MidwestBest
Redneck Engineer
have you tried preheating it before mig welding? i have a miller 250x and if that wont work ill break out the old arc welder and i can weld anything with it if it comes to that. the mig is just easier and faster.
20 ft Shipping Container Solar Array Mount
- Thread starter MidwestBest
- Start date
MidwestBest
Redneck Engineer
is this just using its own weight to hang on the edge of the corner?? or is it also anchored down. i kinda like those brackets. did you make those or buy them?
Can we talk prices of used 20ft containers? I'm having trouble finding them less than $3000 used for WWT. I was really hoping to get one under or near 2k.
I am playing with some 20ft container ideas after walking away from a ballasted pergola path on another thread.
I know output would increase by angling like the examples above, but I am thinking cheap panels can makeup for the loss by just overhanging a little and increasing the area of the panels, plus the flat install seems much easier. dare i say quantity > optimum angle?
I was considering a non-overhang 3200w array on top, and adding twin 2000w arrays to the sides to catch east/west but the net output is only 400w more than the Talesun option on the left.
I am playing with some 20ft container ideas after walking away from a ballasted pergola path on another thread.
I know output would increase by angling like the examples above, but I am thinking cheap panels can makeup for the loss by just overhanging a little and increasing the area of the panels, plus the flat install seems much easier. dare i say quantity > optimum angle?
I was considering a non-overhang 3200w array on top, and adding twin 2000w arrays to the sides to catch east/west but the net output is only 400w more than the Talesun option on the left.
OffGridForGood
Catch, make or grow everything you can.
But it will take up space in the can, and will not be (easily) removable.
I would suggest pouring a slab on grade, then attach the seacan to the slab at the corner blocks. Easily unbolted one day.
Just a suggestion.
MidwestBest
Redneck Engineer
located in missouri and my 20ft was 3200 delivered and that only cause i know the guy well. 3k seems pretty normal for where im at and 4k for a 40f wishing i had a 40ft container now but that extra 1k wasnt in my budget at the time. might be trading my spray foamed 20ft for a 52ft non insulated container though. idk we will see if they go for it. wish me luck. then id have plenty of room for all my panels.
Hedges
I See Electromagnetic Fields!
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2020
- Messages
- 21,590
Only in summer.
You can tilt each panel and have space between them to avoid shadows. More power per panel in the winter. Wasted area in the summer. Given the price of containers, fully populating roof with flat would be better. For ground mount, multiple mounts spread apart.
How about one or more containers with long side facing south, panels tilted out on the side and tilted up on the top? Half for winter, half for summer.
Two containers, one SE orientation, one SW.
The sides due East and due West? Increases mornings and evenings a bit in the summer. Only good if you need A/C all day.
Probably you want winter production. 3 containers for SE, S, SW or SSE, S, SSW?
the paveed area facing south is roughly 37ft wide and 28ft deep. I am giving up a parking spot for the container, yes with the sides facing east/west. if we could obtain 2x 20ft containers at a good price I would be tempted to connect them with a 10ft span and triple the array, and park a car in between them under the span. given the price of the containers, not likely to happen (at least in phase 1)
I considered rotating it 90 like you said facing south, but it's a waste of parking.
the shop is concrete with 3 exterior walls 24ft tall, the largest facing almost due south. indoor temps tops 90F with significant humidity and rarely fall below 80F for 3-4 months in summer. the concrete seems to absorb solar heat and doesn't cool off much at night, so yes any excess power will be fed to AC or heat pumps.
I played with the PV watts calculator, the angle seemed to help about 18% at most depending on season. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but that's why I was thinking just go flat and get the array at least 20% bigger than possible with angle mounting options.
I considered rotating it 90 like you said facing south, but it's a waste of parking.
the shop is concrete with 3 exterior walls 24ft tall, the largest facing almost due south. indoor temps tops 90F with significant humidity and rarely fall below 80F for 3-4 months in summer. the concrete seems to absorb solar heat and doesn't cool off much at night, so yes any excess power will be fed to AC or heat pumps.
I played with the PV watts calculator, the angle seemed to help about 18% at most depending on season. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but that's why I was thinking just go flat and get the array at least 20% bigger than possible with angle mounting options.
I am also seeing $3200 delivered in NH/MA/RI myself. I wish I could fit a 40ft, the extra $1000 for the 40 would pay for itself.
I am looking at $1/watt for the panels and the 20ft container, so it pains me to think I could do 60cents/watt for the 40ft.
SunDave
Solar Enthusiast
Hi Midwest,
We made the brackets out of aluminum. They are anchored down with through bolts. On the plate stock that you can see that goes around the corner, some is on top, and some on the side. Wide enough to catch ribs on the top and side since the ribs on the container don't line up around the corner. Each part has 2-3 through bolts with washers.
for a second my math was terrible and I thought they were 500 watt panels. what panels are those? are they bifacial talesuns? your container is white, so i am wondering if there is a bifacial play possible,
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SunDave
Solar Enthusiast
I probably should have went bi-facial, but I did not. Those are REC pure 400aa panels. 400 watts even. They have been awesome. Yesterday when it was around 15F here, I got near or over the 2000 watt rating for 2 hours straight. High of about 2150. No complaints.
