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Post your Ground Mount Setup

You would decrease the ROI more effectively if you sold billboard space on the front.
(That is not something most of us strive to do.)
 
This is my mostly complete 56KW array. It is 100 panels on a Sinclair ground mount. And another 40 panels on a modified EG4 mount that tilts.

Last summer I started it, put in a 56 Panel Sinclair. This spring I added on 44 panel sinclair to the right side of the existing. Then while doing this I decided to add a small array to the left with EG4 and my own wood tilt, to do just some elec. to hot water heat, which grew at least 3 times to a 40 panel array. I had to raise it up about 10" higher as the ground continued to taper up and at full tilt panels are close to the ground and snow gets deep here some winters. In the next few weeks I will be finished with the outdoor work.

It has been a lot of work between my day job, my side business and this solar I have no life, lol. My daughter and I did all the work. All this is connected to 10 Growatt 5000es inverters. Full electric house, and 2 EV cars. Lots of battery too, lol.

My house has been off grid since March, utility is turned off. Might need a little gen. help in December and beginning of January.
 
Last edited:
HalfBaked said:
Yo! I fly too! (Well not lately) Got certified at lookout mtn ga. It's been nearly 10 years, still think about it often and one day plan to make a diy version and find some bunny hills. Still crazy after all these years :)
Click to expand...
I still fly often, 40 years now.
 
WarmPepsi said:
Sinclairs and then something else? Why change?
Click to expand...
I needed a different height for the 40 panel part and was not planning on it being this big, but the 40 panel part grew like 4 times before it was done. I needed it to be a separate part anyway as ground level was going the wrong way. I would have kept going with Sinclair as it is for sure the better product, but time and shipping were an issue with getting more Sinclair stuff.
 
Nobodybusiness said:
Man that looks like a giant sail.
Click to expand...

Doesn't look as big tilted back in summer.

Nobodybusiness said:
I can see why you made them so big.
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MT Solar mount, they did the specs on the footings. They specify not to use sonotubes, the whole is to be drilled or dug using a hoe and filled with concrete. This is due to not wanting to disturb the surrounding soil. If I want another array, I'll probably fabricate a mount. I purchased this one simply due to time constraints, I just would not have been able to get everything done that year. Link to mount review. Here is side view.

1697888647471.png
 
Zwy said:
Doesn't look as big tilted back in summer.


MT Solar mount, they did the specs on the footings. They specify not to use sonotubes, the whole is to be drilled or dug using a hoe and filled with concrete. This is due to not wanting to disturb the surrounding soil. If I want another array, I'll probably fabricate a mount. I purchased this one simply due to time constraints, I just would not have been able to get everything done that year. Link to mount review. Here is side view.

View attachment 173380
Click to expand...
What's ballpark cost on something like this?
 
WarmPepsi said:
What's ballpark cost on something like this?
Click to expand...
It's in my review, it was $6747 delivered to nearest Fed Ex freight terminal. Freight was $643 of that total. Concrete was about $350 to $400. Schedule 80 6 inch pipe was $1800 for two 21 foot full lengths, these were cut down to 18.5 feet. Everything was done with the covid price increases on steel, could not have been a worse time to purchase.

The mount is custom, my panels are larger than a standard 72 cell. That created some problems when they forgot to send extensions for the Tamarack rails. The Tamarack rails are nice, really like that system. The custom build probably added 20 to 25% of cost.

Went thru Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota and North Dakota on trip in August. Saw plenty of single pole MT mounts out that way.

Wasn't cheap. It certainly added to cost of my system. But then again, you get the 30% tax credit so it ends up around $6,000 final cost. This mount will outlast me.
 
Angled the three, 100 watters and added sandbag weight, then added more for hopefully some wind deflection from the sometimes substantial northeast storms we get in winter. Note that sunlight will degrade the sandbag material over some years.

IMG_2822.jpeg

IMG_2826.jpeg
 
If it's called the 3.5, it should be referred to as the 3.5. It's only confusing if you attempt to call it something else. Which represents it as something else. If someone decided to be lazy and just call it the 3, then the confusion will come.
 
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