Post your Ground Mount Setup

[KITROBASKIN]

Wanting to be respectful here. It is fun to look at someone’s project and consider options.

Being a big fan of not making roof penetrations, what s_eggo did is admirable. What I think he is calling top rails looks like round-corner square pipe on our containers.

Maybe there will come a day when that green threadlocker has seen enough of that Northern Arizona sun. One option is to drill through-holes, and use quality bolts with lock washers. Proper silicone could be applied in layers before bolt insertion.

By golly one might even get some of that same 1/8 inch angle iron perhaps 8+ inches long, placing on top of existing horizontal, with the vertical leg opposite of the structural angle (forming something of a U shaped channel when viewed cross section) in order to distribute the load away from the just the bolt hole.

We get crazy freakish wind gusts that seem to delight in destruction where we live.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Please... Disrespect away.

You're not going to hurt my feelings.

Yes. It's the round corner square pipe that runs the full length of the container on both sides. I don't remember the thickness, but it is thicker than the angle iron by a notable amount. There were three full M8 threads cut into it. I also siliconed all around to inhibit moisture ingress.

I am not certain that a through hole would be practical as the corrugated side walls would regularly mess with whether the nut is on the inside or the outside of the container.

 

[Zwy]

Wanting to be respectful here. It is fun to look at someone’s project and consider options.

Being a big fan of not making roof penetrations, what s_eggo did is admirable. What I think he is calling top rails looks like round-corner square pipe on our containers.

Maybe there will come a day when that green threadlocker has seen enough of that Northern Arizona sun. One option is to drill through-holes, and use quality bolts with lock washers. Proper silicone could be applied in layers before bolt insertion.

I'd be more concerned with water running down the non existent drip loop.

But if it never rains there, I guess it isn't a big deal.

By golly one might even get some of that same 1/8 inch angle iron perhaps 8+ inches long, placing on top of existing horizontal, with the vertical leg opposite of the structural angle (forming something of a U shaped channel when viewed cross section) in order to distribute the load away from the just the bolt hole.

We get crazy freakish wind gusts that seem to delight in destruction where we live.

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

 

[Balrog006]

Didn’t see anyone with ballasted ground mount.

Believe @ncsolarelectric has some.

Have a giant rock shelf in my area.
Went to add another Sinclair and ran right into it 2 feet down.

Rock is several hundred feet wide at least.
No idea of the thickness of the rock.

It’s the reason we have overhead utilities according to the power guys I talked too.

Converting all 60 panels to the ballasted ground mount.
Using Powerfield Ennergy Power rack.

Having to do it all myself so taking a while and the land is sloped so PITA trying to make it level.

Row spacing is interesting.
Setting it lowest sun angle of 20 degrees.

You mention your original plan was to go with a Sinclair, but then you had to go with a ballasted foundation and changed the brand of your mount.. Sinclair advertises a ballasted foundation option for their posts and a pro installer on yt has a video of it being installed.

What made you change mounts from Sinclair to Powerfield Energy?

 

[Nobodybusiness]

You mention your original plan was to go with a Sinclair, but then you had to go with a ballasted foundation and changed the brand of your mount.. Sinclair advertises a ballasted foundation option for their posts and a pro installer on yt has a video of it being installed.

What made you change mounts from Sinclair to Powerfield Energy?

I had a Skyrack SDE 2.0 Sinclair mount originally. Was going to install another.
Was just lucky the first time I sunk the poles for it. Wasn’t close to the Rock shelf. It was further away.

I wasn’t aware Sinclair had a ballasted option.
Have only seen the Skyrack 2.0 SDE.

Not sure how they can go from 6ft of buried channel steel in concrete per pole to ballasted. Very top heavy.

Needed a way to get the panels deployed.

Initially had 30 panels. About 15k array.
Wasn’t enough for December/January.

Bought 30 more panels and another Skyrack SDE 2.0

Moved the array to 200 feet from inverter to save on wire. Even parallel rows at the array with a combiner, I have 5 x 200Ft runs to the inverter for each MPPT

Ran into rock issues.
Took down original Sinclair and put panels on Powerfield.
30 of the old panels are mounted.Still have the new 30 to put down.
I’m doing this by myself so it takes some time and the weather hasn’t really cooperated much either.
10 rows of 6 panels.

I put down a bed of sand in the area.
Takes 2 Powerfield pieces per panel.
Their Wind speed analysis requires almost 1000 lbs per panel.
Both Powerfield pieces filled with sand and Rebar into the ground to keep from scooting.

They are relatively easy to install but wrangling 60lbs 8x4 panels by yourself is a job.

Took down original Sinclair. Since I had cemented those in, I just used and excavator to pull them out and chipped off old concrete.
I gave those to my Youngest son for his home.

The Sinclair I bought in the process of selling it now.

I like things symmetrical and their is something to be said for the panels laying on the ground.

Not nearly as intrusive on the eyes.
Doesn’t advertise” Hey that guy has solar panels”
You can’t even see them now.

If I decide to move I just pop off the panels, dump out the sand and take them with me.
Or leave them. Either way.

