Post your Ground Mount Setup: No questions or comments on the setup. (pictures only)

[Bad Randy]

I use a pipe extension on an engine hoist, and ballast on the back.
I hung inverters that way and stacked tool chests on roller cabinets. Bent it lifting 3x 9kVA toroids.

I only have 4' of space. So block and tackle if my go to.

 

[Hedges]

3rd picture down, lifting the set onto dolly. That's what bent the 1.5" pipe.
I haven't weighed, suspect it's 450 to 750 lb. OK without the extension, but legs get in the way of dolly so I needed it.

3-Phase SMA Sunny Island (15kW) + Sunny TriPower (30kW)

Showing a work-in-progress assembling 3-phase SMA system. 3x SI-5048-US are configured for 3-phase and produce 120/208Y, rated 15 kW continuous. Sunny TriPower 30000TL-US-10 is 480V delta (or 277/480Y), rated 30 kW. TriPower combiner box will be used, but for now just one string being connected...

diysolarforum.com

Usually when I get heavy stuff at Harbor Freight, they load it with forklift. This time, they rolled it out the front door on a cart. Thought they would have to dead lift it, but it was a lift cart. Not tall enough for that upper rack, however.

https://www.harborfreight.com/automotive/lifts-cranes-stands/hydraulic-lifts-carts/500-lb-capacity-hydraulic-table-cart-61405.html

 

[Tulex]

My build Here.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Late to this party...



Not ground mount as installed, but would work on ground. No comments on my fancy method of getting the wires into the container... Wires pinched between stationary rubber and metal don't abrade, and squeezing them doesn't slow the juice...

1/8" angle iron. Ordered pre-cut and drilled... enough for 6kW of my panels for $420 (I knew a guy). That's $0.07/W in racking.

Panel frames are stressed members providing lateral stability supplemented by the diagonal crossmember (panels keep the triangles the same distance apart, and the crossmember keeps them from tilting side to side as a unit).

Threaded to container side rails here (panel frames shown):


No serious computations went into it. They have survived 70mph winds with no damage. I currently have 3 installed and have the materials for another 3 racks.

Big boo boo was not accounting for the humps in the container roof. Installing between them leaves a ~5" gap, and I'm 99% sure I can't get the 6th rack on without drilling new holes in the panel frames and shifting them:

 

[KITROBASKIN]

If you own a welder, a metal shipping container would make it quite easy to fasten a rack assembly.

Our first container has welded tabs to rest square tube for the solar deck on top (which we have yet to utilize)

 

[Nobodybusiness]

Not sure why, they have it in their engineered installation manual and E-775 on YouTube showed an install with that exact plan??‍

The video you are referring too is a 12 panel array.

It has specifically shorter post
And It’s a different design than the Skyrack.2.0 SDE.

You can’t just add those ballast to an existing Skyrack with 12 foot post that hold 2 rows of 10 panels.

Thats why he told me he didn’t have anything that would work.

 

[Rodney L]

Lets keep this thread to member builds of their ground mount either home-made, store bought or Frankenstein.

No questions or comments on the setup, just members post their mounts only with details below. I want a thread where people can scroll through everyone's post/pictures and see what their setup is and get ideas what might work for them instead of searching for days at every thread. If you have questions or comment about a build, message the member directly. I (and probably other people too) just want to scroll down and see the setups. Just hit the Like button and that is all. Please no comments or questions.

Details of your ground mount system including some detail about your setup. EX. - total KW size of ground mount built for, overall dimensions, what size ground contact posts you used (PT, Poles, I-beam...) Costs to build and maybe a picture if you did something unique (single axis, adjustable, etc..), your location (Canada vs FL will have an impact on design), what manufacture you purchased from if store bought​

4-6 Picture of Overall ground mount completed, picture with some panels on but still being added so we can see the mounts/bracing under the panels, how it's anchored into ground (concrete, screw anchor, wires, etc..), picture behind the panels. pictures of how the vertical posts are connected to panel posts (some people use lags, u-bolts, etc..) We don't need overloaded with every single angle and every nut and bolt. This is just to give a "tease" so if someone likes your setup, we can message directly and get more information.

Thanks for playing!!

Tamarack 3.1 ground mount system and 85" rails. Approx. 6 1/2 ft tall by 46 ft long. Bases consist of 12-2" sch. 40 galv. Pipe anchored with 16" x54" of cement.

Each array is 16x370w REC panels.

Rented a skid steer to auger the holes and used the Cardboard tubes because I was for the most part a one man operation and feared the holes would cave in before I got them all poured. So I mixed 5- 80 lb bags of cement to set each pole, one at a time.
Afterwards I attached my horizontal pieces and then ordered a load of Concrete to fill up the tubes.

 

[Pinto Yates]

I’ve officially graduated from the scrap lumber DIY build to the new store bought lumber DIY build. Pretty soon maybe I’ll even move up to trying steel or aluminum? They call me by my first name at Home Depot now.

 

[gotbeans]

hey guys OP says not to discuss the systems!


mine is the strongest mount, earth holds them

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Same!

Look at that shading!!!!

 

[glandpuck]

I did this in early 2017. Please post all critiques. Compliments not necessary. This is in Southern CA. the ground slopes both east to west and north to south. The ground is packed hard clay and granite with rocks and a crusty top of 2-4 inches. Very hard to work with to engineer.

 

[Fisherguy66]

My Frankenmount for Oct and Nov. of this year. I disassembled it for the winter and will be making a proper mounting system next year with a total of 12 Felicity solar 100w panels. 24v Eco-worthy 3000w Hybrid all in one with 4 100ah batteries connected to a Honda EU7000is generator.

