A solar pathfinder allows a user to find their solar window for the entire year in one non-electronic, on-site, measurement. We hope to add more instructions and spreadsheet for your ease in the future. Feel free to edit now and see the images and links below.
Related images (this would probably be better as an automatic semantic thing):[edit | edit source]
Some projects utilizing the solar pathfinder:[edit | edit source]
- HEIF music building PV system a
- Jefferson Community Center edible landscape
- CCAT Solar Charging Station
- CCAT greenshed solar lighting
- CCAT MEOW
A video:[edit | edit source]
Example:[edit | edit source]
Estimated Energy Production[edit | edit source]
The Table below shows the monthly and annual estimates for the amount of electricity (kWh) the MEOW V2 is capable of producing. The calculations use NREL data for the solar resource in Arcata, CA at a horizontal tilt (2nd column) and the monthly shading profile in the CCAT driveway according to a solar path finder reading (Fig 5). The calculations are for the 920 W, flat-mount (i.e. 0°) array and consider a total system efficiency of 85% (93% for the inverter, 95% for the batteries, and 96% for wire losses and module soiling). The calculations estimate that the MEOW will produce roughly 870 kWh/year, which could change based on how often the trailer is moved from the CCAT driveway as well as the depth of discharge (DOD) that the batteries are cycled to.
| Month | Solar Resource
(kWh/m2/day) |
% Resource
Available |
Energy Production
(kWh/day) |
Energy Production
(kWh/month) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.8 | 63% | 0.9 | 27.4 |
| Feb | 2.5 | 64% | 1.3 | 35.0 |
| Mar | 3.6 | 54% | 1.5 | 47.0 |
| Apr | 5.0 | 81% | 3.2 | 94.8 |
| May | 5.8 | 95% | 4.3 | 133.3 |
| Jun | 6.0 | 95% | 4.4 | 135.6 |
| Jul | 5.9 | 95% | 4.4 | 135.6 |
| Aug | 5.0 | 93% | 3.6 | 108.9 |
| Sep | 4.4 | 53% | 1.8 | 56.4 |
| Oct | 3.1 | 62% | 1.5 | 46.5 |
| Nov | 2.0 | 58% | 0.9 | 27.2 |
| Dec | 1.6 | 66% | 0.8 | 25.6 |
| Annual
total |
NA | NA | NA | 871.3 |