Best way to tilt solar panels using Unistrut?

[Red Squirrel]

This is my current solar setup, it's flush with the roof, and in winter they just get covered in snow so I only really get solar power for a few months per year. I go out at the start of the year to take snow off but the minute we get freezing rain or even wet snow it just creates a crust and the brush can't take it off.

better look at the structure:





With panels on:

Back when I used to apparently get haircuts.


So I want to try to tilt them near vertical to see if that helps the snow situation as it would be nice to produce year round, even if the days are super short at least it's something. 400w for a few hours is still usable power.

What would be the best hardware to look into for making this happen? Unistrut hardware is a bit hard to find without knowing exactly what you want as it's not something you just get at a hardware store but at a specialty electrical store where you have to order at the counter, so you have to go in already knowing what you need.

I'm thinking of just using whatever type of hardware I can get at the hardware store even if it means putting holes in unistrut to accommodate it, but it may not be galvanized, and I want to avoid mixing metals. I already kinda had to mix metals since the mounts are stainless steel which is touching the galvanized steel, and the solar panels are aluminium which is touching the galvanized steel. Been 2 years since the install so I will know how bad that is once I start taking things apart to redo it. Actually think the bolts are yet another metal too, I don't recall but it was probably zinc. Kinda have to use what you can get as it does not tend to come in different finishes.

So yeah I'm open to ideas if anyone has any. Unistrut does make some fixed angle brackets for a few angles like 30, 45 and 90 but I want to have more control over the tilt.

 

[Greenman]

I would just accept that you live in the far north and that solar doesn't work in the winter. A far more pressing issue is that it appears that the roofing on your shed is installed incorrectly. I've never seen a shingle that recommends the tabs on every other row be aligned.

 

[herm0016]

Hinge or they have an adjustable angle bracket. I may just use some all thread as posts on the back screwed into the unistrut nut and a hinge on the front.

@Greenman whats up with the ridge too? Top pic the glue is showing. Like the taps are over the ridge and were not cut.


Edit. Could be ridge vent.

 

[Micrornd]

Red - for best output from the panels -
Best angle for adjustable solar panels = Latitude +15 degrees in wintertime
Latitude -15 degrees in summertime
Latitude in Fall and Spring
Best average angle for non-adjustable solar panels = Latitude
And, of course the panels should be aimed due South (actual, not magnetic)

You're limited by the orientation of the building, maybe these numbers will help.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Optimal angle does not mean much if they're covered in snow so I am aiming for optimal for the snow to fall off. If I had a bigger property I would do a ground mount on poles and just have a east/west array. The south sun would be at a rather unoptimal angle but that is maybe like a couple hours of the day. Could do a C with 3 arrays too, east, south, and west. You get production from the sun bouncing off the snow too. But here I'm constrained by space and neighboring shadows so can't put them lower.

I will try to find some hinges and see if that might work. I also have an idea with L brackets, one on each side along a horizontal section with a unistrut in the middle that acts as a riser, then a bolt going through would act as a hinge and give me angle control. Not exactly a standard unistrut way of doing it though.

As for the shingles I'm not sure what you mean about every other row lining up. It was my first time doing it so not an expert job, and I kinda eye balled it as trying to run a chalk line etc from a ladder from one end to the other was logisticly impossible to do. It's a small enough roof that I did not worry too much about doing it perfect. This is basically the pattern I went for:

I heard of some people randomizing it a little so you don't line it up, so it gives a more natural look, but need to watch the slit between two tabs does not end up resting too close to the nail head of the lower shingle. By centering it it's the furthest it can be from the nail head.

 

[herm0016]

heh, the GAF install guide for a 3 tab is halvsies. used to be 3rds? though I have not put up 3 tabs in a long time. last house got timberlines.

 

[Greenman]

Hinge or they have an adjustable angle bracket. I may just use some all thread as posts on the back screwed into the unistrut nut and a hinge on the front.

@Greenman whats up with the ridge too? Top pic the glue is showing. Like the taps are over the ridge and were not cut.


Edit. Could be ridge vent.

Looks like the top row of shingle was never installed.

 

[Greenman]

Optimal angle does not mean much if they're covered in snow so I am aiming for optimal for the snow to fall off. If I had a bigger property I would do a ground mount on poles and just have a east/west array. The south sun would be at a rather unoptimal angle but that is maybe like a couple hours of the day. Could do a C with 3 arrays too, east, south, and west. You get production from the sun bouncing off the snow too. But here I'm constrained by space and neighboring shadows so can't put them lower.

