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IBC Tote as a ballasted ground mount solution?

Might be able to use one of these instead of a tote? Hell of a cheap price.

The UV rots them fairly quickly in direct sunlight.
 
Briefly thought about it. I dismissed it based on cost of concrete and concern of frost upheave causing them to move differently and twisting up the whole works.
Concrete is pretty cheap in the overall picture. The concrete is on TOP of the soil so no issues with frost heave, certainly not in the lifetime of the array.
 
Concrete is pretty cheap in the overall picture. The concrete is on TOP of the soil so no issues with frost heave, certainly not in the lifetime of the array.
I got a quote for (4) 12" x 3' deep sonotubes for $1000 (max based on the probable difficulty of digging. Could be less if he gets lucky with locations). This was to accomodate the EG4 Brighmount. How large/heavy do you think (4) surface pads would need to be for appropriate ballast?
 
How about taking the tank out & filling the cage with rocks ? You could line it with chicken wire & use smaller stuff.
Kind of like this
Yeah, that could be an option too. Other than destroying the tank, is there a reason not to use the walls of the tank though?
 
I got a quote for (4) 12" x 3' deep sonotubes for $1000 (max based on the probable difficulty of digging. Could be less if he gets lucky with locations). This was to accomodate the EG4 Brighmount. How large/heavy do you think (4) surface pads would need to be for appropriate ballast?
I can only offer some thoughts based on personal experience. I suspect the rack could sit on top of the ground with no ballast until the winds got over ~40 mph. Then minimal ballast would likely get you to 60 mph, as in one bag of sakrete per foot. It's the 90mph design speed that takes all the civil work. I'm sure others will be along to argue but please save the electrons for another day, I'm just speaking in general terms.

Of course a civil engineer is really the one qualified to say what you'd need to meet the standards in your area.

The part that is so ironic (to me at least) is that we are doing all of this extra work for wind speeds that most sites only see for a few minutes every other year. Of course that doesn't mean we can ignore it.
 
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Well... My whole setup is on the down low anyway...

My closest neighbor is about 300 yards away through the woods. My location for the panels is also surrounded by woods (except for the yard side facing south. Which faces our own house about 75 yards away). The largest wind gusts (maybe once every other year) we've seen in the 25+ years we've lived here is probably around 70mph (that includes all hurricanes that made their way through PA).

I'm only talking (3) 300W panels that I bought used for $150. (hence the reluctancy to spend up to 10x more for the mounting system). They are more likely to get damaged by a falling tree or large tree branch then picked up and tossed by the wind. And if they do get tossed, it is more likely to hit my shed (which will be in front of them) or my house before it could make it through 300 yards of trees to do anything to my neighbor.

So in summary, I guess I'm convincing myself that a modest amount of ballast would suffice for the size of my array and location :cool:

But, a concrete pad would make it easier to level and attach a mount to... I guess I'll see what that costs me first.

Thanks for all the input everyone!
 
So in summary, I guess I'm convincing myself that a modest amount of ballast would suffice for the size of my array and location :cool:
Now you're talking! Also check out duck bill anchors. They may get pushed up by frost heaves every 5 years but for what they are, they're amazing.
 
Now you're talking! Also check out duck bill anchors. They may get pushed up by frost heaves every 5 years but for what they are, they're amazing.
I did look them up. Looks like you need the driving pipe (is this something special?) and the "jack hammer" looking tool to install them. Is this a DIY thing?
 
I did look them up. Looks like you need the driving pipe (is this something special?) and the "jack hammer" looking tool to install them. Is this a DIY thing?
Look for the "kits" with a drive rod on amazon. Their cable is too short to get you under the frost line but they will still work for a long time.

I drove some the smallest ones rated at 100 lbs. into my NASTY Ozark soil which is more rock than dirt then tested the pull out strength with my tractor and a crane scale hooked up to my tractor's front loader. I got to 500lbs and gave up rather than risk with "summer teeth". Some are here, some are there.
 
