Cinder blocks OK if panels don't blow away?

[brbl2934]

I have 3 large panels, each between 350W-400W. They weigh around 50 lbs. each.

I was just using one when I started and I put it on cinder blocks, with one end additionally having bricks on top of the cinder blocks to give it a little angle. It never even budged in the wind, including during strong gusts.

Are there any other concerns with doing this?

I can't find any pictures. And it's at my off grid property so not near it now.

 

[Hedges]

Stronger wind might be a concern. I'd like to use ground stakes or screws.

 

[JWLV]

See this thread for what can happen in 10 MPH wind with a 50-lb panel flat on the ground.

I think someone tried to steal a panel out of my backyard

So here's the story. I was in the house. I check the monitoring app frequently because my EG4 6500EX tend to shut down due to overheating. Between 11am -1pm is usually when it overheats. This happened at around 12:20pm. As you can see, the weather here in Las Vegas is extremely hot today. While...

diysolarforum.com

 

[brbl2934]

See this thread for what can happen in 10 MPH wind with a 50-lb panel flat on the ground.

I think someone tried to steal a panel out of my backyard

So here's the story. I was in the house. I check the monitoring app frequently because my EG4 6500EX tend to shut down due to overheating. Between 11am -1pm is usually when it overheats. This happened at around 12:20pm. As you can see, the weather here in Las Vegas is extremely hot today. While...

diysolarforum.com

I don't remember exactly but I'm pretty sure we had extreme winds to the point I put googles on to avoid my eyes being irritated by the dust, and also had to use a lot of force to control my truck door from swinging away from me.

I also have had my starlink gen 2 on ground since dec 2021 on quadpod it came with never knocked over even in the strongest winds that broke hinges on my truck door because it over powered me briefly and door got away from me.

Maybe it's just the way the wind blows where I live. But I will watch it closely. Because I only had it on cinder blocks for maybe 1-2 weeks. I forgot honestly how long. It's been a few months since I've been there.

 

[HighDesertDrifter]

I don't remember exactly but I'm pretty sure we had extreme winds to the point I put googles on to avoid my eyes being irritated by the dust, and also had to use a lot of force to control my truck door from swinging away from me.

I also have had my starlink gen 2 on ground since dec 2021 on quadpod it came with never knocked over even in the strongest winds that broke hinges on my truck door because it over powered me briefly and door got away from me.

Maybe it's just the way the wind blows where I live. But I will watch it closely. Because I only had it on cinder blocks for maybe 1-2 weeks. I forgot honestly how long. It's been a few months since I've been there.

Try driving a T post down into the ground, place it through the holes in the cinder blocks, fill the hole with concrete. My ground mounts take 70+ mph winds with no worries. But I do fasten them by using soft wire through the middle of 1/2" irrigation tubing, on top and screw a 1x4 over the bottom edge of the panels. Like this....

 

[menchelke]

I have 3 large panels, each between 350W-400W. They weigh around 50 lbs. each.

I was just using one when I started and I put it on cinder blocks, with one end additionally having bricks on top of the cinder blocks to give it a little angle. It never even budged in the wind, including during strong gusts.

Are there any other concerns with doing this?

I can't find any pictures. And it's at my off grid property so not near it now.

Look up arrowhead anchors. You can get em on Amazon if thats available where you live, or bullet anchors, they got a cable and a small end you pound into ground then when you pull back on cable it the head will turn sideways and they offer around 1000lbs per cabled arrowhead anchor. You can then bolt the cable the panels down, or do other solutions, I just offer one.

 

[HighDesertDrifter]

Look up arrowhead anchors. You can get em on Amazon if thats available where you live, or bullet anchors, they got a cable and a small end you pound into ground then when you pull back on cable it the head will turn sideways and they offer around 1000lbs per cabled arrowhead anchor. You can then bolt the cable the panels down, or do other solutions, I just offer one.

I like to drive T post into the ground, stack the blocks over them and fill with concrete.

 

[Crowz]

I went with these concrete footers. Seems about every hardware store has them and they weigh around 50 pounds each. So 4 of them would give you 200 lbs.

Post in thread 'Ideas Needed Please: Ground mount with lots of ledge (bedrock) near surface'

Aug 15, 2023

For hopefully a good ground mount and not blowing away and not permanent since wife has to stamp the location with her seal of approval I went with this :





Once the wife gives her stamp of approval I will be using mobile home tie downs connected to the back legs portion. The footers I went with are the ones you buy to put 2x4's or 4x4's into for making a deck. I turned them upside down and bolted the racks footer plates to them. They weigh almost 50 pounds each. I figure between those and the trailer tie downs they should stay put. At least that's what I'm...

• Crowz

• 

 

[HighDesertDrifter]

I went with these concrete footers. Seems about every hardware store has them and they weigh around 50 pounds each. So 4 of them would give you 200 lbs.

Post in thread 'Ideas Needed Please: Ground mount with lots of ledge (bedrock) near surface'

Aug 15, 2023

For hopefully a good ground mount and not blowing away and not permanent since wife has to stamp the location with her seal of approval I went with this :





Once the wife gives her stamp of approval I will be using mobile home tie downs connected to the back legs portion. The footers I went with are the ones you buy to put 2x4's or 4x4's into for making a deck. I turned them upside down and bolted the racks footer plates to them. They weigh almost 50 pounds each. I figure between those and the trailer tie downs they should stay put. At least that's what I'm...

• Crowz

• 

That looks pretty good, making do with what you have on hand, like I enjoy building things.

Well oops, excuse me, I see above you have made plans for tie downs! Well done and wise on the wife's approval before putting your anchors down.
I don't know what your winds are like during the worst storms every 2 or 3 years, but where we live there are 60 - 70 mph winds at certain times of the year every year and it is amazing when that kind of wind gets up under something with enough surface area / resistance what it is capable of doing!
For me, I would use either small cable like on a dog run type, or some soft tie wire like you tie steel in concrete with and drive me some stakes (Rebar or T post) on either side and tie down with that. That way you could survive the storm of the century / decade / or just a strong gust from a normal Spring storm that hit just right an survive it.
If I don't want the T post sticking up to far, I just cut the top part off with a side grinder.

Just incase the wind does something you haven't planned on...

 

[menchelke]

I like to drive T post into the ground, stack the blocks over them and fill with concrete.

I live in Arizona, and we get random huge wind spikes, but the dust devils (mini tornados) can spring up anywhere, and they have been known to throw trampolines, flip boats, rip up carports, and all sorts of mischief. So Since I got solid rocks every 3 inches in my calichie, I plan to wood fram above, and use 5 gallon cat litter buckets field with sand on top of that, then those arrowhead anchors to bolt to the wood legs.

I don't want to go permanent and do the concrete around a t-post cinder block, though that's a really good idea, if you are comfortable with the panels being permanently there.

My first one, is just 4 panels for a mini split on a mobile home, and I hope to eventually get rid of the mobile home, or move the mini split to an insulated shipping container. But who knows sometimes temporary becomes permanent, and the cable anchor, if I ever move the panels, it will just be a cable on the ground, and ain't nothing but a thing to drive over, or whatever,. Where as a concrete block going take work to break.

I do love that idea though so I filed it away. Another good use for cinder blocks, my uncle in mountains taught me is burying them 90%in a steep drive way for traction, especially in winter and after rains.