Branch Ranch
New Member
I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on 2 brightmounts for my off grid cabin in Montana. Optimal winter angle is 50.1°, and brightmount maxes out at 35°. Anyone modify these to get steeper angles?
Brightmount modification?
- Thread starter Branch Ranch
- Start date
FilterGuy
Solar Engineering Consultant - EG4 and Consumers
The bright mount can readily be adjusted to 45deg, but after that the various parts of the mount start interfering with each other. The mods to go beyond 45 would be pretty large.
patrickparrott
New Member
FYI.....I bought one of the Brightmount racks to put 6 of the new 250watt Rich panels on. I would need 4 more center mount hold down clamps and the expansion kit to go with the 30"wide panels. Signature couldn't supply the extra hold downs, so I called EG4. Tech employee said to buy them from SS but when I told them that I tried he said he would help arrange for EG4 to supply them to me. That was 4 days ago. I haven't heard back from him since. These racks are made for 4 panels and are only sold in kits. No parts are available. It's back to the fabricating bench!
I've been thinking about the easiest way to do a 24-32 panel ground mount in a field with much ledge (bedrock) that varies from being at the surface down to perhaps 3 feet below surface (no opportunity to just drill a 5-6' deep hole for the posts). Any good reason a person couldn't just build a platform that's about 3' tall out of pressure treated wood (much snow here), mount the Brightmount or EG4 (or similar) metal ground mount to that (straps and bolts), and then put a lot of ballast on that wooden platform to hold it down? Re: the OP's question, could the rear of the platform be made higher than the front, which would create a steeper angle for mounting, and thereby give them the extra 5 degrees they need?
Branch Ranch
New Member
I had a similar thought. What if one fabricated a 15° bracket to sit on top of the concrete piers. Then brightmount on the brackets?
FilterGuy
Solar Engineering Consultant - EG4 and Consumers
I thought about that too. My primary concern would be what forces are on that bracket.
If you really wanted the extra 5 degrees, I'd just put some washers under the rear mounting holes of the brightmount and put in longer anchor bolts.
But check the PV calculators for your area. When I did mine, the difference between "optimal" and 10 degrees +- was not a lot.
But check the PV calculators for your area. When I did mine, the difference between "optimal" and 10 degrees +- was not a lot.
This is a great point. For me, the big reason to tilt more is snow shedding. The actual improvement in production isn't as much as I thought, when I look at PV Watts. But every extra degree matters when it comes to a cold, snowy Maine winter.
Branch Ranch
New Member
Yea, I'm concerned about snow as well. Brightmount Max (35°) would be my recommended spring/fall angle, I'll check out PV watts and see the difference. Thanks.
patrickparrott
New Member
SS has the BrightMount extensions back in stock. I ordered one yesterday to use with 6 of the new 250-watt Rich Solar panels.
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