Our off-grid home is powered by a Hydro-Turbine. In the winter months we get more than 500 watts of output non-stop. During the late summer months we start to get less rainfall and therefor we get less wattage. As global warming shifts our system of winds and ocean currents, we anticipate drier summers. As a result we are adding an additional 1,000 watts of power to our system. In the winter we will have more hot water and heating during the day and we will maintain our current standard of living in the summer when the rains stop and the sun beams down.
The tracker is designed to maximize yearly output of solar power by following the sun's path from East to West daily at a constant 23 degree angle.
The first stage of the project is to accrue all the building materials and get them to the site. Not a simple task without a 4 wheel drive truck.
All the sand and gravel must be bagged up and then hand carried to the top of the hill. Thank you Stan and Ben for your help with this morale breaking job.
Once at the top of the hill, the bags are sent down a steel cable to the location of the work site. In the photo above you can see the bags of materials in cue to be launched on the steel cable directly above them.
Once the sacks of sand, gravel, and cement are all on location, the mixing process can begin. In the meantime, the bags make a comfortable resting spot for the boss-man.
Next the foundations need to be dug to support the structure.
Ben and Cbass take charge with mattock and shovel and excavate the site.
The tracker will sit atop of a retaining wall we built in 2011, directly behind our house.
After a day of physical labor, Ben, Cbass, and Magnus, take a break to press some wine and sample the quality of ethanol production this season.
Concrete mixing finally commences and the 2,500 kilogram foundation begins to be poured.
The iron is held in place with guide ropes to maintain perfect North-South and Vertical alignment as the concrete is dumped bucket-by-bucket into the wooden forms.
A difficult job is made much easier with two strong and able men alongside Magnus.
The final foundation shape is revealed as Sowilo. The fitting symbol for this project and what it seeks to accomplish.
Next, the pedestal will be built at the base of the North column. And then the columns themselves will be poured and finally the metal frame will be attached to the tops of the columns. Stay tuned...
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