 

[@prepared_life]

So besides the garage not being a ground mount, technically the rest is. Built a pergola this summer with 8 panels atop, put 4 on the coop, 4 behind the house, and built an extension onto the garage to house 8 panels. On the garage sets 18 panels for a total of 42 which is probably my max, as I will not put any on the house.

 

[42OhmsPA]

Upgraded from 12 305w panels to 14 370w...
Will finish things up in the morning.

 

[ruralsolar]

Hopefully it doesn't snow much. Need some dirt digging equipment to make some room for snow shedding

 

[Zwy]

Hopefully it doesn't snow much. Need some dirt digging equipment to make some room for snow shedding
View attachment 183254

Was is the leading clearance to ground on the high end? What is the tilt angle?

Sinclair was hesitant when I told them I wanted 4 foot between ground level and leading edge at full tilt. Plus I will be setting posts in concrete.

 

[ruralsolar]

Was is the leading clearance to ground on the high end? What is the tilt angle?

Sinclair was hesitant when I told them I wanted 4 foot between ground level and leading edge at full tilt. Plus I will be setting posts in concrete.

I'm at 48 degree tilt on both arrays. Eyeball measuring says 18 inches from bottom of panel to the ground. Not sure on the downhill side the clearance.

 

[littleharbor2]

. Eyeball measuring says 18 inches from bottom of panel to the ground.

Ahhh.... The Eyecrometer.

 

[Hedges]

Was is the leading clearance to ground on the high end? What is the tilt angle?

Sinclair was hesitant when I told them I wanted 4 foot between ground level and leading edge at full tilt. Plus I will be setting posts in concrete.

Single post of course resists less force the taller it is.
Braced as triangles (teepee), should support much taller.

 

[B-Mod]

Was is the leading clearance to ground on the high end? What is the tilt angle?

Sinclair was hesitant when I told them I wanted 4 foot between ground level and leading edge at full tilt. Plus I will be setting posts in concrete.

Just for reference, my Sinclair is at 62 degrees for winter, one end of my array is 24" above grade, and the other end is 32" above grade. This is perfectly stable. I do have a heavy wooded area right behind this array to help with wind if that matters.

 

[littleharbor2]

I do have a heavy wooded area right behind this array to help with wind if that matters.

I believe it does. This dog-eared fencing not only covers the underside of my array from view but more importantly, helps keep the wind from lifting it. Plus I have a lot of trees around my property which knock down the wind gusts we frequently get here.

 

[ruralsolar]

Very nice! Any photos from the back?

Here you go ?

 

[pvdude]

My plan to expand the ground mount in 2024 has come to a halt.
Looks like I will be waiting for shipping rates to come down (nice dreams...)
Almost $1k to deliver 8 Aluminum rails.......

 

[Zwy]

Just for reference, my Sinclair is at 62 degrees for winter, one end of my array is 24" above grade, and the other end is 32" above grade. This is perfectly stable. I do have a heavy wooded area right behind this array to help with wind if that matters.

Cemented in poles or driven?

I will only cement poles in here with minimum 6.5 feet deep. I can bore a 30" hole about 10 feet down if a I add the second extension but gets tricky getting the auger back out of the hole. I can always get the backhoe out and dig with it, 14.5 foot reach. Prefer boring, way faster, less mess.

I offered to pour footing above ground if necessary. Kyle didn't think it would pass engineering (I don't need any permit here). None of it makes sense, looking at the photo above it has to be over 3 feet when at full 60 degree tilt on the tall end. My areas are level, no cross slope.

My MT Solar mount sits with 5 feet above grade at full tilt. It is much taller too. In really high winds, it will wiggle. Some of it is the collar around the pipe. Some of it is the play in the adjuster. Some of it is just flex of the pipe combined with push laterally against the ground. I do have a shed offside to the north and another south of it but offset. The south wind can run straight up along the building and hit the array. But there are some windbreaks to the south (trees and another short building).

I want to break the 30 panels up into 12X and 18X. The 18X will be exposed to a north wind and on the other side of the back shed. The 12X will be exposed to the south, fields and the highway. It was the location originally chosen for the house but I did find one better and installed the MT Solar mount there. I have trees down the west side of the property for the back 75%. Won't get much sun in the late afternoon on the 18X. The 12X will suffer some early shadows in winter due to a slight grade and trees across the road.

I would think breaking the array up plus cemented in poles this should be a no brainer but I don't know how heavy their poles are. Sinclair is my choice, they are 7 hours away so I can pickup instead of shipping. I always liked their design and it was my second choice for any mount. MT Solar raised prices quite substantially since my last purchase. The 18 panel array mount from MT Solar was about 120% higher without shipping than the 16 panel mount with shipping cost me.

Here is my acreage, red rectangle is MT Solar mount. Purple rectangles are proposed sites, purple array behind shop will be for the shop, other array will go to house. This photo from Google is very old, the dirt graded by the back shed on the side has to be 12 years ago. Most of the trees east of the house are gone, I only have 2 left and the rest belong to my neighbor. The trees north of the house will be gone next summer, I just ran out of room to put all the wood out back. The trees west and east of the shop are gone and even the shed by the house is gone. No, I'm not doing roof top, the sheds have 18 foot sidewalls. North is right hand side of photo.

 

[Oldtimmer69]

I have 16 more panels I'm going to put on a movable sled type mount and keep it out in the front from November to February, and bring it around here in front of these for summer. I only get sun here this time of year from 10am to 2pm.