A steel-frame cage salvaged from an old broken AC generator
Solar Panels removed from a single-pole array
Leftover truss-steel from another solar array project
Miscellaneous collected nuts, bolts, washers, etc.
The steel cage, since narrower than the solar array, will need extended wheels for added stability.
Much of the steel used were comprised of scraps found around the yard.
Shown are the first phase of the project.
After adding two strips of angle-alloy to hold the two panels together (seen at the top of the panels), hinges were added to the bottom allowing the array to adjust to seasonal sun orientation.
Hinges and adjustable elevation were necessary components to adjust to the seasonal sun.
The wheels shown were scrapped for larger wheels. The replacement wheels are equipped with individual brakes.
Bottom steel was scrapped for a beafier stock.
In this phase of the project, the Vertical brace was later scrapped for a more stable location allowing for a full movement of the array from an almost lateral position, to about 45degrees vertical.
All frame steel has been double-nutted to improve integrity.
Simple tube slides inside of wider tube steel for ease of changing orientation of the solar panels.
This particular project sold already. It went to a fine man with more than a vision. He stated that the cost to create a large pond on his property was overpriced, so he rented the equipment and did it with the help of friends and his dad.
The man stated that he stocked the pond with fish (he may have specified "Catfish") and needed a pump due to the outrageous electric bills he was receiving this year.
The solar panels alone will automatically power-up the pump for him at the dawn, and stop pumping automatically in the evening. Or he could add a couple of batteries and a charge controller that will allow his fountain to pump year-round free of charge during the daytime and nightime.
The new improved replacement wheels each have their own foot-brake.
Large Adjustable wheels ensure effortless moving of panels. With the brakes all off, one can use a finger to shove the rolling array.
As a side-note toward direct energized appliances
Within my lab (it's a garage), I have direct energy to heat the hot water tank seamlessly every day (no batteries, charge controller, inverter, AC electricity needed). Also powered with direct energy are 6 or 7 heaters and hotplates which sometimes will cook coffee or food.
However recently I found that I COULD also power lights without adverse effects (whereas all of my prior experiments were either short-lived or disastrous).
So what appears to work well during testing stage was to only add a dimmer switch that can also turn off the lights (but we never turn off those lights). The lights are comprised of 16.5 feet L.E.D. lighting and there are two of those implemented on the top of a long wall bookcase and the other 16.5 feet of L.E.D. lights were placed on the same long shelf but facing forward (still higher than 5 feet off the ground).
The way the two strips of 16.5 feet of 24 volt lights work successfully is due to the solitary 55 watt solar panel that is not a 24 volt panel but rather is only 16.5 volts. Since the 16.5 volts produces roughly 3.33 amps of energy and since the lights would consume that much and more, there's little worry about the lights burning up.
So anybody wanting to take solar a bit further, I'd say there's room for discoveries in this technology.
It's late November 2024 and it's time to build another rolling solar array!
Larger wheels with built-in brakes to keep it from freely roaming the countryside and a few parts from a table made this array one of my favorites.
Capable of supplying 12volt, 24volt, 36volt, or 48volt energy allows this rolling solar array to be quite handy to have around.
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Today's Date is Saturday, 26-Apr-2025 11:42:25 -05
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