Build An Inexpensive Solar Ground Mount
Вставка
- Опубліковано 22 жов 2019
- #solar #solararray #solargroundmount
#morepowermorefun
In this video, Part 1, we begin building a solar array ground mount out of wood and unistrut.
Part 2 will show the wiring of the panels into our existing solar system.
Bistro Table/Rain Barrel Build
• How To Make a Bistro ...
•
#sustainable #ecofriendly #eco #sustainability #sustainablefashion #ecofashion #recycle #sustainableliving #reuse #ethicalfashion #ethical #upcycle #slowfashion #sustainabledesign #recycled #zerowaste #organiccotton #gogreen #fairtrade #repurposed #savetheplanet #organic #ecochic #upcycled #environment #repurpose #permaculture #greenthumb
I had to run coax through 2 inch metal pipe on a fenced in dog care center, it was about 75 yards long, I got a shop vac and then with some string I made a small 1 inch size ball with tape and attached string then with the vac at the other end sucked that ball down the pipe. After that I could attach a small rope and pulled that through then attached that to coax and pulled it though by hand. It worked, just a thought!
Great video, thank You for sharing.
Nice Job!
Thanks!
Well done Bill! I wish I had gone with at least 2x6's. I'll have to redo and beef up my rack eventually.
Great job!
As always, awesome job Bill, I'm addicted to that A/B mix.
Nice work
Nice job.
Great job, very clear video
great vid keep up the good work
good stuff
Awesome work, as always (I continue to learn from you sharing your knowledge and craft). I am impressed with your ingenuity and your attention to details/finish work.
Hallo Ihr fleißigen Bienchen. Wie immer toll gemacht. Bill wieder ein Projekt Geschaft. Alle Achtung weiter so 👍😃
You could have heated the grey conduit with a propane blow torch to bend it. They sell an oven to heat it but a torch works well to heat a 12" section.
I usually just heat the conduit with a heat gun or even a propane torch. Looks good.
@@theupsideofdownsizing slow and easy is how I do it. A plumber showed me how, I heat a much longer area of the PVC than needed and only bend using a really rounded surface such as a barrel.
Nice working as usual Bill. Hopefully Brian can handle this as easily. 😉👍
I enjoyed the video very much. I know you had camera problems but I would have like to have seen how you connected the panels to the metal hardware. Using the posts and lumber was a great idea. Thanks .
Great job and well done video.
Thanks for watching!
The 4x4 posts should be pretty solid but if there is any side-to-side movement with a good push then you may want to consider installing X-bracing on the long posts to secure it dead solid during high wind events. Could also do the same with a single brace from front to back. This would keep the uni-strut from any bending. Keep up the great work!
I think the compromise mount was the smart move. Less complex, faster, less expensive, and no/low maintenance.👍🏼
I have a 500 watt array and not being used at the moment. I am in the planning stages for a 16'x32' cabin lifted 8 feet from the floor on pillars. I was looking into buying used 250 watt panels to set power to the cabin. Well nice watching this brings back memories of my old projects.
Sounds like an awesome project! Going 8' up will be really fantastic. Thanks for watching.
@@theupsideofdownsizing I just went to the shed and pulled out a set of NewPowa 100watt 12v solar panels. I have another channel that I want to focus on solar and off grid so that will be an adventure. My high blood pressure, stomach virus and allergies have really been beating me up these past few weeks. I been looking into 6 to 8 inch steel pipes and building concrete pillars to hold the cabin up. I saw a guy use 8" pipes to raise a shipping container off the ground and used far less than I want to use. Well let me watch a few of your other videos.
Bill I hope you have a weather head for the solar panel connection.
My Solartracker ➡️ ua-cam.com/video/X0lmYFwOq3U/v-deo.html
Also put your PVC on the inside of the post close to the top to reduce rain collection in the PVC or add a bend
Just a small hint for the future use of conduit, you can use a propane torch to soften the PVC, it then becomes like a lose noodle to allow you to bend it to the angle you need
Thanks. I tried that and of course my impatience got the best of me and I scorched it. Luckily I was just practicing. Maybe one day I'll pop for a heat gun. I hear that would softent the PVC as well. Thanks for watching!
@@theupsideofdownsizing if you lay it on a piece of tin bent to a u or L you can heat it more evenly.
