Solar Awning

[Diavolicchio]

The orientation of the little cottage I'll be building this coming year will be North to South, so it unfortunately isn't set up to take full advantage of a solar PV panel array on the roof. Rather than forgo solar panels altogether, I've decided to install a small solar awning on the South-facing wall of the house. I've only got an 18' wide wall to work with, but it will still accommodate five SunPower 315 PV panels and create a simple awning above my kitchen windows that's 17'2" wide. It's a tiny system (1.575 kW), but it should generate around 2,100 kWh of free electricity annually, which should work out to an average of 5.74 kWh/day.

The new place is estimated to require around 17.5 kWh/day, so I'll at least be able to get my electricity needs down to around 11.8 kWh/day which at the current rates in Maine will leave me with a $44/month electricity bill. Fortunately, this will be enough electricity to juice everything I could possibly want in the new place, including a number of indulgences.

The system will be similar to this rendering I found online of someone else's 5-panel awning:

Does anyone else out there have a solar awning? I'd love to hear about it.

 

[Farmfresh]

Cool idea!

 

[johnElarue]

Hi again John,

Sorry I don't have a solar awning but I like your plans.

My home is also situated North-South. In summer we get too much sun into the kitchen and have been considering some kind of awning for a long time. Your idea seems perfect.

1.5kw system isn't that tiny by the way

 

[Diavolicchio]

Hi again John,

Sorry I don't have a solar awning but I like your plans.

My home is also situated North-South. In summer we get too much sun into the kitchen and have been considering some kind of awning for a long time. Your idea seems perfect.

1.5kw system isn't that tiny by the way

John,

It's nice with the SunPower 315's that you can actually have a 1.5+ kW system with only 5 panels.

I believe this is the most energy per square foot that you can get with a residential solar panel.

 

[johnElarue]

Yeah, that is a giant panel!
I've never seen 300+ before. They have mostly 200's or so round here, and they're really pricey.

I see you want a 14kw system, right? My relative in the US has that size grid-tie. He's looking at 7 year payback. I guess you're figuring on something similar?

I'm just fiddling around for now with the hopes of someday getting off the grid partially. I don't get enough sun for full solar unfortunately, we had an evaluation done when we built. But I do have hydro potential. Hoping to do a small 1kw or so hybrid.

And yes I am origianlly from the US, my wife is from here. I came to teach for a while and never made it back, cept to visit.

john

 

[Diavolicchio]

I see you want a 14kw system, right? My relative in the US has that size grid-tie. He's looking at 7 year payback. I guess you're figuring on something similar?

John:

I'm flattered that you took the time to actually wade through all of the info on orchardman.com . Yes, plans are for a 14.2 kW PV system comprised of 45 SunPower 315 PV panels, but I've got to do it in two stages. The first 5 panels will be the awning on the cottage, and the remaining 40 will be on the South-facing roof of the eventual barn (which most likely won't be built until 2012.) I was advised that to get the maximum electricity from the 5 panel awning, that I should plan to eventually connect it with 10 of the panels on the barn. This will give me 3 equal strands of 15 panels each, each strand of which will connect to its own properly-sized inverter. Apparently a 5 panel system is a little on the small side to draw its maximum benefit with SunPower's smallest inverter, thus the eventual shift to 3 equal strands of 15.

I believe I'm looking at a payback of around 7 years on the 5 panel awning, but given that almost 90% of the panels I'll be using won't even be purchased until 2012, I've simply not bothered to calculate the ROI. I'm guessing that the cost of the remaining 40 panels will drop noticeably in the next 2 1/2 years. The current tax incentives are a nice boon, too.

 

[johnElarue]

John:

I'm flattered that you took the time to actually wade through all of the info on orchardman.com . Yes, plans are for a 14.2 kW PV system comprised of 45 SunPower 315 PV panels, but I've got to do it in two stages.

I believe I'm looking at a payback of around 7 years on the 5 panel awning, The current tax incentives are a nice boon, too.

The reading pleasure was all mine. Nothing catches my eye more than something like 45- 315watt panels. Thanks for providing the technical information as well.

john

 

[sylvie]

That solar awning is such a great idea that I have not seen.
I attend solar tours each year, tour homes that apply many types of alternative energy systems, never tire of seeing innovations.
The awning just makes so much sense.

How do you adjust for the sun's angle during the year?