 

[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)

 

[Balrog006]

I had a Skyrack SDE 2.0 Sinclair mount originally. Was going to install another.
Was just lucky the first time I sunk the poles for it. Wasn’t close to the Rock shelf. It was further away.

I wasn’t aware Sinclair had a ballasted option.
Have only seen the Skyrack 2.0 SDE.

Not sure how they can go from 6ft of buried channel steel in concrete per pole to ballasted. Very top heavy.

Needed a way to get the panels deployed.

Initially had 30 panels. About 15k array.
Wasn’t enough for December/January.

Bought 30 more panels and another Skyrack SDE 2.0

Moved the array to 200 feet from inverter to save on wire. Even parallel rows at the array with a combiner, I have 5 x 200Ft runs to the inverter for each MPPT

Ran into rock issues.
Took down original Sinclair and put panels on Powerfield.
30 of the old panels are mounted.Still have the new 30 to put down.
I’m doing this by myself so it takes some time and the weather hasn’t really cooperated much either.
10 rows of 6 panels.

I put down a bed of sand in the area.
Takes 2 Powerfield pieces per panel.
Their Wind speed analysis requires almost 1000 lbs per panel.
Both Powerfield pieces filled with sand and Rebar into the ground to keep from scooting.

They are relatively easy to install but wrangling 60lbs 8x4 panels by yourself is a job.

Took down original Sinclair. Since I had cemented those in, I just used and excavator to pull them out and chipped off old concrete.
I gave those to my Youngest son for his home.

The Sinclair I bought in the process of selling it now.

I like things symmetrical and their is something to be said for the panels laying on the ground.

Not nearly as intrusive on the eyes.
Doesn’t advertise” Hey that guy has solar panels”
You can’t even see them now.

If I decide to move I just pop off the panels, dump out the sand and take them with me.
Or leave them. Either way.

They absolutely do have a post ballast option
See sheet 4 in the install manual

SDE Installation manual

 

[Nobodybusiness]

They absolutely do have a post ballast option
See sheet 4 in the install manual

SDE Installation manual

You still have to bury the post.
It doesn’t allow a surface mount ballast.

It even shows it in the truncated page you posted.

 

[Balrog006]

You still have to bury the post.
It doesn’t allow a surface mount ballast.

No. It’s a surface mount cast in place ballast block. The post is imbedded in the block and tied in with rebar. Look at the two bottom, left and right, details on the bottom of that page. See the above grade concrete forms and dimensions shown with the post inside the forms with the rebar? That’s not a buried or driven post.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

No. It’s a surface mount cast in place ballast block. The post is imbedded in the block and tied in with rebar. Look at the two bottom, left and right, details on the bottom of that page. See the above grade concrete forms and dimensions shown with the post inside the forms with the rebar? That’s not a buried or driven post.

Ok when I talked to Kyle, he said he didn’t have any so not sure what to say.

 

[Balrog006]

Ok when I talked to Kyle he said he didn’t have any so not sure what to say.

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

 

[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.

 

[Balrog006]

The diagram (on the left) in the manual shows a post shorter than the beam, it’s definitely not 12’ long, I never said the post was identical to the dug w/concrete or ground driven post in a v2.0

The video mentions hiding the array from the neighbors, it was intentionally modified to only hold one row of panels for that purpose, not because the ballast couldn’t hold more.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

The diagram (on the left) in the manual shows a post shorter than the beam, it’s definitely not 12’ long, I never said the post was identical to the dug w/concrete or ground driven post in a v2.0

The video mentions hiding the array from the neighbors, it was intentionally modified to only hold one row of panels for that purpose, not because the ballast couldn’t hold more.

The guy who designed it said no ballast possible for the Rack I had so I went with something else.

 

[Balrog006]

The guy who designed it said no ballast possible for the Rack I had so I went with something else.

The guy who designed it also put a ballast foundation in the manual for the product he designed.

I get it, I can’t make sense of it either ??‍

 

[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.

 

[timselectric]

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.

View attachment 182732

Do you have a picture of the back? Would like to see how everything is fastened together. It looks very clean from the front.

 

[gotbeans]

hey guys OP says not to discuss the systems!


mine is the strongest mount, earth holds them

 

[Hedges]

Wind beats Earth

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Same!

Look at that shading!!!!

 

[gotbeans]

Wind beats Earth

View attachment 182759

at 45 degrees you'd need ~85 mph to blow them over. flat against the ground I didn't do calculations but it'd probably be like 400mph

Same! View attachment 182762

Look at that shading!!!!

yea that is a lot of shade, mine get sun hahaha
gotta move all my others over here, it is the sunniest area

 

[Nobodybusiness]

hey guys OP says not to discuss the systems!


mine is the strongest mount, earth holds them

I did that once. Grass still hasn’t grown back

 

[gotbeans]

I did that once. Grass still hasn’t grown back

From my other area the grass hasn't grown back, but I don't want grass either lol
but some other plants did, not sure their name.
They take over here I've been testing it. If I rip up grass they come up within 3 days. They're nice and deep green in the winter too.
Their seeds must be on every 1cm of the entire property they come up everywhere I take out other plants.

 

[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.