Ground mount cost per watt or $/panel

[Bluedog225]

How are you guys evaluating ground mount system costs? That is, how many $/watt?

I’d evaluating alternative ground mount systems. But I’ve not paid attention to this topic.

I’d appreciate any rough numbers.

Thanks

edit-changed title to include $/panel

 

[Bluedog225]

Here’s a starting place. $/panel. $70 strikes me as high. Working on better solutions.

 

[AntronX]

Aerocompact rack. Probably least amount of steel per panel. Easy to DIY.

 

[Bluedog225]

Currentconnected.com

 

[AntronX]

Inspired by that design here are my literally back of envelope doodles. The idea to use cheap pipe or rebar driven into ground vertically as support with custom made brackets which can be made for a $1 each.

 

[Bluedog225]

Aerocompact rack. Probably least amount of steel per panel. Easy to DIY.
View attachment 189159

Too bad there is not pricing info on the site. I made the mistake of inquiring once. The spam emails and calls lasted about 2 years.?

 

[Bluedog225]

Inspired by that design here are my literally back of envelope doodles. The idea to use cheap pipe or rebar driven into ground vertically as support with custom made brackets which can be made for a $1 each.
View attachment 189162

I like it. I’m working on t-posts sleeved with 2” fence posts and strut.

Getting about $40 per panel.

 

[hwy17]

Aerocompact rack. Probably least amount of steel per panel. Easy to DIY.
View attachment 189159

Those are interesting but annoying they don't just have an online store or something.

 

[Bluedog225]

@AntronX inspired me to post my own doodles.

This is roughly $20 per panel for a ballasted system. In real life closer to $25 with misc hardware.

2” flat bar isn’t that hard to bend once you make a jig.

ps-just learning how to use the Apple pencil.

 

[AntronX]

I like blue panel placement. Use up every inch of rack space.

 

[Bluedog225]

I didn’t draw it but obviously they would need some cross braces from flat bar to flat bar to make it stand up. There should be plenty of extra on those 20 foot sticks.

 

[AntronX]

$20/450w = 4.4c/watt racking cost. That's cheap. I really don't like paying 30c/w for racking when panels are 20c/w.

 

[MichaelK]

With ~400$ of steel going into my newest V5.0 array design holding 1500W of panels, that works out to be ~27 cents per Watt. This is my rotating array that can be adjusted for both azimuth and declination.

 

[Schweg2]

With ~400$ of steel going into my newest V5.0 array design holding 1500W of panels, that works out to be ~27 cents per Watt. This is my rotating array that can be adjusted for both azimuth and declination.View attachment 189203

Any pictures of the backside?

 

[Zwy]

How are you guys evaluating ground mount system costs? That is, how many $/watt?

I’d evaluating alternative ground mount systems. But I’ve not paid attention to this topic.

I’d appreciate any rough numbers.

Thanks

edit-changed title to include $/panel

I prefer to not skimp on mounts. I have certain requirements such as 105mph wind rating, tilting array with a range of 15° to 55° (prefer more if I can get it) 4 feet minimum of ground clearance at full 55° or more tilt. Lifespan of 30 years or longer. I want something easily covered by insurance.

As such, I'm willing to pay a premium for a mount, way more than I pay for panels. I did recently pickup some used MT Solar seasonal adjust and for 30 panels it would be about $3,000 installed. So $100/panel or $0.26 per watt. Panels are 31 370W for total of 11.47Kw and cost $2020 delivered to my door. Total cost will be $0.44 per watt.

The 16 panel MT Solar I already have installed was about $8500 installed, $531.25/panel but the modules are oversized 530W and required a custom mount. It came to $1.00 per watt. Panels were $4530 for a total of 8.42Kw to my door. Total cost per watt is $1.55 per watt.

That shows how much prices have changed in a few years. Panels are cheaper and with some competition on the market the price of engineered mounts is getting very competive. I did check with Sinclair, the final cost delivered to my door with the 31 panels would come to $0.804 per watt.

 

[Bluedog225]

This really rough draft uses t-posts sleeved with 2" fence posts for vertical and top to bottom runs.

Then strut for left to right. All 10” (not the t-posts).

Around $45 per panel and no digging.

Around 0.16 per watt for my 275 watt panels.

 

[MichaelK]

Any pictures of the backside?

