Solar Pathfinder Demonstration and DIY analysis

This is a simple but effective way to evaluate a site for solar capability. I used a photo of the shading image to easily calculate the solar potential.

See: http://www.solarpathfinder.com/

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• solar pathfinder
• solar path finder
• solar
• solar power
• PV
• photovoltaic
• shade analysis
• sun angle
• solar thermal
• sun path
• sun path diagram
• minnesota
• solar panel

[mjlorton]

Very fascinating Fearless, I've not seen one of these before so thanks for posting good man.

[Fearlessthinker]

@mjlorton The best part is it is solar powered! 

[jmotazedi]

Nice that clarifies it how much and where do you buy these things

[Fearlessthinker]

@jmotazedi I added a link in the description for you. Thanks.

[leamyelectricinc1]

Good job buddy. I have to use these on all my solar installations. The Pathfinder can also be used for gardening as well. I have the manulal one where you trace the outline with a white crayon. This unit works very well. It is nice to see someone on youtube doing it the right way. Thanks for the post.

[sjh7132]

Fortunately in the winter time those trees will lose their leaves, and more sun will get through.

[shartne]

@shartne Yes that would be really nice maybe you could show me how that is done where to get the parts and all and how to assemble them.

[Fearlessthinker]

@MrHorsetail Yes, one thing this doesn't help with is the true angle range that PV produces power. Even if the sun hits my panels at 9am, the angle is so obtuse that the panel will still be asleep. I plan to log the watts from one panel on a clear day to see how the production varies from 9am to 5pm and then redraw the shading chart.  Do you have a feel for this angle range with your evergreen cells?

[MrHorsetail]

@Fearlessthinker The tracker I made works perfectly every day. It wasn't that hard to put together even though I had to make several changes to the circuit. A tracker could easily made from a cheap micro-controller too, but it takes a little code writing or finding some code already on the Internet. I manually moved my panel for months with a switch in a pill bottle before I got around to making the tracker circuit.

[definitionofis]

That is the first time I saw one of those using reflection like that. Thanks for posting it.

I have one neighbour who planted an oak. Fifteen years from now that will be a problem for my early morning winter days.