Dwayne,

$2.50 per watt seems to me awfully expensive.
I would expect more like $1.25 per watt average.
Instead of using 40W panels, look at 250W and above,
and you will get a much better deal.

Jean-Paul
AC9GH

> On Jul 12, 2015, at 11:59 AM, Dwayne Reid <dwayner@planet.eon.net> wrote:
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> Good day to all.
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> Our local Canadian Tire store recently had a sale on what looks to be=20
> decent solar panels and I've purchased a few.  Now I need advice on=20
> how best to use them.
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> These are a relatively-small panel: 31.5" x 14" putting out 40=20
> Watts.  The area where I want to use them is about 19 feet=20
> long.  That gives me room for about 16 panels.
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> These panels packaged by / sold as Coleman but the documentation that=20
> comes with them says they come from Sunforce Products.  They have the=20
> usual 25 year Sunforce warranty (minimum of 80% full output at the=20
> end of 25 years).  They are rated at 12V output: 17.1 Vdc 2.3 Amps.
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> Cost seemed decent: Can $100 per 40 Watt panel.  That amounts to Can=20
> $2.50 per watt.
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> Now I need to figure out how to best use them.  I live in Edmonton,=20
> AB, Canada and our Latitude is about 53.5 degrees North.  We=20
> generally have snow on the ground from sometime in October through=20
> March, give or take a month in either direction for both start and end of=
 snow.
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> I have a shed in the back of my place that has a south-facing=20
> wall.  My first instinct is to simply mount the panels vertically at=20
> the top of that wall - this would give me fairly close to maximum=20
> power during the winter.  Being vertical, the panels should remain=20
> snow-free during the winter.
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> The downside of this is that I'll get generally lousy insolation=20
> during the summer months.
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> I may be able to build a frame on which I can mount all 16 panels=20
> which I could then tilt from vertical to about 45 degrees.  I'm=20
> looking at this now.  If it works like I'm thinking, I would be able=20
> to adjust the tilt angle electrically using linear actuators.  Maybe.
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> Anyway, I'm just in the beginning stages of this project.  I'd like=20
> to have it up and installed before we get snow this year - that gives=20
> me a couple of months.
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> I'm looking for advice and opinions on how to best mount my panels=20
> and how best to use the power from them.
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> Many thanks!
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> dwayne
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> --=20
> Dwayne Reid   <dwayner@planet.eon.net>
> Trinity Electronics Systems Ltd    Edmonton, AB, CANADA
> (780) 489-3199 voice          (780) 487-6397 fax
> www.trinity-electronics.com
> Custom Electronics Design and Manufacturing
>=20
> --=20
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