I second Chris's suggestion of Sketchup. Its very easy to use and does a great job modeling stuff like this. There is a free version from Google that is more than adequate for this.
Good luck. On Sun, Feb 16, 2014 at 3:08 PM, Chris Mason <cometenergysyst...@gmail.com>wrote: > I use Sketchup for these calculations now. It will do real shadows at any > time of any day you want. > If you are not familiar with it, send me the exact Google Earth > coordinates and I will mock something up for you. > > > On Sun, Feb 16, 2014 at 5:35 PM, Bob Clark <bcl...@solar-wind.us> wrote: > >> Wrenches: >> >> I have a customer who wants 40 solar modules on ground mounts (not poles) >> in an area that slopes to the ESE at 7 degrees. Putting these modules on >> one ground mount assembly so that the modules are in a 0 degree slope East >> to West would leave the east end about 20 feet in the air. Not acceptable >> as the customer wants a profile as low as possible for aesthetic reasons >> plus the wind can be quite strong on occasion. >> >> So, I am trying to figure out how far apart 5, 8 module sub-arrays >> (landscape orientation 2 E-W by 4 N-S tilted at 35 degrees S from the >> horizontal) would have to be North to South and East to West so that they >> are low profile yet do not shade each other on the winter solstice at 48.5 >> degrees N latitude. These calculations are complicated by the ground >> sloping to the ESE at 7 degrees. >> >> Can anyone point to an online calculator that takes into account the >> slope of the ground? Or can anyone help me with the geometry of this >> situation. I have gone around in circles and thoroughly confused myself. >> >> Thanks in advance. >> >> Bob Clark >> bcl...@solar-wind.us >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> List sponsored by Home Power magazine >> >> List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org >> >> Change email address & settings: >> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org >> >> List-Archive: >> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org >> >> List rules & etiquette: >> www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm >> >> Check out participant bios: >> www.members.re-wrenches.org >> >> > > > -- > Chris Mason > President, Comet Systems Ltd > www.cometenergysystems.com > Cell: 264.235.5670 > Skype: netconcepts > > _______________________________________________ > List sponsored by Home Power magazine > > List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org > > Change email address & settings: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List-Archive: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List rules & etiquette: > www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm > > Check out participant bios: > www.members.re-wrenches.org > > > -- Mac Lewis *"Yo solo sé que no sé nada." -Sócrates*
_______________________________________________ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Change email address & settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules & etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org