Abstract: Fixed-tilt mechanical racking, consisting of proprietary aluminum extrusions, can dominate
the capital costs of small-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. Recent design research has shown that
wood-racking can decrease the capital costs of small systems by more than 75% in North America. To
determine if wood racking provides enough savings to enable labor to be exchanged profitably for
higher solar electric output, this article develops a novel variable tilt angle open-source wood-based
do-it-yourself (DIY) PV rack that can be built and adjusted at exceptionally low costs. A detailed
levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) production analysis is performed after the optimal monthly tilt
angles are determined for a range of latitudes. The results show the racking systems with an optimal
variable seasonal tilt angle have the best lifetime energy production, with 5.2% more energy generated
compared to the fixed-tilt system (or 4.8% more energy, if limited to a maximum tilt angle of 60◦
).
Both fixed and variable wooden racking systems show similar LCOE, which is only 29% of the
LCOE of commercial metal racking. The results of this study indicate that the novel variable tilt rack,
whether used as a small-scale DIY project or scaled up to fulfill larger energy demands, provides
both the lowest cost option even when modest labor costs are included and also may provide specific
advantages for applications such as agrivoltaics
- Teacher: Site Owner