They are off the container a ways, and there is not much blocking the back. It would likely be a decent gain. Especially with some spacing.
Checkthisout
Solar Wizard
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2021
- Messages
- 5,063
Welds the same as all other steel and welds to regular steel just fine.
Probably 300 feet of weld bead on this.
The bad part is the epoxy paint. Use flux core so you don't have to clean much.
Penetrations are fine. Just use auto body seam sealer on both sides.
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OffGridForGood
Catch, make or grow everything you can.
Low alloy - and protect the work with paint. it will be fine sitting in your yard.
Branch Ranch
New Member
I love this idea! I have been kicking around ideas of ground mounting about 10-12 panels for my cabin. I have a sunny spot for a 20' container, just need to figure out the brackets similar to what you have here. Thanks!
SunDave
Solar Enthusiast
Hi Branch Ranch. The part you can't see on the picture is the top. It is similar to the side. We just made it wide enough to catch 2 ribs on top, and one on the side. If you made it a bit wider, two on the side, and one top might be better for rain. Then just some good sealant on the bolts with wide washers.
If you are not into welding, you could find a small welding outfit near you. We also put a small bend into the bottom of the plate that goes along the side. Just to make sure it stayed straight with the container since the corner was a bit proud. Not sure if you know what I mean, but you may be able to see it on the picture.
Good luck with your project!
dopeassjackson
New Member
I was looking for a 20' in the end of 2019' they where $2300 delivered. (Central NY). I saw them as high as $4500 and a few months ago down to about $3200.
To the OP. I would weld the unistrut directly on to the container and not think twice about it. I believe there about 3,000lbs empty.
LUNASOLSOLAR
New Member
Is this your project? I'm designing something similar and am curious about the attachments. What materials did you use to attach the strut to the container?
seneysolar
Solar Addict
No just something i ran across online. I thought it was a bit excessive but as long as its anchored down its probably ok.
I do have a 20ft container, they are lighter than you think. I move it around on occasion with the tractor.
OffGridForGood
Catch, make or grow everything you can.
Good excuss to fill it with batteries!
"honestly hun, we Have to fill the shipping container with lots of batteries, so the container doesn't blow right over"
OffGridForGood
Catch, make or grow everything you can.
Anchor it to a concrete slab, or weight it down, or get some duck bills, anchor it to some helical piles at the corners, build it into a largerer structure lots of options.
We used to put two 40-foot cans set parallel & level, 25 feet apart, then attach a knee wall on top of the inner sides and put cheap 26-foot garage trusses up on the knee walls. Add 8-foot pieces of 2x from the truss tails to the outside corner of the two cans, and sheet it up with roofing.
Gives you a 25x40 space under roof, and two 8x40 secure lockable storage areas for not a lot of material or work. With some planning and threaded fasteners it can be dismantled and moved easily enough too. 1640 sqft of storage and roofed workspace, just add some lights and get to work.
We used to put two 40-foot cans set parallel & level, 25 feet apart, then attach a knee wall on top of the inner sides and put cheap 26-foot garage trusses up on the knee walls. Add 8-foot pieces of 2x from the truss tails to the outside corner of the two cans, and sheet it up with roofing.
Gives you a 25x40 space under roof, and two 8x40 secure lockable storage areas for not a lot of material or work. With some planning and threaded fasteners it can be dismantled and moved easily enough too. 1640 sqft of storage and roofed workspace, just add some lights and get to work.
DudeInMyrtleBeach
New Member
I'm new to solar but not at all new to living in a high-wind environment. I'm getting ready to attach 6x hyperion 400w panels to the top of my 20' container with unistrut in 3x rows of 2. Then, I'm going to build a lean-to roof with treated wood and attach 6 more with unistrut using the same 3x rows of 2 panels. I have a newish ('one trip') box I'm using and the thing has a 5000lb *tare* weight. I live 6 miles from the Carolina coast where there are hurricanes all the time and I'm not a bit worried about the thing tipping or even *budging* for that matter with hurricane force winds. A tornado could do some damage, sure. A cat 4 or 5 hurricane - might move it. Maybe. 90mph winds? No freakin' way. The panels would explode before the container moved.
seneysolar
Solar Addict
Mine is 4410 lbs. That about the same as a jeep wrangler. The side wall makes a 20x9 sail, it definitely CAN move in high winds if it takes it broadside.
20kw on a 40ft high cube. 5 strings of 11 370w panels. Under 13' 6" and 102" wide so transportable/mobile. Will have hydraulics for sun tracking (connected together so weight of each side offsets the other) and wind meter to drop the panels for high wind conditions.
OffGridForGood
Catch, make or grow everything you can.
best to anchor it down if panels are being added for sure.
DudeInMyrtleBeach
New Member
A tornado would do it for sure. The damage from hurricane winds is more likely in conditions where uplift forces come into play. I used 12x 6x6 posts on the 30' lean-to patio roof on my porch for this very reason.
Just about everyone I know has a shed on their property, the majority are simply sitting on blocks and I've never seen one blown away in a cat3 or cat4 hurricane. I've seen em move a little, but that's it. And they're made of plywood and 2x4's. The damage caused by hurricanes is mostly by tree branches turning into 100+mph missiles and flooding.
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