I will try to find some hinges and see if that might work. I also have an idea with L brackets, one on each side along a horizontal section with a unistrut in the middle that acts as a riser, then a bolt going through would act as a hinge and give me angle control. Not exactly a standard unistrut way of doing it though.

As for the shingles I'm not sure what you mean about every other row lining up. It was my first time doing it so not an expert job, and I kinda eye balled it as trying to run a chalk line etc from a ladder from one end to the other was logisticly impossible to do. It's a small enough roof that I did not worry too much about doing it perfect. This is basically the pattern I went for:

I heard of some people randomizing it a little so you don't line it up, so it gives a more natural look, but need to watch the slit between two tabs does not end up resting too close to the nail head of the lower shingle. By centering it it's the furthest it can be from the nail head.

If that's what the manufacturer says then it's right. I've never seen shingles installed that way, but then again I've never used three tab shingles, didn't even know they still made them.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Interesting I thought it was fairly standard. Pretty much all the roofs here are like that. Though architectural shingles are fairly new and getting more popular.

This video shows the solar racking install and the roof better:

 

[gorobei]

instead of trying to tilt them i would try something like those roof snow clearers on a rod.

only make a motor driven roller system that pulls the sheet part up at night and rolls it back down in the morning to drag the snow off with it.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I was thinking something like that, just not sure where I would find clear plastic that is strong enough. Vapour barrier comes to mind, but it has too much markings/writing on it that would block the sun, and it may also not be UV resistant.

Plexy might be an option too... in fact if I can box them I could even pump heat into the box. If I can get year round production my next goal would be to heat the shed (mostly just as an experiment to see how doable it is) and it would act as thermal energy storage and also keep stuff inside from rusting, and hose, sprinklers etc from breaking. Interestingly the really cold days tend to have full sun. The mild days tend to be overcast. So it could potentially work.

In the end simply changing the tilt is the easiest though, less mechanical things to worry about. If I can find a hinge system that works I could potentially make the tilt easily changeable, either manually, or automatically but fixed is probably simplest bet.

 

[jmagg]

It seems to me that putting a hinge on the array would be difficult, not to mention the beating they would take in high winds. Frost King heat cable under the panels?

 

[mxnerd]

Renogy Adjustable Solar Panel Tilt Mount Brackets: Amazon.ca: Tools & Home Improvement

Renogy Adjustable Solar Panel Tilt Mount Brackets: Amazon.ca: Tools & Home Improvement

www.amazon.ca

 

[bbhaag]

Renogy Adjustable Solar Panel Tilt Mount Brackets: Amazon.ca: Tools & Home Improvement

Renogy Adjustable Solar Panel Tilt Mount Brackets: Amazon.ca: Tools & Home Improvement

www.amazon.ca

While that does seem to fit what the OP is looking for did you notice anything about availability before you linked it? Or were you just trying to give the OP an idea of what to do? Since you just linked to a non available product and didn't add anything else it's kinda hard to tell.

 

[mxnerd]

While that does seem to fit what the OP is looking for did you notice anything about availability before you linked it? Or were you just trying to give the OP an idea of what to do? Since you just linked to a non available product and didn't add anything else it's kinda hard to tell.

Well, didn't notice it's only available until 2022. OP can look for something similar then.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I already have the unistrut hardware so want to just adapt to that. And yeah winds could be an issue with them tilted, I would probably have to build a box around it too as to deflect the wind. I may just forget it but it would be nice to produce year round.

Thought of using nichrome wire (or even just thin regular wire) with temp sensor taped under the panels and control them one at a time, I just need to try to get it to like 5 degrees or so. Would need to beef up my battery bank though. Would need like 10kwh or so.

 

[Micrornd]

Optimal angle does not mean much if they're covered in snow

Hmmm, do you know your latitude?
Montreal is about 45N, so 45 + 15 (in winter) = panels at a 60degree angle from horizontal.
That's pretty much like this -> \
Snow would need to be really "sticky" to hang on that in sunshine

 

[Red Squirrel]

48 degrees here. And it really is the sticky snow that is the issue, and the freezing rain. You get that once, and the panels are caked for the rest of the year, as that stuff just does not come off. Because of global warming we get more weird weather now which comes with weird snow. Even had one type of snow last year that was like spray foam. It took me most of the day to get it off the truck, it was brutal. Was lucky to be off that day. Even if the panels are vertical and we get that kind of snow again I don't think it would come off. Hopefully that was a freak thing and it does not come a normal thing though...

