Best Green Building Products: AllSunTracker PV Systems Follow The Sun And Greatly Increase Energy Ou
Vermont-based AllEarth Renewables designs and manufactures the dual-axis AllSun Trackers which move to follow the sun. They can produce up to 45% more energy than fixed rooftop or ground mount systems.
I was at a client's property recently meeting with a solar PV installer. We were discussing the best place to site a solar PV array. Solar PV on the house was not going to work. First, the roof facing the necessary South was not very big. Plus, a large evergreen tree blocked the sun on that side of the house and the owner preferred not to cut it down.
Luckily, there were other options as the 18th century farmhouse was situated on almost 100 acres. For instance, there was a large, flat sunny field just behind the house. When we were in the field, I asked the installer if he could mount a PV system that moved so the client could capture more power with the same amount of KW of solar panels. This particular installer was negative about the idea, saying it would be too complicated. A system like that, he mused, would mean there were more parts to break and have problems. My internal translation for such contractor speak: I do not sell and install those kind of systems so I will downplay them.
Clearly, if you have land enough to do a ground mount system, then installing an AllSun system from AllEarth Renewables is an option to seriously consider. It's no surprise that the company is based in Vermont, a state at the leading edge of creating a green energy infrastructure.
AllEarth Renewables was a 2012 Inc. 500 business for fastest growing companies nationwide and has installed over 1,750 complete grid-connected solar tracker systems. The dual axis tracker was previously named a “Top-10 Green Product” by BuildingGreen Magazine.
The AllSun Tracker is pole-mounted and uses GPS and wireless technology to follow the sun. The Series 24 AllSun system is designed for a larger family or business and produces approximately 7,728 kilowatt hours per year. The Series 20 is designed for an individual or small family with a modest need for electricity and produces approximately 5,880 kilowatt hours per year
While you're planning the installation of a PV system, make sure to include at least a small battery back up element to your resiliency plan. The same PV contractor referenced above also tried to tell me that having a battery back was too complicated, not worth the money, would cause problems. Tell that to Elon Musk of Tesla Motors fame who proved that building an electric car and installing EV charging stations across the country was possible. Musk's Solar City just announced they will offer battery back up as a standard part of their package in just a few years. It's already possible and affordable now. (Especially true, if you plan on buying a back up generator anyway.) Go ahead, be ahead of the curve. I dare you.