Sorry, it was supposed to be there?

BTW, if anyone happens to notice that the array appears to be in deep shade, that is because this array is pointed due West, for late afternoon sun, but the pics were taken before noon, with a big Oak to the East of it adding the shade.

 

[ncsolarelectric]

Is anyone counting labor time as money? It is a considerable investment. Some of these suggestions require a lot more work than others. The racking system I've sold the most of is the APA Solar Ready-Rack kit. It uses ground screws, helical piles, or ballast baskets. Customers typically use a Skidsteer Auger attachment and crank it out in one day. There is no concrete to mix, no holes to dig, and it meets county permit requirements. I know a lot of DIYers don't "need" permits, but some of us have to comply. I had one customer who got called out on an unpermitted ground mount and couldn't get an engineer to sign off on it. She had to rip it all out and do it per code if she wanted to get it grid-tied. My advice is to get an engineer involved, design a system that meets your actual needs, not a guesstimate, and do it right the first time.

Have a great day!

 

[AntronX]

She had to rip it all out and do it per code if she wanted to get it grid-tied.

That's her main mistake right there. Should have researched before doing DIY install.

 

[Danke]

Is anyone counting labor time as money? It is a considerable investment. Some of these suggestions require a lot more work than others. The racking system I've sold the most of is the APA Solar Ready-Rack kit. It uses ground screws, helical piles, or ballast baskets. Customers typically use a Skidsteer Auger attachment and crank it out in one day. There is no concrete to mix, no holes to dig, and it meets county permit requirements. I know a lot of DIYers don't "need" permits, but some of us have to comply. I had one customer who got called out on an unpermitted ground mount and couldn't get an engineer to sign off on it. She had to rip it all out and do it per code if she wanted to get it grid-tied. My advice is to get an engineer involved, design a system that meets your actual needs, not a guesstimate, and do it right the first time.

Have a great day!

Do those ground screws work in rocky soil?

 

[MichaelK]

Is anyone counting labor time as money? My advice is to get an engineer involved

Ummm, you understand that this is a DIY site? Since you're the CEO of a solar engineering company, is the sole purpose of this advice to line your own pockets?

 

[ncsolarelectric]

Do those ground screws work in rocky soil?

They have some that will split rocks!

 

[AZ Solar Junkie]

Currentconnected.com


View attachment 189161

I would have bought the Corigy from you guys, but the 39.5 width panel limitation for landscape mode rules out the vast majority of high wattage panels, and the Portrait selection still shows as out of stock for months now. I ended up having to go with the similar PowerField buckets that have a 41.3 inch width limit - still somewhat limiting but the extra 1.8 inches gives a lot more options for panels. Unfortunately the PowerField only supports landscape oriented mounting. If you ever get the portrait orientation option in stock I just might pick them up as my panel area is primarily limited in width so portrait orientation would allow me to fit more panels.

I do love this type of solution in general though. I understand why some don't but in the right situation they are great. No pouring concrete, no wrenching, welding, etc. If you are in an HOA like I am and they restrict what can be visible above the walls around the yard, these are nice and low and discreet. I just bought like 2000 pounds of sand and made 50 pound sand bags - made it easy to just put several bags in each one for the ballast weight. If and when we ever move, instead of having a permanent array mount to leave behind, I can just pack it all up and move the array to a new property and Bob's your uncle, as they say

@HighTechLab - will you ever be getting the portrait mounting version of the Corigy's back in stock, or do you just have what you have?

 

[rhino]

For some numbers.. Sinclair galvanized tilt-able 30 panel ground mount for 480W bifacials with 5"-6" vertical gap between bottom and top row was $4182 + shipping in June of 2023. So that comes out to $0.29/watt for a tilt-able mount that would last longer than the lifetime of those panels.

 

[mactech]

I probably over-built mine, 3" schedule 40 in a 10" hole about 3.5 feet in the ground filled with concrete. Made to accommodate larger panels when I can afford them. Still working on getting the wiring into the ground and conduit.

It worked out to about .40¢ a watt to mount, much higher than others here. I purchased and installed each one them, one at a time, delivery was free on all items or included in the cost. There is 400w on each, and designed to hold newer larger panels, I just don't have the money for them now and prices are only coming down.

They now take up the space where a very old decrepit tree once was. That was loads of fun to remove.