data is 3 years old, it's already outdated. And anyway, even if it's up-to-date, that doesn't mean it will still be true when you go and actually buy the equipment.
stevenjgarner 3y ago
"Bloomberg suspects that high winds drove large hailstones into the Scottsbluff panels" > I wonder if that might also damage the panels in a vertical config?
- anonym29 3y ago
  Yes, though likely less so compared to leaving them in a horizontal position. It's a mitigation, not a silver bullet.
mikro2nd 3y ago
Insurance is cheaper than tracking hardware.
- octokatt 3y ago
  Only until tracking hardware is a requirement to have insurance.

A solar tracker with a vertical config would mitigate most of the damage while generating more output for the farm.

btbuildem 3y ago

Doesn't that raise the cost of the installation by an order of magnitude?

sokoloff 3y ago
Adding tracker capability typically costs no more than the panels, so definitely not an order of magnitude increase.
- toomuchtodo 3y ago
  And utility scale generators already use 1 axis tracking to maximize production. Hail storm predicted? Panels rotate to vertical to minimize vulnerable surface area. > Many large-scale PV systems integrate intelligently controlled single-axis trackers that can execute peril-specific defensive stow strategies. Leveraging these capabilities, plant operators can manually or automatically rotate a tracker-mounted PV array to an optimal tilt angle for hail risk mitigation. This defensive posture will reduce hail-impact energies and the exposed hail-field impact area, effectively decreasing the number of direct hail strikes and decreasing hail-impact energies. https://www.pv-magazine.com/2022/12/24/weekend-read-navigating-hailstorms/ https://www.pv-magazine.com/2022/12/24/weekend-read-navigati...
  - gpm 3y ago
    I wonder if it might actually be cheaper to use the panels to protect the tracking (and other) equipment, and just replace them. If they're flat on top like this only the panels should be exposed, it's easy to see if they're broken, and apparently they're less than half the cost of the system.
- marcosdumay 3y ago
  That's the kind of information that has to be specified in time (yours and the GP's). If your data is 3 years old, it's already outdated. And anyway, even if it's up-to-date, that doesn't mean it will still be true when you go and actually buy the equipment.

stevenjgarner 3y ago

"Bloomberg suspects that high winds drove large hailstones into the Scottsbluff panels" > I wonder if that might also damage the panels in a vertical config?

anonym29 3y ago
Yes, though likely less so compared to leaving them in a horizontal position. It's a mitigation, not a silver bullet.

mikro2nd 3y ago

Insurance is cheaper than tracking hardware.

octokatt 3y ago
Only until tracking hardware is a requirement to have insurance.