SWA over a stream

[Kelvin]

Hi

 

I need to make decision in where to put the PV installation. I’ve decided not to put it on the roof so it will be ground mounted. I have two places where it can go neither are ideal. One is on a bank so will require terracing to get some flat ground to mount it. It’s overshadowed by some trees which would impact early morning sunlight. The other location is on top of a bank. It’s already quite flat and ideally located for maximum sun exposure. However, it’s on top of a small cliff with a burn beneath it so I’d need to get the cabling down from here and across the burn. From there it would be in a trench back to the garage. 
 

The digger is at the right most side of the panel location which will then run left for 21m approx, then down that small cliff, across the burn and into a trench back to the garage. 
 

 

[JohnMo]

I would go for best sun, would also consider going for vertical panels or close too, for best winter output. Summer output is going to big anyway no matter what the angle.

 

I have two arrays, one at 45 degs the other vertical, both a similar size in kW terms. The vertical ones are producing 1.5kW, the 45 degrees ones 1kW, at the moment. So 50% extra output in December.

[ProDave]

Ours is similar.  To get the SWA across the burn I went to the plot boundary where I erected a fence on the boundary line straddling the burn and the SWA crosses the burn fixed to the bottom of the fence.

 

You could also build a nice foot bridge over the burn (on my to do list still) and use that to support it.

 

My inverter is in a shed, roughly half way between the supply head and the panels with long DC cables to the panels.  Volt drop on the DC side is lot less of an issue than on the AC side.

[saveasteading]

Through a scaffold tube, for an easy bridge?

[Kelvin]

The bridge idea is great and I happen to have a load of old hefty scaffold boards that I’ve no idea where they came from. Scaffold pole also a good idea and I happen to have one the scaffolders left behind. There will be an inverter down with the panels. 

[JohnMo]

3 minutes ago, Kelvin said:

There will be an inverter down with the panels. 

 looked at this when i did my remote panels, you need the inverter by the house.  The inverter is trying to push electric to the house and compensating by supplying a higher and higher voltage to overcome the voltage drop. It basically inverter trips on over voltage with long cable lengths. As @ProDave says take the voltage drop on the DC side. Use a DC isolator by the panels, then run SWA from there to inverter.

[Kelvin]

Ah ok. I’ll review how it’s configured. Incidentally I’m using the same battery as you. 

[JohnMo]

 

May be some useful info on these threads.  I have had zero issues since installed.

[Alan Ambrose]

A big bit of steel pipe over the burn otherwise?

[Kelvin]

Yes steel pipe would work well enough too. I’ve been told by my client (wife) that it can’t be as ugly af whatever I do because there will be a seating area down there eventually.  

[saveasteading]

1 hour ago, Kelvin said:

Scaffold pole also a good idea and I happen to have one the scaffolders left behind

It will rust, but I  expect it will last as long as the panels etc, but a coat of paint will add a few years..

[Kelvin]

It’s aluminium 

[Kelvin]

The vertical panel suggestion is good and something I considered a while back but vetoed early on. The panels need to be invisible “or we aren’t having them”. This really limits my options. What I’ve done is dug out a flat area and used the earth I dug to create a bank behind where the panels will go which effectively hides them but only if I used something like the Renusol Console type system. 

Edited December 14, 2023 by Kelvin

[ProDave]

1 hour ago, Kelvin said:

Yes steel pipe would work well enough too. I’ve been told by my client (wife) that it can’t be as ugly af whatever I do because there will be a seating area down there eventually.  

Make it useful.  I give you the "solar shed"

 

[joe90]

2 hours ago, Kelvin said:

Yes steel pipe would work well enough too. I’ve been told by my client (wife) that it can’t be as ugly af whatever I do because there will be a seating area down there eventually.  

Then ask her for her solution 🤷‍♂️

[Kelvin]

Put them on the roof but I don’t want them on the roof. 

[joe90]

I didn’t want them on my roof (a pretty looking cottage) but i was going to put them on my workshop roof.