The conversion process of my NABCEP Entry-Level award has finally concluded, as my certificate has arrived from NABCEP. As shown on the bottom left corner, my status as an associate certified individual may also be viewed on the NABCEP Associate online directory. The promotion of this program as well as my experience in the field will truly elevate my status as a PV professional and aid in the process of my renewable goals. Thank you all for your support! Without further ado, here is the next article featuring PV system basics covering mounting options and considerations..
...So going off the first post on solar installation, design, maintenance, and engineering, this post will cover some basic principles regarding mounting tips and considerations for obtaining maximum efficiency. Whether it be a residential, commercial, or utility-scale systems, mounting your modules optimally not only provides quality sun exposure, but also has an effect on cost and practicality. Mounting the modules with minimal-low shading serves as the objective when going through different mounting options. The best orientations normally face due south, if your location is in the Northern hemisphere, and vice-versa. As far as altitude considerations, the best bet is to orient the panels to the best fit maximum solar altitude which usually occurs in the middle of the day containing hours of the peak sun demand, and seasonally of course, the time at which the middle of the equinoxes occurs, based on how you must conform to a fixed array. This angle of incidence also depends however on the latitudinal location of your array. Also, identifying true south of course will rarely ever be a perfect 180 degree orientation due to magnetic declination and the tilt of the Earth's axis never matching due to Earth's imperfect composition. Also of course comes the factor of tall trees, foliage, and roof obstructions that may block the roof's area, as well as county codes and local jurisdictions that comply and restrict design parameters due to safety concerns.
The topic of discussion in this next paragraph will initiate specific tools regarding irradiation/insolation, and irradiance measurement and data other than the Solmetric Suneye or Solar Pathfinder, referenced in the FAQ section of the blog. By hand, experienced engineers and PV technicians may calculate desired azimuth and tilt positions to fix PV arrays, but the time and costs associated become extremely tedious, time-consuming, and expensive. Also several years of practice and training may be required to achieve quality data. Thus with the emerging industry of PV technology, eventually came out the invention of meters and handheld devices known as pyranometers, and pyroheliometers.
Pyranometers and pyroheliometers are devices used to measure solar irradiance by a way of visible sunlight striking a dark, thermopile sensor based on the temperature of the atmosphere. This converted by the heat generated into an electrical signal that proportions current to a level of irradiance, measured in watts per square meter. The only difference between these two devices are that pyranometers may be measured on a planar surface covered by the total global radiation from all sides, and surfaces in which the transparent dome captures, while pyroheliometers may only be measured with direct beam radiation patterns.
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