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  • [long note]

  • -[Thomas Jenkins] What we're showing today is examples

  • of two types of Photovoltaic systems.

  • In this example, we have a fixed rack configuration.

  • In that, the panels are mounted on some type of rack

  • and the rack is pointed in most cases

  • directly south and it never moves.

  • This is a little bit more sophisticated,

  • in that, it can change the tilt angle

  • which is often good to do because the sun

  • will be at different positions throughout the year.

  • In the winter, it's gonna be lower.

  • In the summer, it's gonna be higher.

  • So your panels will be more efficient if they're pointing directly to the sun.

  • In most cases for home use, this is what you'll use.

  • On the other hand, we have this type of system over here.

  • This is what we call a solar tracker.

  • In this case, this is a passive solar tracker,

  • which means that it works all by itself

  • and it doesn't need any electricity or any motors to work.

  • It all works by simple physics.

  • The tracker will follow the sun

  • from the morning to the evening as it crosses the sky.

  • The panels will collect more of the sun's energy

  • because they're always pointing directly to the sun.

  • The disadvantage of this system is that

  • this is a little bit more expensive.

  • We're gonna get more energy from this system

  • but it's gonna be more expensive

  • to purchase in the beginning.

  • So it'll take a while for that extra energy

  • that you're gonna get every day to pay off

  • in the long run, to pay off the cost of the equipment.

  • So this is a good choice for a lot of systems.

  • In addition, we've mounted a few things

  • that most of homeowners will probably have

  • and these are some devices that allow us

  • to measure voltage and currents,

  • the output from our solar panels.

  • And we can compare the two and see how much

  • of a different energies we get over time.

  • 'Cause that'll convert into how much energy

  • you need for your home because a lot of times

  • homeowners use these to be in a system

  • which is called a grid-tied system,

  • in which they sell energy when they're generating

  • more energy than they use in the home,

  • they sell their excess energy to the electric company.

  • - [Announcer] The preceding was a production

  • of New Mexico State University.

  • The views and opinions in this program are those

  • of the author and do not necessarily represent

  • the views and opinions of the NMSU Board of Reagents.

[long note]

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