Awesome video. LOVE what you guys are doing. Can’t wait to start my journey. Buying property in cash in 12-18 months.
Is there a video explaining how you guys fund your projects/what you guys do for a living? Very curious.
@@theupsideofdownsizing Very nice. That's awesome! Sounds like we are just a couple years behind you guys! Hopefully your UA-cam channel will start cash flowing as well- Only a matter of time with your growing subscribers and great content :) Best of luck for ya'lls bright future. I will be watching and supporting!
Cheers
DO you have a shopping list for everything you used in this build?
Why not have center poles with pivet, and a 10-15% offset so the most weight is toward the low side....
Beautiful job !
Now I need to go stain my solar racks, they look blah compared to yours :-(
Use a Harbor Freight heat gun and put a bend in the pvc pipe easy to make a bend. I really enjoy your video.
Hi. I plan to built the same thing for my solar. After watch dozens you-tubes, yours caught my interest. Many websites talking about tilt angles but do not say that angle is for top or bottom one. What is latitude of your local? Thanks
32.050968
I am planning on installing a 12 panel array. How would you build such a mount? I also would like the lower side raised higher to about 6 ft so I can walk under it to cut grass. The pitch is secondary as I am willing to sacrifice some solar production to open it up underneath for easier lawn maintenance. Would you build it as 2 independent structures for a 3x2 array each or a single 3x4 array? Would you use still four 4x4 posts per 6 panels or would you need increase to 6 posts to provide more support in the middle? If using only four posts per 6 panels, would you need to beef the posts up to 6x6 and/or upsize the joists to 2x8?
I think I would build four columns of three panels each in a horizontal format similar to what we built. The 4x4 posts with 2x6 stringers have been very effective and stable for us and I'm sure it would work for you as well. Basically follow what I did but make it one column of three panels bigger than ours. And again I used a roof pitch calculator to determine the angle of the panels as well as the height of both the lower and upper beams. You can do the same starting with 6 ft at the lower level.
@@theupsideofdownsizing I reread your reply and understood it better so I deleted my initial replay. I understand you are recommending 4 panels across and 3 panels high in landscape. You also recommended keeping the posts as 4x4 and the stringers as 2x6. Should I add two more 4x4 posts for a total of 4 short and 4 tall to better support the added 3 panels column or keep it at 3 short and 3 tall 4x4 posts?
Did you cement the posts? I'm renting so don't want to cement mine in and just put the posts in 2' deep. Works for my T frames but can't find anyone who didn't cement there's in.
Yes, we used about 1/2 of a 60lb bag of Quickrete per post. But you should remember that we have very sandy soil.
Looks pretty straightforward and the stain added a nice look. Could you tell me what did you use to mount the 2x6 to the
ledger/header boards? And how solid did it turn out ? Thanks
Yeah I'm sorry I lost that footage. I used hurricane ties to connect the rafters to the headers. I then came back and used 4-in deck screws and toenailed through to the header.we've had that system up for about a year and a half now and it is working beautifully. It has survived 60 mile an hour winds, and a big flood. Thanks for watching and thanks for your question! here's a link to the actual hurricane ties that we used. I also painted them ahead of time so they would blend in better with the rest of the framework.
Simpson Strong-Tie H1 18-Gauge Galvanized Hurricane Tie
www.homedepot.com/p/Simpson-Strong-Tie-H1-18-Gauge-Galvanized-Hurricane-Tie-H1/100375256
@@theupsideofdownsizing Thank you! That is what I thought. I will be installing a 15kw system in March or when weather breaks here in Ohio. And so I'm in the process of designing my ground mount. I really like the simplicity and durability of your mount. I did the numbers and I will have to use 2x8 for mine but same thing . Thanks again and well done! Looks great .
Thanks and good luck with the build! Suggestion. When you buy your unistrut, get the heavy duty. I think it's like 1.5"x1.5". When I did my build everyone was sold out so I went with the lower profile. The HD is much stiffer and IMO the better choice. Mine works fine, but I don't have to worry about a snow load.
Superstrut 10 ft. 12-Gauge Half Slotted Metal Framing Strut Channel - Gold Galvanized
www.homedepot.com/p/Superstrut-10-ft-12-Gauge-Half-Slotted-Metal-Framing-Strut-Channel-Gold-Galvanized-ZA1200HS-10/100125003
@@theupsideofdownsizing Thanks again. Yes I am familiar with the heavier strut. Thank you for the suggestion. Really appreciate it! Take care and Merry Christmas!
