diy solar

diy solar

Finally, the start of my 25kw Ground Mount grid-tie system

Preferable to have a limiter on force. You can look up what tension a given wire can handle without damage.
Cable tuggers (I want one!) have an electrical adjustment limiting their torque.
Maybe you can rig up a break-away element as a "fuse" for protection against damage.
 
Update: I have all 60 ground screws on site now! The grid for them has been re-done as far as marking it out. I will be attempting to put down the screws either this weekend or on of the following couple weekends. The "pad" for the solar install is a bit of a muddy mess right now and I don't want to get the skid steer stuck. This is precisely why I wanted to get them in late fall or even during winter, but it is practically spring here with the crazy weather patterns. I'll get some pics when something happens.
 
Alright guys and gals! It was a heck of a long weekend that most certainly could have gone smoother, but the end result is with the ground screws in. We had a LOT of problems putting down screws on one of the arrays. I'm sure you can see which array that would be by the photos. haha. I'm hoping that sunmodo racking will give me the flexibility I need to get everything lined up due to that array having some ground screws that are a little more out of place than I'd like. I literally ran out of time over the weekend. We had the bobcat running for at 15+ hours with at least 2/3 of that time on the one "trouble" array. The other one pretty much went as smooth as butter, for the most part. If I have to, I'll rent to auger head again to adjust some screws, but I really don't want to do that. I've about had enough of that thing and the screws. One part of the project I was never looking forward to.

When I get the excavator to dig the rest of the ditch for the conduit, I'll peal back a little more of the grade to give the panels/arrays more room and decrease that incline/decline and create easy access points for a rig/tractor on both sides in the middle between the arrays.

There are a few screws that are out of the ground a little more than I'd like, but do keep in mind that I will be adding 2-3" of gravel or crushed concrete to the pad and if I see it necessary I will add some more dirt to areas prior to that to appease the inspector.

IMG_20220301_083134.jpg

IMG_20220301_083220.jpgIMG_20220301_083239.jpgIMG_20220301_083145.jpg
IMG_20220301_083259.jpgIMG_20220301_083306.jpgIMG_20220301_083244.jpg
 
@wattmatters @Hedges @Ampster @MurphyGuy Hey guys! Sorry to call you all out, but CED greentech is no longer getting in the Hyundai panels that I've planned this project around. I have TWO options. One is a 445W bifacial from CanadianSolar (CASOL CS3W-445MB-AG) or I can get a 460W bifacial from BlueSun Solar who is the OEM manufacturer for "TaleSun" This panel is: BSM460M-72HBD (460W Bifacial)

BlueSun: BSM460M-72HBD, 460W is about $22.5K USD for 105 mods (3 full pallets)
Canadian Solar: CASOL CS3W-445MB-AG, 445W is about $23.5k for 96 mods (the exact amount I need for the system)

TaleSun makes the top PV solar list in a couple years where I don't see any mention of Canadian Solar at all. Granted I am buying bluesun, supposedly the manufacturer of Talesun. I have attached the datasheets on these as well. Any eyes on them would be greatly appreciated.
 

Attachments

  • BSM460M-72HBD（UL&CEC）.pdf
    1.2 MB · Views: 11
  • CS-Datasheet-BiHiKu_CS3W-MB-AG_v5.8_EN.pdf
    569.4 KB · Views: 4
I would not purchase the Chinese TaleSun panels.

Canadian solar is good, don't know anything about BlueSun.

Have you considered Q-cells?
 
Thanks! I don't think I was able to find an equivalent panel in the Q-cells.

At this time, Canadian Solar it is.
 
SunPower was top of the list.
I see SanTan has much less to choose from now. Sometimes they had SunPower.
Some eBay sellers have them, for instance:

www.ebay.com

PALLET USED AMERICAN MADE SUNPOWER 435 WATT MONO SOLAR PANELS... FREE SHIPPING | eBay

THESE ARE SUNPOWER PANELS WHICH ARE CONSIDERED TO BE THE BEST SOLAR PANELS MADE. USED 435 WATT MONO SOLAR PANELS MUST GO NOW . The panels were made back in 2018 and were INSTALLED AND IN SERVICE FOR 2.5 YEARS, coming off a large utility solar farm.
www.ebay.com
 
Well this is getting fun. The CanadianSolar panels definitely put me into the "oversized panel" category for sunmodo's engineering plans. I wouldn't worry about it for a second if it didn't have to pass an inspection, but I def don't want to get "ding'd" on that one.

Uh.... get smaller panels or put in more screws. I can't even imagine the headache that would ensue that.
 
Well...... I ended up having no choice but to purchase the bluesun panels. There's absolutely nothing that I nor CED could find that matched the panels that was actually available anywhere. CED had some others through another CED branch that were on order, but no ETA and price was another 25% more. I just saw that going exactly as the Hyundai panels went and then I'd be where I am now but 3-4 months from now. The system is designed, permitted and approved to a very specific setup. Once all of that was submitted it pretty much locked me into that design.

I sent off the wire transfer to bluesun today and CED has agreed to work freight for me to get them picked up in California to be brought up here. Here goes nothing!
 
still waiting for the wire to land. I think it officially went out thursday. What an archaic way of sending money. It makes no sense in today's time.

Picked up some 2" rigid emt pipe today, strut, straps and concrete today for the rack to hold the inverters and boxes etc.... I might work on that at some point this week or next weekend while I wait for the solar panel situation to shake out and hopefully get picked up sometime this week from CA. I think if they can get picked up this week then they will be here the week of the 21st. I believe that is about the time the rest of the racking is supposedly scheduled to go out. It's all ending up at CED, so that would be nice to be able to pick it all up at once.

Photos when something more happens :)
 
Panels were scheduled to be picked up in CA today. On the email chain I was on with bluesun after payment they had several people in the chain that had talesun email addresses, which I think helps validate they make talesun panels which have the same ratings as hyundai on the top panels review each year. I believe bluesun also has the largest utility scale solar farm in CA as well. Given all of this information, I think the panels will be great. I was hoping to get confirmation that the freight company had successfully picked them up today, but it looks like I'll have to hold my breath till monday on that one.

Hopefully this weekend I can get the vertical posts concreted in the ground for the racking where the inverters will go. I think this week I will get the electrical "new service" permit so then I can get the rest of the ditch dug for conduit. That requires a ditch inspection by the electrical guys.
 
Wow. 29 pages.

I’m still reading but wanted to check what azimuth you decided on. Due south? Thanks
 
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