morrisga2000
New Member
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2022
- Messages
- 3
This concerns finding appropriate mounting hardware like rails and brackets for a DIY solar car canopy (=partial carport) to go with two Renogy 450W panels. I am hoping to keep this as a single pole, top-of-pole mount configuration. My thought is that I will have to make this some mixture of lumber and unistruts, but I would prefer aluminum/steel construction and to minimize the use of wood, as the alleyway beside my parking pad gets very strong winds in the winter. Does anyone having any experience with or recommendations for metal framing struts to use as solar panel mounts for an above-ground installation such as this? Is there a preferable gauge size?
I got the Mars Solar V2 Solar Panel Rack Mount, but I realize this item is likely only intended to handle one panel of the size that I have. Side note -- This was because I was originally intending to only go with 400 Watts total, but Renogy was out of stock of my desired panels when it came time for me to purchase something. And I thought I was instead getting 450Watts, as Renogy often labels the total output in its ads, but not in this case, as it was per panel. Oops!
I would rather orient these panels in a portrait orientation. Approximate dimensions of the two PV panels together is 7.5ft wide by 6 feet tall. This mounting system (the solar canopy) is to be located beside my backyard fence, over my rowhome's parking pad. The Renogy panel-frames are just shy of 1&1/2 inches thick, if that helps any with sizing and fit.
Any constructive advice on what I should get and how I should assemble mounts for this size system -- not small but not commercial-scale large -- would be greatly appreciated.
I am new to this, and wanted something that could help power my electric vehicle in the immediate term, and then later grid-connect it to power my HVAC and lights.
Resources? Products? Thank you!
I got the Mars Solar V2 Solar Panel Rack Mount, but I realize this item is likely only intended to handle one panel of the size that I have. Side note -- This was because I was originally intending to only go with 400 Watts total, but Renogy was out of stock of my desired panels when it came time for me to purchase something. And I thought I was instead getting 450Watts, as Renogy often labels the total output in its ads, but not in this case, as it was per panel. Oops!
I would rather orient these panels in a portrait orientation. Approximate dimensions of the two PV panels together is 7.5ft wide by 6 feet tall. This mounting system (the solar canopy) is to be located beside my backyard fence, over my rowhome's parking pad. The Renogy panel-frames are just shy of 1&1/2 inches thick, if that helps any with sizing and fit.
Any constructive advice on what I should get and how I should assemble mounts for this size system -- not small but not commercial-scale large -- would be greatly appreciated.
I am new to this, and wanted something that could help power my electric vehicle in the immediate term, and then later grid-connect it to power my HVAC and lights.
Resources? Products? Thank you!