Post your Ground Mount Setup

[Hedges]

Rat-array contender, 2x AstroPower AP120 panels on a steel easel. They power gable fan, and used to power Pabst fans laid on heatsinks of inverters:

Before I used scrap electrical wire to tie it to fence stakes, it blew over and broke the gas meter.
Not the gas regulator, just the mechanical meter portion of the smart meter so it never registered any usage. ?

 

[justgary]

Is this a root cellar? Or a freeze protected battery house?

Bunker! Very cool.

Nice! Would really like a few more detailed closer up shots especially b of the mechanisms. Thx

It is a storm shelter that I put in a hillside cut. I'll add close up shots to the shelter thread the next time I am out there to get photos.

https://diysolarforum.com/threads/in-ground-cooling-for-lfp.38590/post-888180

 

[Osmethne]

64 2x4s one weekend to assemble.

Hopefully it lasts a year while I resolve some roof issues.

 

[nycamper62]

Polycrystalline array at camp. Utilizing an old ladder stand holding 1 145 & 2 100w. And a pole with a satellite mount holding 1 100w & 1 60w.
2x4's & some unistrut.
Plan to repurpose the 60 and replace it with another 100w that is close to the length of the other. The problem is finding a poly panel that size these days with similar specs.
Then next year maybe go for another 400 on a ground mount.

 

[TOU47]

Just finished this temporary winter array. Yes I know this is not treated wood but this is just temporary for the cold, short, wintery overcast days. With the permanent pole I just erected, this gives me an additional 6 panels in various directions. This is 2.34 kW more winter power for a grand total of 5.46 kW at stated values. (More with winter bifacial potential.)

Now just need to order more wire, DC shut offs both at the trailer & the insulated solar room in the shipping container...then hook them up.

 

[y0bailey]

One down, one to go. EG4 brightmounts... Impressed with how nice it is for the money. And forgiving enough for my crappy skills with holes in the ground and wood.

Don't mind the sick toddler tablet watching shanty town to the right. Multitasking dadding at it's finest.

Picked up 8 new Heliene 460w half cuts for $1400 from a guy in Tennessee. They will be DC coupled to my EG4 18kpv/powerpro (please get here soon), along with my 8kw AC coupled SolarEdge setup.

Just wanted more juice to cover my electric car addition and subsequent power bill jump.

 

[TOU47]

View attachment 171389

One down, one to go. EG4 brightmounts... Impressed with how nice it is for the money. And forgiving enough for my crappy skills with holes in the ground and wood.

Don't mind the sick toddler tablet watching shanty town to the right. Multitasking dadding at it's finest.

Picked up 8 new Heliene 460w half cuts for $1400 from a guy in Tennessee. They will be DC coupled to my EG4 18kpv/powerpro (please get here soon), along with my 8kw AC coupled SolarEdge setup.

Just wanted more juice to cover my electric car addition and subsequent power bill jump.

Nice job! I just bought one of these racks as well to try. I would love to find a video showing their adjustability.

 

[rogerworkman]

 

[42OhmsPA]

View attachment 171405View attachment 171406View attachment 171407

Thank you again for the design idea.
Yours looks much better, excellent work!
I'll be adding a coat of tinted sealer to mine in the spring.

 

[solarHandyman]

DIY everything to keep costs down.

63 x Bluesun 700W Bifacials in 21 sets each having 2,1/1,5kWp, total 44,1/31,5kWp front/back. The whole idea was to avoid shadows on either side with vertical installation to maximize winter production and keep snow off. This was my first take on solar and has only been working for 5 months now, so hard to tell how good or bad it is. We have over 19 hours of sun around mid summer, so plenty of production even with fixed tilt.

Used CCA treated old electric poles hammered (not dug) 2m deep with excavator and insulated to withstand ground frost, no concrete. Frames are made from 40x40x3mm marine grade aluminium and welded together (there are water drainage holes). Each frame has three panels glued to it (and to each others) and weights 150kg. Glue is UV protected heavy equipment windshield glue with primer. This way each frame is very rigid even being 4m x 2,8m in size. Ground clearance is 1m. Tilt is not totally vertical, but ~80 degree which is optimal for winter here and maybe slightly better with summer production.

My main concern is pole movement and high winds. So far it has survived 29m/s (65MPH) wind. Keeping fingers crossed...

Frontside
View attachment 167218

Backside
View attachment 167219

Set of three panels. Black windshield glue is visible.


Homemade SS fasteners to allow pole movement. Mudflap rubber to reduce movement and sound.

How are your actual yields with these bi-facials mounted vertically? Do you think you are getting good results based on the power rating?

 

[Kenny_]

Done.

View attachment 170443

Two Renogy 115W bifacials and a ladder feeding a Delta 2 Max.

My two Renogy 550 W panels feeding my Delta Pro.
No ladder needed. ?

 

[Crowz]

View attachment 171465

My two Renogy 550 W panels feeding my Delta Pro.
No ladder needed. ?

That's how we all started I imagine even if we don't admit it

All of my pictures of the new house show dead grass squares where they laid there till being mounted.

 

[Zapper77]

That's how we all started I imagine even if we don't admit it

All of my pictures of the new house show dead grass squares where they laid there till being mounted.

Yep!

 

[cs1234]

View attachment 171465

My two Renogy 550 W panels feeding my Delta Pro.
No ladder needed. ?

Best weed killer money can buy.

 

[KITROBASKIN]

There are lesser but probably sufficient options but this should extend the lifespan:

Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Simpson Strong Tie CB44 4x4 Column Base

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Simpson Strong Tie CB44 4x4 Column Base at Amazon.com. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users.

www.amazon.com

 

[Danke]

View attachment 171465

My two Renogy 550 W panels feeding my Delta Pro.
No ladder needed. ?

I don’t think that’s what is meant when it is recommend they should be grounded.

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Grandpappy ground mount

 

[KITROBASKIN]

1996 75 watt British Petroleum (BP) panels cost about $4.50/watt back then. Early adopters helped pave the way to today.

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Dollar a watt Rich Solar 3X100W. I will be getting more sandbags for this temporary setup.

 

[justgary]

Nice! Would really like a few more detailed closer up shots especially of the mechanisms. Thx

Here you go. You can see the door hinges welded at the tops of the vertical pipes. The top side of each hinge is welded to the cross bar so the cross bar and drilled plates tilt with the panels (about the hinge pins). The tilt is set by bolts through the pipes and drilled plates. Easy enough to change the tilt; just remove the bolts and reinstall them at the new desired angle.

I can also remove the bolts and drift out the hinge pins and remove the cross bar if I need to. Easiest to do if I remove the panels first, though. I did a CAD drawing so I could minimize the gaps between the sets of panels to help shade as much as possible beneath.