Thank you. Yes the tennis court fell into disrepair. Was cheaper to install off grid solar than repair the court. Here’s more pics. Might have to file a plan with the permit department now because of its size.Really nice work.
Looks like the panels are on an old tennis court.
Anyone have a better suggestion for this. I worry about leaving the wires exposed to the sun.
Wow so many recommendations nice! I’ll address each one.Conduit all the way would be proper.
Convolex tubing (wire loom) could be slipped over without disconnecting anything.
Do you get wind? The panel mounts appear bolted to the pavement - is there concrete underneath, or is court surface only a soft material?
Do you have ground wire from PV frames back to inverter? If not add that.
GFIC on AC? I see a child with hair dryer. Use GFIC everywhere wet.
Hi there! I, too, have an old tennis court that is on the property that we moved onto. I'm planning to install panels, though not as many as you. Did you build your own mounts or buy them? How did you anchor them? I was thinking of drilling holes in the court and using duckbill anchors.Thank you. Yes the tennis court fell into disrepair. Was cheaper to install off grid solar than repair the court. Here’s more pics. Might have to file a plan with the permit department now because of its size.
Here are the mounts. For the size of panels I used I could only get 2 per rack. They come with all the hard surface mounting hardware.
Adjustable Multi-Piece Solar Panel Mounting Brackets for 1-4 Pieces of Solar Panels | ECO-WORTHY
ECO-WORTHY Adjustable Multi-Piece Solar Panel Mounting Brackets has the capability to fit 1-4 pieces of different size ECO-WORTHY panels or other brands standard panels. It's ideal for larger installations, such as ground, flat roof, cabins and backyard sheds. Anywhere roof mounting is not a...www.eco-worthy.com
I was thinking of drilling holes in the court and using duckbill anchors.
We aren’t too concerned. The racks were altered and bolted to each other to provide strength. at 2 panels per rack my hope is 4 anchors per leg. 4 legs. 16 anchors will be enough to hold 2 panels with additional hurricane strapping."Expanding Screw" something like this:
Hilti 1/2 in. x 5-1/2 in. Kwik Bolt Long Thread-Carbon Steel Concrete Wedge Anchor (12-Pack) 2312917 - The Home Depot
Raising the industry standard again. Hilti's newest generation of Kwik Bolts - the Kwik Bolt 1 Carbon Steel Expansion Anchors - is raising the industry standard for wedge anchors. With performance valueswww.homedepot.com
Those have a high pull-out force, something like thousands of pounds for a 1/2" diameter bolt, when set in concrete.
Used in asphalt or gravel, I'd expect little to no retention force. I would be concerned that in high wind the arrays would just blow over.
Designed for dirt, could be more effective. Strength per anchor likely less than concrete anchors, since cable diameter is smaller.
I will use this concept for the hurricane straps. It’s far too late to adjust this with the racks now. I’ve done a pull test and wasn’t able to move the bolts. My estimate is that they may survive Cat 1 winds as is, but I doubt anything more.May I suggest a test?
Put an anchor bolt through macadam into gravel, then pull test and measure what it takes to pull out.
You've got a lot of money riding on those things, and my guess is they provide little to no retention. I think rods driven 2' into the dirt would be better.
1 owner property 2 acres in broward county. Was built with the house in 1985If you don’t mind me asking what’s up with the tennis court? Did you buy the property this way? This isn’t in Florida is it? Looks familiar for some reason?