Shading...

[MontBlanc]

There's been a couple of interesting threads recently on shading so I thought I'd ask you pros about this I've seen. I know very little on the subject, so it's purely academic interest only.

This is an install that's just gone up near me recently.
The panels are facing just about due East.



There's 6 panels there, one behind the little gable end.
From what I've read, you can lose over 50% output from the shadow of a TV arial, never mind that huge stack.
Has this customer been slightly conned here?

 

[Earthstore]

Hmmm I would like to see the SAP calculations for this one...
You do not need to be a rocket scientist to know that shading is I severe problem on this one.
In another post I showed how a scaffold bar dropped performance,
in my opinion I would have advised against an install on this roof, I would have looked for an alternative location for the customer.
Earthstore Energy

 

[lee foster]

I guess that depends if the installer has notified the customer and maybe been ignored , but job i'm doing next week has an array facing E/SE and we have arranged for a builder to lower the Chimney Stack (not used), looking at the photo and info supplied it surely is going to have loads of shading for a good part of the day during the summer.
Just my opinion by the way.
Lee

 

[SolarCity]

It is a shocking install - pure and simple.

 

[MontBlanc]

Mmmmm...that's what I was thinking. Fortunately I don't know them, so I don't have to tell them the bad news.
Not a victim of the last minute fit rush???

 

[SolarCity]

If I understand correctly and those panels are facing due east and the chimney is to the south of the array then the shading is colossal. On a slate roof with just 5 panels - I'd love to see the payback time on that.

I'll design the system in PV Sol in the morning and see what kind of figures I get.

If my detective skills are up to scratch, then it looks like this is an east/west split install. Do you have a photo of the west side?

 

[MontBlanc]

Due East, 6 panels, one you can't see behind the gable end. Look forward to your numbers.

On a good note, just down the road, roof due south, no shadow whatsover, getting on for 20 panels...happy days there!

 

[moggy1968]

turned one down a bit like this the other week!

 

[series530]

My thread shows the effect of a chimney on a SSW facing array.

At best, the customer will get output from a single panel for some of the time in bright sunlight and virtually nothing in moderately sunny conditions.

Micro inversion may help to some extent but I would almost put money on the fact that this is a single string array.

 

[MontBlanc]

My thread shows the effect of a chimney on a SSW facing array.

That's one of the threads I was referring to. Good, interesting review you've done there.