 

[gorobei]

I was thinking something like that, just not sure where I would find clear plastic that is strong enough. Vapour barrier comes to mind, but it has too much markings/writing on it that would block the sun, and it may also not be UV resistant.

you dont need to keep it covered with a clear plastic. my illustration on the left shows brown lines which would be cable/paracord/nylonrope connected to the yellow tarp sheet. when rolled down the solar panel would be fully exposed with nothing on it because the cords would be on the sides. the cord is attached to the top spool so the tarp comes up without needing to be directly connected to the top spool.

the yellow plastic would be a heavy vinyl or pvc(like the stuff used on slip&slides). the main objective being that it be a slick smooth surface with low friction that doesnt scratch the thin glass layer on the top of the solar panel. when rolled down on the lower spool during the day, it only needs a small box around the spool to keep the uv from degrading the plastic.

 

[lxskllr]

What about hinged lexan? Might look a little dumb, but you could keep the "clean" part hanging down next to the shed, and when the part over the panels gets covered, you pull the sheets over the top and let the "dirty" part hang on the opposite side of the shed. Hopefully that gets clean before it's time to swap places again.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Had to google what that is, like plexi glass? I've thought of that actually. I would just need to make sure to tilt it up when it's not snowing so snow does not get on the panels while I'm cleaning it. Since it would have a bit of flex in it maybe the snow/ice would fall off.

I'm kinda late this year though so it will have to go to next year.



We got some nasty wet snow, that stuff just turns into ice. So won't be producing much until May or so. Tried to brush it off but no go, it's too heavy, the brush just glides on top.

Considering even the stop signs are caked in snow I'm starting to question if putting them vertical is even going to work. I think I still need to have some form of heater to heat them from under. Won't bother for the shed but if ever I buy off grid land I could use pex tubing with glycol and a wood fired boiler system.

 

[gorobei]

if you go with my roller system all you have to do is put it on a timer to cycle every 15 to 30 min at night. the build up will never get big enough to be un-movable.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I forgot about this thread. I ended up making my own brackets from unistrut parts. I cut small sections of unistrut then drilled into them sideways with the drill press so I can bolt on T brackets to the sides (that was not fun, made a mess and took a long time) then that allowed me to install these brackets anywhere along a channel. Unistrut prices are through the roof now but I was lucky that I had extra lying around. If I was doing this from scratch now I'd probably just order solar racking hardware online because it would probably actually be cheaper. The nice thing about unistrut is that it's standard though.

Example of how I did the bracket:

Final product:

I still have to take snow off but at least I can see the panels from the ground now. Before I couldn't actually see them, so it was a guessing game if I was actually getting snow off or not. I had to go for a walk around the block since I can see them from the other street between two houses. But now I can see them from my own yard. Also I do think sometimes the snow does in fact slide off because I don't need to take it off as often anymore, though we've hardly been getting any snow this year too so this year is not a good test.

When I do the setup on my off grid property I will put them vertical facing south as I'll have more room. Here I'm kind of constrained as to where I actually get sun and which direction, so in this case they're facing west which is not ideal. I do plan to put a flat array high up over my deck though. Obviously that one will require a lot of work to keep clear but I will probably just keep a step ladder out year round and access it that way.

 

[drnickriviera]

I do plan to put a flat array high up over my deck though. Obviously that one will require a lot of work to keep clear but I will probably just keep a step ladder out year round and access it that way.

Also think about how you will wash them too. I had to clean my array that is on a 1/12 pitch yesterday. Water doesn't drain off completely due to the metal frame and that moisture traps dirt. They had only been up there for about 6 months and had to scrub the bottom 2" of panel. Was probably really hurting output

 

[Red Squirrel]

Also think about how you will wash them too. I had to clean my array that is on a 1/12 pitch yesterday. Water doesn't drain off completely due to the metal frame and that moisture traps dirt. They had only been up there for about 6 months and had to scrub the bottom 2" of panel. Was probably really hurting output

Yeah I will want to tilt them ever so slightly so hopefully that will be enough so water does not sit too much. The only practical way to do it is to tilt them north which is not ideal though, but I'm thinking like 5-10 degrees at most. The charge controller can only do around 1kw and the panels are closer to 1.4kw so I have some margin to play with anyway as the charge controller is undersized. I originally was going to use that charge controller for only 2 panels then bought 2 more last minute as they were super cheap.