Nice Solar Panel Ground Mounts

[Repro]

I had twelve 100W panels that I initially bought to keep mobile for various uses. Mostly for RV'ing and other portable uses. Since I no longer need them in that capacity, I wanted to set them up permanently and get some use out of them. I needed a ground mount and was contemplating building one when I found these ground mounts from Eco-Worthy. They can be found on Amazon if interested.

Here is the Description on Amazon and link:

ECO-Worthy Adjustable Multi-Pieces Solar Panel Mounting Brackets Kit System for 1-4pcs Solar Panels​

https://www.amazon.com/ECO-WORTHY-Multi-Panel-Adjustable-Mounting-System/dp/B0831DDS9W/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=9U0RYOF8N2EL&keywords=solar%2Bpanel%2Bground%2Bmount&qid=1669379762&sprefix=solar%2Bpanel%2Bground%2Bmount%2Caps%2C68&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

These are made from very sturdy steel galvanized channel struts and some other hardware. I have channel struts left over and thought I would build them myself. When calculating the hardware costs, it was much cheaper to buy these ready to go units from Eco-Worthy, even though I had left over channel struts. I mounted them to deck blocks that cost under $4 each, and they provide 180lbs of ballast keeping them very secure to the ground, yet can be moved if needed.

I bought 8AWG cables and ran them to my Victron MultiPlus II 3000 system. I have two Signature Solar 48v Lifepower rack batteries on that system, and it works great. I use about the top 30% each night, and these twelve panels have them topped off by 1pm each day.

All in all, these ground mounts are very affordable, super easy to assemble, can hold up to 5 panels each of my HQST 100W compact panels. I had so much room left on each side that I had to cut off the excess. I think these mounts are great and you will not get them cheaper. I hope this helps somebody out.

 

[JoeHam]

Is there anything holding them down in case of severe wind ?

 

[Repro]

The deck blocks have holes in them where I have 30 inch rebar stakes holding the mounts to the blocks and also holding them down. I also used Liquid Nails Fuze It Max to secure the mounts to the blocks in addition to the stakes. They are not going anywhere. The Liquid Nails Fuze It Max is wicked strong.

 

[OzSolar]

Nice! You provided you own strut channel, right?

My back of the napkin math say somewhere around 60mph those racks will have 205lbs of wind pressure on them. Someone better at that than me will chime in hopefully.

That rebar will handle sheer nicely but it won't do anything for the uplift.

I'd put few duckbill anchors in them. Something like this will do the trick.

 

[Repro]

Nice! You proved you own strut channel, right?

My back of the napkin math say somewhere around 60mph those racks will have 205lbs of wind pressure on them. Someone better at that than me will chime in hopefully.

That rebar will handle sheer nicely but it won't do anything for the uplift.

I'd put few duckbill anchors in them. Something like this will do the trick.

I did not know it was special to own strut channel. I do now, must be privileged. I am going to have to buy some of those napkins you have. They seem to add insight to thinking as well.

So to the rest of you. If you find these panel mounts interesting, and they may provide a solution to your needs, here they are. There are many ways to mount and secure them, it is your option. Obviously I made really bad decisions in some members minds.

Happy Holidays all!

 

[OzSolar]

I did not know it was special to own strut channel. I do now, must be privileged. I am going to have to buy some of those napkins you have. They seem to add insight to thinking as well.

So to the rest of you. If you find these panel mounts interesting, and they may provide a solution to your needs, here they are. There are many ways to mount and secure them, it is your option. Obviously I made really bad decisions in some members minds.

Happy Holidays all!

You didn't make a bad decision. You're just an innocent victim of Cunningham's law. Sorry about that.

FWIW, I have an even lager solar array with absolutely no ballast or fastening so how about that for the "pot calling the kettle black"? Even more ironic is that I have the duckbill anchors but haven't installed them. It won't survive the next storm and I'll be the only one to blame.

Happy Holidays!

 

[peakbagger]

Not a problem in the winter when the ground freezes and there is snow on the ground

 

[Repro]

You didn't make a bad decision. You're just an innocent victim of Cunningham's law. Sorry about that.

FWIW, I have an even lager solar array with absolutely no ballast or fastening so how about that for the "pot calling the kettle black"? Even more ironic is that I have the duckbill anchors but haven't installed them. It won't survive the next storm and I'll be the only one to blame.

Happy Holidays!

I have built another ground mount earlier this year, see this posting:

From Growatt to Victron Energy

Strictly speaking, I don’t believe that is the code. Any equipment you connect to AC power in your home is supposed to be UL listed. Certainly here in the People’s Republic of California, no solar power system, off grid or not, would be permitted with non-Listed equipment. I suspect you got...

diysolarforum.com

This ground mount is much bigger now with twelve 320w panels, built with steel channel strut, and is secured with 36 inch rebar stakes and has withstood at least a dozen storms with wind gusts over 70 mph, and sustained winds of over 50 mph. On top of that it holds up to lots of snow build up as well. I had skeptics telling me that this set up would never hold up in windy storms. It has performed great and is holding up like a champ.

