Thanks for the comments. You're Welcome! I have a new video coming soon you will like. It's a 5000W ground mount system with an Outback Hybrid inverter and Battery.
I am almost through erecting a mount similar to yours for a single 30 panel mount (60 cell panels) that mounts 3 panels vertically and 10 panels wide using 6 posts. So far so good. I searched long and hard before deciding how to build the mount and your mount was closest to what I actually did. I wish it had come up higher in the search results almost didn't find it.
I was going to use the same center mounting that you have except for offsetting (~10%) the weight so you would have little more to the front, yes will need second adjustable support to the bottom end, but better to deal with the high winter winds that come through....
That sounds cool with a 10% offset. Remember the weight. I calculated each 18 panel section is over 1500 lbs. One person can tilt it but still takes a little effort. Good luck with your project!
Fasil the solar panels together is not leakage in between them the things you use underneath the solar will last 40 years mine's all wooden I rebuilt my frame I took the old out and we use the old frame with a small set of solar panels start with had a few extra and I probably that's be another 30 as long as I keep the water off and the snow.
Like the adjustable angle mounting of panels, always a good idea when possible. Hoever- that is a very heavy and large racking system ( very susceptible to high winds ) Please secure it as much as possible ! Our panels were removed by wind (hurricane) and were directly mounted to roof racking. The roof and racking remaine intact but panels were peeled right off. Your build looks more at risk than our old roof mounts. More wood, chain, cable or whatever you can do to protect your investment and labors. The vibrations that build up during high wind scenarios can literally shake and rip things apart. We were well built and secured and still ended up replacing our entire array. Bigger, stronger , better...
I used 7/8 inch grade 8 rust resistance bolts washers and lock washers and nuts. You buy them by the pound at tractor Supply they look like anodized metal. One set including 2 washers was about $9 so 5 would be around $45. I believe a much smaller size or at least 3/4 would be plenty strong but I wanted a larger hole to spread the pressure out on the wood post. You can also drill a larger hole and use 1/2 CPVC to spread the pressure out even further and act as a bearing too but the tilt doesn't require much pressure. You could also make larger square metal plates of say 1/8 - 1/4 steels with holes for screws and center hole for bolt to spread the pressure out. You could also add more posts etc. remember you want the connections of the unistrut between the "rafters" to keep unistrut at same level. In my similar system six 2x10x 16 ft about 420 lbs unistrut 20 total pieces x 14 about 280 lbs 30 solar panels @ 41lbs each 1230 lbs _______________ 1930 lbs on 6 posts = 322lbs per post Remember wind load can be much higher than this but is largely horizontal load not vertical load. You may wam nt to add some cable tie downs to the post to offset those loads depending on the mounts location.
@Electronic Solutions Is the wood for your mount 2x10 or 2x12? Im getting ready to use your design substantially and add some improvements to incorporate a safety cable for use to prevent the mount from slamming downward on its front side during angle adjustment and also as an aid to pull on the rear to bring rear side downward for summer adjustment. Did you put the blueprints online anywhere by any chance? Ill be using NEO 335w panels.
I like the design!!! I'm planning a similar-sized season adjustable array of my own... what size Lumber did you use for your post it looks like 6 x 6? And your pivot arms 2 x 6? What do you use to tilt it with I had an idea of using a manual jack screws like a linear actuator type thing?
So what was the overall investment for just all the solar panels, & how do you know how tight to tighten the bolts that secure the pannels down, I think I would of buried the PVC deeper, & used rubber mats, to protect the solar panels, should the drill slipped off the bolt heads
The aluminum frame around the panels is rather thick and its a double wall design. I could really torque them down a lot harder and probably would not be easy to crush the aluminum. I probably put an average of 25 ft/lbs of torque on them. Tight enough so they won't come loose. Since it was hex head bolts you really don't push down any so I was not worried about the drill slipping off. Its not like drilling a wood screw in. Even still, those panels are amazingly tough. We bought 2 pallets of panels. They were new. $150 each and probably $10 each for freight shipping in bulk. These are made by JA Solar, 315 Watt rating each with 4 bus bars. Good for max current load powering an inverter.
Sure I can share it. Its not entirely complete as in it does not show all the screws and mounting hardware but the dimensions are correct. I would need your email to send it as an attachment. Its not large.
Hello...great project...did your utility and county inspector accept the ground mount as is? Did it pass inspection as far needed in your area? Thx for the plans, not a sketch up master...so i am still trying to get the measurements out of it...how are your experience with the setup so far? Wood frame bending from the weight? Any wind concerns so far?
No problems with wind. in 30 mph gusts it does not even shake. Not even a little. It simply weighs a lot. Each array is about 1700 lbs. It would probably take a direct tornado hit to cause any wind damage. Each panel is close to 50 lbs so the weight is distributed. I don't expect enough weight loading to warp the beams any. I could easily swap one at a time if ever needed. With minimum maintenance it should last 50+ years. Our area does not require any inspection other than the electrical connection to the grid. (breaker box area) and the power company does an "anti islanding" test which means if the grid stops sending the AC sign wave, the inverters shut down. If they did not it could easily electrocute a serviceman working on the lines from quite a distance. Power sold back to the grid gets its voltage stepped up to a much higher voltage through the distribution transformers. They work both ways. The power company requirement is that it all be UL 1741 listed equipment. We also did a 5 year contract as a power provider/generation system.
