We installed this ground-mounted solar system for a farm located near Ashland Virginia. It includes four (4) separate groups of solar modules, mounted on motorized trackers which keep each solar array pointed directly towards the sun throughout the day.
When the solar controls determine that its sundown after following the sun all day, the arrays are re-positioned back to the south-east so they will be ready for tomorrow’s sun-rise. Adding motorized tracking drives to any pole-mounted solar array will increase system output during the spring, summer, and fall months when the sun’s path is more towards the east in the morning and west in the afternoon.
The solar arrays were located in a large field near the home, and all tracking hardware and wiring were mounted well above the reach of any grazing farm animals. Care was taken in the design and layout of the separate pole-mounted systems to make sure there would be no shading on any array from any a nearby array regardless of month or time of day. The primary purpose of this system is to provide emergency power for a very-large underground shelter, and to reduce monthly electric usage. The system includes a dual 4 kW Trace power panel, 32 industrial deep-cycle batteries, and a 400 watt wind turbine mounted at the nearby farm house.
