DIY solar off grid ground mount
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- Опубліковано 21 жов 2024
- First of all, I got to give a shout out to we’ll process without him. None of this would be possible. I’ve got a off grid ground mount solar array with a total of 8000 W. I wanted the ground mount to look nice and be useful so I built it 11 foot on one side 9 foot on the other and turned it into a patio cover.

That sheetrock hoist was a genius move! Wish I’d had one building my array. 👍☀️⚡️🔋
Nice setup and great you did it yourself. I was a framing carpenter for a few years and your structure looks great and I would say you might need sway bracing and 2x blocking down the middle. High winds can really move things around. I also was an insurance adjuster dealing mostly with wind and hail damage.
I like that you made it a watertight install. I don't know why more people don't talk about doing that
Yeah, definitely took a little more time and planning making it watertight, but it’s well worth it
@@Steveoffgridsolar So, if I understand your gutter system....the flashing is in between the wood and the solar panel? And then curled up on each side to channel the water?
Nice work! The drywall hoist...nice!
Very nice strong ground mount build. My small 2000w system is also ground mount which is best in my opinion. Greetings from Jamaica.
Great Job! Going to do the same thing
Nice set up. Plan on doing the same thing and add 3 6000xp inverters and 45kwhr lifepo4 battery packs. Great work.
Why 3, I am doing one with a critical load's panel til I get the 18kpv to do the whole house. Hope it goes well for you. Maybe I will start with 3 XPS as well but that is almost the same price.
Great setup, real nice job
great job next to harvest the rain water
Dude…. Sheetrock joist… Best idea EVER… So glad I came across this video!
Yea it works great but you must cut a slit in the end caps of the hoist so the panel frame locks in. Also there is a small issue with the way the cable winds up on the sheet rock hoist drum. I will edit or make a new video explaining the issue
How are the panels attached? Do you have rail and clamps or have you drilled holes in the panel frames?
My previous video will show the homedepot 78 cents bracket I use to attach the panel
Also I used 1.5”by 1.5” flashing under the panels to guide water and make the roof waterproof
5 panels in series on a cold, clear winter day may output more than 250V. check your panel open voltage and add 12..16% to get cold open voltage.
Type of screw for the simpson tie to panel? Thanks
How do you run the wires to your inverter and batteries? What gauge and length. Do you run it on the walls around your house or in the ground? Can you do a video?
Very slick.
there is no clips on the ends where wind mostly will hit?
Looks nice!
How long are your 2x10? Im doing the same thing but only with 7 panels, the rest will be polycarbonate sheets. I want it 30 ft wide so it can cover my concrete slab, but I don't want the beams to bow. Thatd why I ask.
The main beams are 2x12 they span 12 feet per post. The 2x8 that the panels are attached are 16 foot but they only span 14 feet they over lap the 2x12. I will make a more detailed video on the dimensions.
How do you you have solar pergola mounted to the concrete? Are the post concreted into the ground or do you have the post bolted and anchored to the concrete?
The 6 x 6 posts are bolted to the ground on a Simpson strong tie bracket with a 1 inch stand off. (it was on existing patio.) The structure I’m currently building uses a Simpson strong tie bracket that is pour in place brackets with footings. Right now just got all that to elevation and ready for concrete. I will be making a new video of the new structure.
what do you mean no permits in Northern Ca. off grid you need permits here in Clearlake Ca.. maybe not with PG&E but with the city you do.
Did you pull permits, or is this an illegal installation?
Illegal 😂😂
I like the drywall hoist. You have a part number for that thing? Great idea
FRANKLIN 150 lb. Capacity Drywall Panel Hoist - Item 58307
Yea it worked great but cutting a slit in the rubber ends of the hoist are needed so the panel frame will hook into the hoist.
I am planning to build solar panels on my wood house, it is around 6x3 m2. Are you using any kit? could you please share more information about panels and other devices? If you have a video about that, could you share it to me?
Thanks, and looks great your project
No it was not made from a kit. And all the product can be bought at the local hardware store. I will make another detailed video on the specs and hardware
@@Steveoffgridsolar That would be great. Thanks!
But how did you attach them to the wood?
I will make a new video explaining this soon.
@@Steveoffgridsolar Thanks! I am trying to figure out the best way to do a roof mount without having to drill into the actual roof. Wood planks or ballast systems. Your way looks very nice!
Would love to see it, up soon?
Cheaper than plywood?
The panels go around $150-200 and plywood I’m guessing is a lot cheaper. But if you ad the current daily power production which is 55kw per day and the power company is charging 56 cents per kw. The solar roof is producing $30.80 per day. Another example is if I were to put all 55kw into my Tesla it would give me 165 miles of free driving per day in the summer time.
In phoenix there’s a used solar panel store. The price is 20-40 dollars per panel. So yes it can be cheaper than plywood.
It is a horrible mistake to mount solar panels with wood. Never never do that!
What’s the reason?
@@Steveoffgridsolar Solar panels will last probably three times as long as the wood. And wood expand and contracts with temperatures, and over the seasons with changes in humidity and moisture. It stresses the panels and can cause what is called micro fractures of the crystalline solar cells and degrade performance. Over time you may also see the aluminum frame of the modules begin to separate allowing water intrusion along the edges.
Panels are getting cheaper and cheaper, and the tech is advancing so quickly, this setup is fine. OP saved so much doing it himself, it'll pay for itself in no time.
@@MissionSuccessGo that is so true! I just lined my patio with 420 W modules and they cost me $239 each. Back in the early days when I was in business a 190 W module cost around $700.
My only thought would be the expansion and contraction of the wood beating up the panels?