Seasonal Adjustments for Solar Harvesting
Everyone has probably seen my shed with 4x320w panels on the roof (installed last fall). They have been great for charging stations while also not having to worry about drizzle or pop-up showers getting stations wet (or snowy). But, the trees to the east will soon be producing leaves, and the sun is changing where it rises, so soon it will not catch as much sun.What I have not been vocal about lately is the fact that I still have 2 of the same panels that I use on portable ground mounts. These two panels have been my primary charging panels for the last 2 summers (along with some portable, folding panels). And they are rotated in the yard as appropriate for the season. During winter, I store those 2 rigid panels in a somewhat wind sheltered area, which keeps the panels from being blown over (1st pic). Facing south, they do grab later afternoon sun very well in that position (this time of year), but it is inconvenient and "LATER afternoon sun" were the key words. That 1st pic was taken at nearly 1 pm and one panel is still shaded by tree limbs (no leaves yet).Now that the sun is crawling higher in the sky, I moved those two panels to my preferred summer position this past Wednesday. I can turn them towards the east, then south, then west, to catch the best sun possible. In the 3rd picture, the panels are in their latest placement, charging the D3MP.Toward fall, they will be moved to a different place to catch the best sun and avoid shading issues from trees, neighbor's houses and even my own house. Then, back by the fence nearing winter.Sometimes, you just have to adjust when you have a less than ideal site for solar (and no, I can't take down my neighbor's trees 😀)