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Here's where I stand now...

I just purchased (2) of the EcoWorthy ground mount kits ($160 on EBay w/ free shipping and 6 months no interest). That cost was less than I could source my own strut, brackets, nuts/bolts, etc.

I'm going to pick up (2) 330 gallon IBC Totes for $100 and either mount the Ecoworthy kit to the sides or top (haven't decided yet, but leaning towards the side to better hide the totes from view and cut down on wind).

I think for the next month or two, I'll just fill with water to test out the whole setup. If it works out well, I'll drain the water and then fill with whatever ballast I can find from around my property.
 
Not sure either... Googling that seems to indicate that it could split if it stays cold long enough. Manufacture also indicates that damage "could" occur as well. Maybe the drain spout could split? That being said, I've had one hooked up to my garage downspout for several years now without issue (that I know of :-) Oh, I'm also in PA (South Eastern)

Good point about needing to move it later too... IDK, maybe I should weigh the cost of 100 gallons worth of antifreeze vs the cost of gravel 🤔

EDIT: Dumb thought... I'll need (2) Totes. Even at a 30% ratio, that several hundred dollars of RV antifreeze. A couple of ton of gravel is only around $100
why buy antifreeze when you can get it for free? I need 500+ gallons of antifreeze for my boiler and after pricing it I cam to the conclusion it was cheaper to buy some 50 gallon drums and set them up at the local garages and junkyards and then pick it up. it save them money on the disposal and you money on not buying it. antifreeze in cars do not lose their antifreeze properties... they lose their anti corrosion properties which you have no concerns over in a plastic tote.
 
why buy antifreeze when you can get it for free? I need 500+ gallons of antifreeze for my boiler and after pricing it I cam to the conclusion it was cheaper to buy some 50 gallon drums and set them up at the local garages and junkyards and then pick it up. it save them money on the disposal and you money on not buying it. antifreeze in cars do not lose their antifreeze properties... they lose their anti corrosion properties which you have no concerns over in a plastic tote.
Great Idea! In fact, I work for a school district and I bet I can get the antifreeze from our bus garage 😃
 
Great Idea! In fact, I work for a school district and I bet I can get the antifreeze from our bus garage 😃
yep and if its too thin from water dilution? just put one of the 50 gallon drums on top of 3 blocks spaced out and start a small wood fire under it and let the excess water boil away. thats my plan anyways. I need to go back in a couple of weeks to check on how much I can get, it will be my first time collecting, so I got me a small cheap pump that runs off of 12 volts and a IBC tote in the back of my truck. funny i just bought the totes for waster motor oil collection and had to divert one for the antifreeze pickup.
 
Well, I got all excited and told my wife about this new plan and how it would make it easier to move if filled with antifreeze/water if need be by just draining them. And then she pointed out how bad for the environment that would be. Oh duh... :fp2. So not sure if I'll go that route or not. Who knows, maybe our garage uses the RV antifreeze?
 
Well, I got all excited and told my wife about this new plan and how it would make it easier to move if filled with antifreeze/water if need be by just draining them. And then she pointed out how bad for the environment that would be. Oh duh... :fp2. So not sure if I'll go that route or not. Who knows, maybe our garage uses the RV antifreeze?
want to move it? pump it back out into another tote int he back of your truck and take it to a collection center... who says you got to spill it on the ground? heck if youa re moving them, then buy one extra tote, put in back of truck empty, fill from one tote load now empty tote, take to new location, reverse process, ad naseum until you have them all moved to new location and installed. with a cheap water pump it might take a while for each one, but its free, and you are not dumpint he antifreeze all over the place. other than that...

remove the top form the plastic tote, fill with baby head sized rocks, remove the valve and have it pointed level or down hill for water drainage and call it a day (until you have to move it again) you think pumping water is a PITA? try emptying a tote of small to medium rocks.
 
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