Keep an eye on Ebay. Buy in bulk like 10 or more because a pallet can hold up to about 26 to 30 panels and will cost around $275 to ship. If there are 10, 20 or 30 the cost will be near the same. Your shipping cost per panel drops with a larger amount.
Wow! This is the best build that I've seen! I like how the framework pivots. Question: what did you use to attach the supports to the posts to allow them to pivot? Thanks Again for sharing!
greetings; i realise it has been a long time since installation but i was wondering if you experienced any corrosion on the unistrut where they came in direct contact to the treated boards used for the structure. i am in georgia as well (there is no other place like it)...............g
Hi there I wanted to know how much your entire system cost you guys if at all possible. Including all elements and where I can purchase the items. I also wanted to know if you are using mono or poly crystalline solar panels and on average how much energy your setup produces per month . Any information would be extremely valuable.
We were not required to pull permits. In our area the install is recommended to be UL listed and inspected by the Power Company. We should have used rigid metal conduit which has a minimum depth limit of 6 inches (or 4 inches if protected by concrete). We had huge rocks below so about 8 inches deep so that was about as deep as we could go. Power Company gave it the ok since its all behind a breaker and there is no vehicle access over the conduit. With any project each person should check with the county they live in to see if any permits are needed. We have 2 power companies in our area. One is very strict needing a certified solar installer to sign off on the the project and the other does their own inspection.
I used Unistrut or Superstrut as Home Depot calls it. Go check out the Home Depot website and search for it. They sell all the hardware to fit. The mounting screws are your choice. You can use 1/4" or 3/8" screws and match with the correct size strut channel spring nut and the top square washer to hold the panels down. The length of my screws was 2" long. That would work with most solar panel thickness. Some panels are thicker than others on the frame and they usually range from 35mm to 55mm thick. Be sure to order the right size end clamps for the thickness of your panels. I found mine on ebay for about $1.50 each. Its a simple solution for mounting solar panels and way more affordable then using aluminum channel made for solar.
We did use the heavily treated lumber designed for ground contact. It should last a long time but I think my next project I will go with all unistrut. You can cement it in the ground to use for legs.
My system is similar to his and my pv wire run is 160 feet. The size wire used can be determined by the voltage it will carry and the amps it will carry. The less amps and higher voltage the smaller the wire needed. The voltage you can use will be largely determined by the inverter or charge controller you use. For instance most inverter vary from about 140 volt to about 450 volt pv input from the panels. I was able to use 10 awg THNN wire because I used 240 volts with 6 panels in series to reduce the amount of strings and I run 2 strings in parallel to each MPPT controller. This is in my case 3600 watts and the max for each controller is 250 volts and 4,000 watts. If I had used 2 strings of 7 it would;d have been 280volts and 4200 watts which is too much and damage would occur. Here is a link to a voltage drop calculator you can use to determine the size wire you need. Iy would have cost me $365 for 8 awg wire but only cost $180 for 10 awg. I think the link will show values I used but you can change however you want just fill in the numbers. www.calculator.net/voltage-drop-calculator.html?material=copper&wiresize=3.277&voltage=240&phase=dc&noofconductor=1&distance=160&distanceunit=feet&eres=16&x=65&y=16
I forgot you get the voltage from label on the solar panel open voltage and the amps from it also as vmax. since mine are 40 volt panels and 9 amps 6 of them make 240 volts and 9 amps. then adding another 6 in parallel the voltage remains at 240 volts but amperage increases to 18 amps.
Unistrut (or superstrut) can be purchased at Home Depot or Lowes. I have the plans in sketch up. I will see if I can post them to a shared google drive location and link them in the comments!
How are you connected now? Using a string inverter or micro inverters? I have done a few installs with micro inverters where you have a small inverter for each solar panel that convert the DC to 240VAC. I may add an additional 1000wh to my roof and just use 4 - 250 watt panels and 4 micro inverters. I just need to add a 240v double pole breaker to feed through. I will make a video on one of those setups real soon.
@@electronicsolutions1126 I have a Sol-Ark 8k. It has a dual mppt controllers. I have 1 string on roof in a SE direction. I want to put another 5.4k on a mount like this in a ssw direction. We are putting in a heated pool and this is how i convinced the wife the power bill wouldnt go up.
@@av1204 Sounds good. another 5.4kwh should definately cut back on the heating bill for the pool. You may want to consider a timer on the pool heater. Run it during the day when the sun is out.
Can you share your plans for this build? The video is all well and good but you don't really show (up close) what has to be done, what has to be measured. That would be awfully helpful to a novice like me.