30 inches of rebar pounded into the ground at a 30 degree angle is very strong. Especially with our ground that is mostly clay after 6 inches of soil. Pounding the stakes in is not easy, even with a 5 pound sledge hammer. The clay is very stubborn.

No comment on "Cunningham's Law" Only applies to certain mentalities.

 

[OzSolar]

It will work just fine until the day it doesn't. Remember how confident you are today when your neighbor's lawyer asks for the name of the engineer that signed off on your homebuilt rack that crashed into his client's living room.

 

[justoneguy]

30 inches of rebar pounded into the ground at a 30 degree angle is very strong. Especially with our ground that is mostly clay after 6 inches of soil. Pounding the stakes in is not easy, even with a 5 pound sledge hammer. The clay is very stubborn.

I use a chipping hammer / hammer drill with a ground rod attachment.
It just buzzes rebar into the ground, to pounding necessary!

 

[justoneguy]

Here is the Description on Amazon and link:ECO-Worthy Adjustable Multi-Pieces Solar Panel Mounting Brackets Kit System for 1-4pcs Solar Panels

https://www.amazon.com/ECO-WORTHY-Multi-Panel-Adjustable-Mounting-System/dp/B0831DDS9W/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=9U0RYOF8N2EL&keywords=solar%2Bpanel%2Bground%2Bmount&qid=1669379762&sprefix=solar%2Bpanel%2Bground%2Bmount%2Caps%2C68&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

These are on sale for black friday $34 off now $136
looks like a great price

 

[Repro]

How some people can make you regret trying to help someone out. I regret poting this and have had enough of this forum. It seems that no matter what you post, there are always those who have the crappiest attitude on someone trying to contribute and help out its members. No manners at all.

This posting only showed how I used this mount. Those who decide to purchase it can install it as they see fit.

My last posting on this forum, Goodbye all! Thank you Will for all your help in the past, and I look forward to your YouTube postings in the future. This is no longer worth it to me.

 

[42OhmsPA]

These are on sale for black friday $34 off now $136
looks like a great price

Definitelylooks like a good price, 10' sticks of 12ga strut are ~$30 at HD.

 

[OzSolar]

How some people can make you regret trying to help someone out. I regret poting this and have had enough of this forum. It seems that no matter what you post, there are always those who have the crappiest attitude on someone trying to contribute and help out its members. No manners at all.

This posting only showed how I used this mount. Those who decide to purchase it can install it as they see fit.

My last posting on this forum, Goodbye all! Thank you Will for all your help in the past, and I look forward to your YouTube postings in the future. This is no longer worth it to me.

Well dang. That certainly wasn't my intention. Sorry about that Repro.

Since the OP is gone I will offer to those that are thinking about building thier own ground mount that of one the big challenges with both of the OP's installations are long term effects of frost heaves. PA likely has a frost line of at least 40". Best practice is to get at least 12" below the frost line so ~5' deep. Anything that is not below that will likely be severely structurally impaired within 10 years but probably sooner. It's a matter of when it will fail, not if. But please don't believe me, just get a civil engineer involved. You're not just risking your property and personal safety but your neighbors as well.

If you post something that your city would never give you a permit for because no engineer would sign off it then you might try to listen.

 

[upnorthandpersonal]

There is one exception to this: if you're directly on bedrock. These are my ground mounts:

DIY ground mount

I like your wood solar mount! How is the 1st one holding up so far? I've been considering a wood mount since for an off-grid system and I don't see a lot of wind in my area and not enough snow to worry about. It won't be subject to any inspections. :) No issues what so ever.

diysolarforum.com

They're sitting on bedrock, with gravel on the footers as ballast.

 

[MurphyGuy]

In the solar industry, I believe these are called "ballast mounts", but after reading this thread, it would seem that the OP's system is a bit of a hybrid in that the structure uses the ballast of concrete along with some rebar rods driven into the ground.

The system is small and short and thus it's wind loading is very limited. With three decades of experience using strut channel in more places than I can count, I don't see a problem here.

My conclusions are:
1) The strut channel mounts could be destroyed by the wind, but any wind capable of doing that is going to destroy your house, the neighbor's house, and everything else.
2) A successful system will almost entirely depend on it's anchoring into the ground. Strong winds could possibly shake the rebar out of the ground and during a rainy season, it would be even easier. Good anchoring to the earth is probably the most important thing here.
3) OP should install some diagonal cross bracing between concrete blocks on the high side. While wind pushing the panels forward and over is unlikely, lateral shifting (pushing from the side) could be a problem.

