Anyone mount solar panels to a fence?

[Browse]

I'm curious if anyone has thought about using a fence to hold some panels, mounted vertically. It seems the only place I have decent solar at all times of the year is on this fence. Was thinking about attaching some horizontal rails to the posts, then attaching panels to the rails. Each section is 8 FT wide and 6 FT high. I'm guessing a bunch of 200W panels could fit across 4 fence sections...maybe get 12 panels total. This photo was taken at 2:30 PM mid Jan and the fence is just starting to get some my neighbor's trees since the sun is so low. Most of the year this will be solid sun for about 6 hours/day.

 

[dougbert]

some have mounted panels to the outside of a building's southern wall, and it was a big wall without any shadows
panels are reaching the price point where we can "waste" some parts of them, due to bad locations. We don't need to optimize full sun access all the time.

actually I have 2 350 watts hanging by chains under the eve of my out building. I am short of space and figured better there than in storage. In the winter they hang straight down, but come spring I put a brace to angle the bottom up. Works for me

I say, try it

 

[TomC4306]

I'm going to build a tilt a whirl for six panels. But the weather turned and I put it off till spring. So I had six panels leaning against the shed doing nothing and thought how could I put them to use temporarily for the winter.
2x4 tacked between the posts, pavers underneath, and two and a half inch lag screws with washers to hold them in place. Making about 5 kilowatt hours per day.

 

[galstaf]

I have the same issue.. the best place for photons is basically the northside (east-west) boundary of our property. I plan to mount some of the panels on frames on some extra lumber mounted to the top of a 8 foot tall cedar fence.
It will need some extra bracing too due to more wind load and weight.. but the net result will to create a "shade canopy" coming off the fence, so it will provide weather shielded storage and less shaded access to the sun for power generation.
I was going to store lumber / machines / etc in the weather protected area under the panels.

 

[gramos100]

I built a galvanised pipe frame and leant it on a fence/ short wall , very robust and latitude angle ,
I inserted smaller diameter box section inside the fence posts to stiffen it .

 

[clarkpeacock]

I'm curious if anyone has thought about using a fence to hold some panels, mounted vertically. It seems the only place I have decent solar at all times of the year is on this fence. Was thinking about attaching some horizontal rails to the posts, then attaching panels to the rails. Each section is 8 FT wide and 6 FT high. I'm guessing a bunch of 200W panels could fit across 4 fence sections...maybe get 12 panels total. This photo was taken at 2:30 PM mid Jan and the fence is just starting to get some my neighbor's trees since the sun is so low. Most of the year this will be solid sun for about 6 hours/day.

I have done exactly that on my South facing fence, and it works really well throughout the winter months in particular.

 

[servant74]

For those that have fence mounted panels, what amount of loss vs tilted properly do you seem to see? Curious... My HOA doesn't allow solar on roofs, and I have a small yard, so the fence seems best for now. But I don't want to spend 'to much' for just a pipe dream.

 

[Adam De Lay]

I thought about mounting to my fence but in the event I need to fix the fence for some reason, I didn’t want to take down all my solar panels. I ended up just building some wood “mounts” and set the panels in the mounts. They’re on little skis so I can move them around if needed.

 

[Wes975]

My "fence" setup. Maybe it will spur an idea for yours.
Unistrut hardware for mounting - purchased from the local home store.
Work in progress - 1st of two rows, and no - power from the panels to my test bench is not up to code.
Adjustable tilt.

 

[Kevcando]

Same thing here not on fence but close to it, can adjustable tilt.

 

[Johno1066]

This is how I mounted 5 by 240 watt panels, used 4 treated fence posts 2 lenghts of 11/4" steel conduit and 10 pipe clamps wood and self tapping screws. Completed in a day by myself at a cost of less than $100 excluding the panels which were $40 each plus the shipping cost. Their angle is adjustable but I have as yet not got onto that and I am 79 years old.

 

[Liam M]

This is how I mounted 5 by 240 watt panels, used 4 treated fence posts 2 lenghts of 11/4" steel conduit and 10 pipe clamps wood and self tapping screws. Completed in a day by myself at a cost of less than $100 excluding the panels which were $40 each plus the shipping cost. Their angle is adjustable but I have as yet not got onto that and I am 79 years old.

nice shaded bench, too!