Copyright 2008 Michael Mc Grath POB 129 Hewitt,NJ 07421.

Front view of cart #2 in full noon sun in mid January 2008. On level ground. Generally, under adverse northern hemisphere winter conditions, on clear days you can expect 4 hours of usefull insolation. That is between 10 am and 2 pm local time. Under the most favorable clear skies maybe 9 am to 3 pm if you have unobstructed eastern and western views. But maximum insolation will always be around local noon. And that is why manual tracking of sun is so important. If you are crazy enough to cobble a solar cart together, you are crazy enough to track the sun. During summer months of high solar inclination it's less important to track the sun. Attention can drop to 1 hour increments.And the closer you are to the equator means that tracking is less critical. this is an ideal system for tropical locations off grid. In those situations it is more imortant to remove the cart to a roofed area to protect from rain. Experts say thunderstorms occur at the same times of the day in certain locations. Heart sez that thier inverter can get wet but it shouldnt be used until it is completely dry. The cart itself is made of steel and will rust. Resin or plastic carts can be used if it they can support wieght of system. $0 pounds max a good ball park number. A freindly recap. Keep cart away from children, pets, dummies and water.