Even though revamping our power system holds the bulk of my attention and activity lately (see Power Shift: A New/Old Battery Bank) other tasks, especially those that are seasonally sensitive, occupy me.
Birch tapping season recently returned to the “homestead”. However, informed by new advice, that season shifted somewhat this year.
This year’s sap production in process (Photo: Mark A. Zeiger).
Our biggest debate concerning our new photovoltaic array may be placement.
We mounted our current array on a southerly rock face on the promontory we refer to as our Power Point. Its orientation to the sun and natural angle both fall within the recommended parameters for mounting solar panels in our region. We could eke out some extra power were we to tinker with angle an orientation. We could maximize our power by mounting them on a sun tracking frame, but these are very expensive, would greatly increase our workload to install, and, in our severe weather, could easily prove disastrous. A sturdy timber frame on the rock face offers an excellent compromise in average sun intake (called insolation) and maximum security against property damage.
Even so, I can’t help fiddling with the concept, nor can I seem to stop worrying over making the most of the new system.
The composite skyline photo with various heights of the sun (Photos: Mark A. Zeiger).