I seen everything but how u actually bolted the panels to the super strut thats what i been trying to figure out
Your friend has shared a link to a Home Depot product they think you would be interested in seeing:
Superstrut 3/8 in. Nylon Strut Cone Nut - Gold Galvanized (5-Pack)
www.homedepot.com/p/Superstrut-3-8-in-Nylon-Strut-Cone-Nut-Gold-Galvanized-5-Pack-ZCM100-3-8/100189687
SKU# 100189687
Very nice steup! How did you attach the front to back beams to the 2x6's? Did you notch them out and or use a bracket to tie them in to the 2x6? Thank you!
I beveled both the front and back beams to the same angle as the for the panels. Then I used hurricane straps to secure them. And used 5 inch construction screws to give additi strength.
@@theupsideofdownsizing thanks. Hurricane straps is exactly what I was thinking.
Did you use 2 cone nuts per solar panel to fasten them to the unistrut or 4 cone nuts for each panel?
4 per panel
Panels are so cheap now (especially used panels), that if you aren't particularly space limited, you can just keep adding panels every direction until you get the power output you need from sunrise till sunset all year 'round - No need to fuss doing any sort of tracking/tilting.
Bill considering you will be building a complete full size home in the near future do you think the 9 panels and your Chevy Volt Battery Set up will suffice? I am trying to learn more about solar myself for Cochise county. Thanks as always for your excellent videos.
Hi Don. We actually have 15 - 305 watt panels. 9 on the new array, and the original 6 on the solar shed. I think we're set with this number of panels but would like to one day double our battery bank by adding another complete Chevy Volt battery (out the equivalent).
@@theupsideofdownsizing Thanks so much Bill! Apologies where I see you addressed my question a couple of weeks ago. Learning a lot from your channel. Grateful for all of your knowledge and experience in this!
At 39 degrees North latitude three strings of six 285W PV in a flat mounted array (approximately 5kW total) yields about 20kWh in winter and 30kWh in summer. The greater question is what are you going to do with the energy? If you are grid-tied there are many options for exporting the power directly and you can skip the expense of battery storage. Otherwise if you are off-grid then your PV charge controller will dictate the string and array sizing for the PV array. For example Outback FlexMax80 can be used with maximum five strings of three 285W PV (~4kW) and needs twice as much wiring as the Outback FlexMax100 that can do three strings of six 285W PV (~5kW). There are smaller charge controllers (Midnite Solar, Genasun, Outback, MorningStar) and much larger controllers that go to 600V or even 1000V for single-string arrays. The off-grid battery sizing per-day in kWh should be five to six times the PV array rating in kW. An example is for 5kW PV there should be minimum 25kWh of battery for each day's worth of PV energy that you want to have stored, or else you will have nowhere to put that energy! Between 2-3 days of storage is suggested so you can get through snow storms and weeks of cloudy weather. For an electric vehicle and the longest average USA commute of 80 miles you are looking for about $25,000 of battery storage for each night you want to charge at home. So you can buy a second electric vehicle (one to leave at home charging while you work in the day) and more solar panels if you want and the cost is about the same, or get yourself a night job! :-)
I know you said that the post were 8.6 feet from the back to the front to get the 30 degree angle. How do you calculate how far apart they have to be? My angle needs to be 22.5 degrees
I used a roofing pitch Calculator online. I put in the desired angle and it gave me the length of the run, or the distance between the front and back out. Here is the link. Look for roofing pitch Calculator
www.omnicalculator.com/
@@theupsideofdownsizing Thank you! That makes it so easy!
Is this strong enough for more windy areas?
We have had 60+ mph winds and no problems at all. Solid as a rock.
Hi Bill. I purchased 4 acres in Cochise County the day before New Years. I was wondering how did you decide on the 9 panels for solar. Also forgive me if it's mentioned elsewhere but what kind of electric appliances etc are you planning on it running for your home? thanks!