Not a bad system. Strut channel is stupidly expensive however, and the galvanized stuff is even worse, but if you don't use but a few sticks, it might be economical.

 

[chrisski]

How some people can make you regret trying to help someone out. I regret poting this and have had enough of this forum. It seems that no matter what you post, there are always those who have the crappiest attitude on someone trying to contribute and help out its members. No manners at all.

This posting only showed how I used this mount. Those who decide to purchase it can install it as they see fit.

My last posting on this forum, Goodbye all! Thank you Will for all your help in the past, and I look forward to your YouTube postings in the future. This is no longer worth it to me.

Come on, now stick around please. Let people post their opinions. The toughest thing I find about free speech is listening to people who are completely wrong and wishing they would not talk, but knowing they have the right.

 

[OffGridForGood]

Hope they don't quit the forum over a few comments, especially since no-one was trying to scare them off, just offering comments for consideration.
Up-lift is a real world load situation, and depending on exposure and local conditions can be huge loading far higher than the gravity loads from a typical array. All that to say, if the OP wants to take a chance, and the consequences are only his own property, go ahead. But if someone reading this thread is unaware of wind up-lift considerations, and none of us bring attention it, they could build something 20-feet from a neighbouring property line and (unknowingly) create a hazard.
Typically each region will have standards for 1/50 year wind forces and guidlines for calculation of the likely loading based upon these values and exposure. It is common for the wind loading to be 15-20 lbs/sqft (much more in coastal areas) these up-lift values can exceed the structures' gravity loading values (typical PV panels are 2.3 to 2.5 lbs/sqft, often the racking is a bit more). A short straight section of driven rebar into earth is not a reliable form of tie-down, if the earth is loose, or wet, if the rack moves in the wind you will not be able to rely on a straight bar for tension. Hydro pole tie backs don't rely on a straight bar either, they use either a 'deadman' a sand-screw, a duck bill or they have a type of cable with an expandable section on the end using grout. (or they go to rock).
I think this is all just information, and not intended as a personal attack on the OP, in such a public forum, we would do well to not take comments too personally.

 

[OzSolar]

Come on, now stick around please. Let people post their opinions. The toughest thing I find about free speech is listening to people who are completely wrong and wishing they would not talk, but knowing they have the right.

I may have a bit of knowledge on this subject. It's quite obvious you don't but as you point out we all have freedom of speech.

 

[EWesch]

I had twelve 100W panels that I initially bought to keep mobile for various uses. Mostly for RV'ing and other portable uses. Since I no longer need them in that capacity, I wanted to set them up permanently and get some use out of them. I needed a ground mount and was contemplating building one when I found these ground mounts from Eco-Worthy. They can be found on Amazon if interested.

Here is the Description on Amazon and link:

ECO-Worthy Adjustable Multi-Pieces Solar Panel Mounting Brackets Kit System for 1-4pcs Solar Panels​

https://www.amazon.com/ECO-WORTHY-Multi-Panel-Adjustable-Mounting-System/dp/B0831DDS9W/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=9U0RYOF8N2EL&keywords=solar%2Bpanel%2Bground%2Bmount&qid=1669379762&sprefix=solar%2Bpanel%2Bground%2Bmount%2Caps%2C68&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

These are made from very sturdy steel galvanized channel struts and some other hardware. I have channel struts left over and thought I would build them myself. When calculating the hardware costs, it was much cheaper to buy these ready to go units from Eco-Worthy, even though I had left over channel struts. I mounted them to deck blocks that cost under $4 each, and they provide 180lbs of ballast keeping them very secure to the ground, yet can be moved if needed.

I bought 8AWG cables and ran them to my Victron MultiPlus II 3000 system. I have two Signature Solar 48v Lifepower rack batteries on that system, and it works great. I use about the top 30% each night, and these twelve panels have them topped off by 1pm each day.

All in all, these ground mounts are very affordable, super easy to assemble, can hold up to 5 panels each of my HQST 100W compact panels. I had so much room left on each side that I had to cut off the excess. I think these mounts are great and you will not get them cheaper. I hope this helps somebody out.

Awesome!!!

I've often wondered about those mounts and, ironically, have a bunch of 100w (Harbor Freight) panels that I have been deploying to charge my RV batteries while waiting to install roof mount solar.

I imagine that large array blocks the majority of the wind that has the potential to flip them over forward so, I'd imagine your neighbors are pretty safe. However, I didn't know those duckbill anchors were even a thing and they would be just what the doctor ordered for my application due to no protection from backside wind. After weeding through all the unnecessary stuff, your post has helped at least one person and I thank you!