Installation of the solar panels’ scaffolding

Ariane and Angèlica arrived at the Alfacada field at 9.15h UTC. Pep and Mar had previously opened the gate for us. It was a partially cloudy day, with mild temperatures and a gentle breeze.

Scaffolding installation

· While Angèlica finished drilling the missing wholes and securing the tower scaffolding, Ariane, Mar and Pep began assembling the scaffolding for the solar panels. It was installed 15m eastern of the first scaffolding. Two of the legs were secured using existing screws in two of the concrete blocks (positioned in opposite sides). We checked the diagonal length and used the level to ensure the structure was straight. The legs were adjusted accordingly. On the two remaining blocks, 4 holes were drilled using a concrete drill bit, and screws were secured.

· The holes from both scaffoldings were filled with soil that had previously been removed.

· We took a break for coffee and croissants. Later, we discussed where to attach the triangular support for the solar panels. We decided to attach the triangles on the interior side of the scaffolding, aligning its short side with the vertical pole. The orientation will be facing south. To secure the triangle, we will need to drill holes into both poles and add screws.

Other notes

• Ariane raised concerns about the stability of the sensor scaffolding, as the entire tower’s weight rests on the stop (tope) of the spindle (husillo). If the stop breaks, the legs could slip until they reach the feet. We need to ensure the spinning adjustor is securely fastened. [Could we remove the topes altogether?]
• We discussed asking the people from the Parc Natural for a copy of the keys.

Measures

• Before leaving, we recorded the GPS coordinates:

40°40’56.3″N 0°50’16.9″E

40.682312, 0.838032

https://maps.app.goo.gl/M128xkeCQgdbGGK57?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy

• We also measured the scaffolding pole diameters:
  • Top (inside): 3 cm
  • Lateral (outside): 5 cm

At 11:30 UTC, we left the site and headed towards Riet Vell.

To-do:

– Buy a long stick to bury and attach the winds to

– Buy long screws for the triangular structure of the solar panels

– Prepare the solar panel structure (laterals, etc.)

– Prepare the tower sensors