We actually have a total of 15 - 305 watt panels. 9 on the new array and the original 6 on the roof of the solar shed. We will have electric hot water, probably supplemented by passive solar hot water, electric appliances in the kitchen and asfar as a is concerned, we will have an efficient window AC in our bedroom. The rest of the house will be outfitted with ceiling fans. Heat will be wood of which we are fortunate to have plenty. A rocket mass heater is planned. Our charge controller is maxxed out with the number of panels we have. Our inverter can handle 3800 watts peak and 3400 continuous I believe. We should be good to go. I wouldn't mind doubling out battery capacity. Out panels on a sunny day have our batteries topped off by 10am, so we could easily keep 2x the batteries charged.
@@theupsideofdownsizing Bill instead of wood stove to heat your home would your solar array handle 2 mini splits in different areas of the home to heat it? Much less work than wood. Thanks!
@@donkimball6174 our system can handle 2 mini splits that are NOT running simultaneously. Our inverter can handle 3600 watts continuously and a 4000 peak. The amount of power produced by our panels would be capable of keeping a battery bank twice the size of our current capacity charged, but in order to handle 2 Mini Splits at the same time would require a serious upgrade to our inverter. After monitoring the temps in our strawbale solar shed this winter, we think only a modest amount of heat will be needed to keep the house at a comfortable temp. Because of the amount of trees/firewood we have on our land, a wood burning stove or a rocket mass heater is going to be the best fit for us. We have an electric quartz space heater that will keep about 150 sq feet very comfortable and uses about 800 watts. Cold mornings and cooler days ( not many of those) this thing will run without even slowing down the charging of our batteries ( if it's sunny that is).
@@theupsideofdownsizing Thanks Bill. Hmm lots to learn here about inverters obviously! So if I have this correct you would first need to obtain a much larger inverter, then a larger battery bank to make all of this happen. Would your charge controller need to be changed as well? It sounds like Straw bale construction is the unsung hero in all of this and that you have put a lot of serious thought into this. I am learning lots but have a long way to go before becoming fluent in solar arrays and their use. Thanks for all the time in answering my questions. I definitely am thankful. Cheers! - Don
@@donkimball6174 The battery bank would not necessarily need to be upgraded in order to run 2 mini splits, it would just provide a buffer of available power for other needs or in case the weather is not optimal. Our charge controller is maxxed out with the 15 panels in our system. Our batteries are, on a sunny day completely topped off by 10:30 - 11am with the system generating at peak, 3200 watts @110 volts. On a "bright" cloudy day we produce about 750 watts which will cover our refrigerator and any other small or short term uses of things like microwave and the excess goes towards replenishing the batteries. Even with a few days of cloudy weather we are able to use our electricity without too many compromises. For us, if we would double our battery capacity, the system would be perfect. As it stands now, it's just great! 😉
A little trick from a short time ruffing electrician. A long time ago in a galaxy far far away lol. Turn your truck on let it run for about 20 minutes. Then put the part of the PVC you plan to bend inside your muffler and wait about 5-15 minutes Until it becomes pliable that will allow you to bend it.
@@theupsideofdownsizing you can also heat up your can of soup for lunch on the engein block at the same time. Remember to remove labels:) . You get creative in the middle of nowhere.
@@shafer360 Just remember to remove your beer from the under-hood-hidey-hole as it gets to warm to drink. lol
What kind of equipment are you using with panels. What size and brand panels are you using
Our equipment is from Schneider and our panels are Canadian Solar. Each panel is 305 watts. We got our equipment from Northern Arizona Wind and Sun in Flagstaff AZ. They are extremely professional and offer excellent customer service.
@@theupsideofdownsizing what size charge controller and inverter do you use.
What kind and how many battery do you use .you have 24 or 48 v system
What size wire you use on batteries
3600 watt inverter. Our charge controller is maxed out with 15 panels @ 310 watts per panel.
8:30 soak it with water first.
Shouldn’t you have run a wire or string through as you were glueing the pipe
That would have been useful for future (additional) wire pulls for sure. The fish tape worked fine, especially since it was more or less a straight shot from the panels to the solar shed.
Prices? Parts list?
Sorry, but I don't want to give prices because the price of lumber has increased so much, what we paid is only a fraction of what it would cost in today's over inflated market.
Parts list?
Could of just heated up the pipe and bended it
To bad when Handee man was there with his backhoe you couldn't dig the trench
We're lucky that our land isn't too clay rich so the digging wasn't too bad. In fact, the hardest part was keeping the trench walls from collapsing in on it's self, but by keeping it wetted down it seemed to hold it's shape pretty well.