Awesome brother... Just subbed... I just finished my array build mother's day... Video up yesterday.. I'd love too see what you think... Yours is nicer but my budget is lower. I'm 6.4kw... ... Thanks for being awesome and I'll be checking out more
Good deal! You will love your power savings. I'm going to be adding more to my house soon. This video is a friends house we did. I currently have a 2700 watt system but Georgia power was only paying about 4 cents per kilowatt. They have now announced they will soon be offering an even trade. That's a big deal! If you use 1000kw a month and make 1000kw then usage will be zero on the bill.
@@electronicsolutions1126 TVA here used to pay higher than they charge so they could sell the surplus for higher as GREEN energy and maybe some type government incentive as well as not having to build new power plants . Then charge was .10 per Kwhr and paid .15. Now they charge .10 per Kwhr and pay .075 per Kwhr. Still a lot better than some states or areas like Missouri where some payt about .02 per Kwhr. I am almost at the point where I could either buy more batteries or use generator more and go offered in the city cheaper than paying the monthly meter fee. I don't sell to the utility anyway.
@@electronicsolutions1126 I contacted my utility(Jefferson Electric ) and they will only pay 5 cents per killowatt and then sell it back to you at night for retail. I hope the new Administration enacts some solar credits for Georgia like SC does.
Enjoyed the video. Did you add more bracing to the wood frame? From what I've seen of much sturdier pole buildings blowing apart you are seriously under engineered for the size of that sail. You have a lot of money in your panels so no reason not to build for that once in a 100 year storm. The posts themselves look ok although I would have went with two rows. If you bought the posts from a home center they are in all probability UC4A instead of UC4B pressure treated. Which means they won't have the 20 year life you're looking for. Just like a deck some will last and some will not.
Do it yourself is the way to go. I saw a quote for a system this size and it was $100,000. It did have an off grid battery storage and an intelligent inverter to charge the battery before sending the excess back to the grid but there must have been a lot of labor in the quote. There is no way adding a better inverter and an LG Chem battery pack would raise the cost almost 10 times more.
@@yarpos I have a 13,500 watt system with 30Kwhr lithium battery backup for the following cost. Yes, it can be done DIY. Mine and I believe his are off grid: 42 300 watt new "open box" panels made in USA $105 each $300 shipping $4710 3 MPP MG5048 with parallel kits shipped to door $2250 10,000 watt Transformer $300 Mount including wood unistrut concrete bolts conduit (for hole in post) conduit rental trench digger and auger $1124 2 guage battery cable 50 ft cable ends plywood mount pvwire 10 ga various short wiring grounding rods $700 battery new lg cells from chevy bolt never cycled 30 Kwhr $3300 delivered (70 cells) Grand Total : $12,384.00 30% credit - 3,714.00 ----------------------------------------- after credit $8,670.00 payback period 5.5 sun hours per day avg 5.5 x 13,500 watts = 74.25Kwhr per day at .10 per Kwhr = $7.43 per day avg30.5 days per month = $226.62 per month minus 15% for inefficiencies ( $33.99 ) = $192.63 $8670 divided by $192.63 = 45.01 months This system can provide 15,000 continuous watts or 30,000 peak watts or 125 amps at 240 volts split phase. (yes the transformer can provide this since with all the larger loads balanced 240 volt loads). I rarely use more than 8,000 watts continuous. Even if 20 % loss in efficiencies still less than 48 month payback though I plan to add another 30 Kwhr of battery backup in time which would make payback another 16 months or so.
Hello, i hope you are still responding to comments on this video. i have several questions. Did you require a permit for your land to do this yourself, how were your taxes effected by this, and where are you located (which state)? I completely have the ability to do all of this myself and was wondering what legal hoops you had to jump through.
Were not in the city limits and did not need a permit, just the paper work and basic inspection by the power company. They want everything UL 1741 listed from panels to inverters. A UL 1741 inverter will automatically be approved since it powers down properly if the grid goes down, thereby protecting line workers if they are working on the lines.
I am not sure about land requirements if you are building a solar farm for commercial use. Check with your local county government. They would know or check with your utility company.
Did you find out the land requirements for a solar farm? Have you also contacted a solar developer? I am also thinking about leasing land for solar use.
After you have a proposed contract with your utility you will need to get a licensed engineer and select a 1 access tracking mount system. That system will help you determine optimum spacing. The closer together you make the rows the less energy you will get per row so spacing is a trade-off between land cost and system cost. 3-panel tracking systems in my area are on 25-foot centers with an access road all the way around them. Anyway, you need to get someone or a company that has done this before. Why lease? If you have the money to do a commercial solar farm you make more money on woning the land it is on and when the time comes that the land will pay off big time and solar is not then you can sell the farm. When I got to Sacramento there were a lot of drive-in movies. I talked to one of the owners and he told me he put the drive-in to pay the expenses until the land value increased and then he was going to sell to a hotel. Now there is one 6 screen drive-in and several attempts to build something else have fallen through. We still have 6 screens, all the other are long gone and there is a Hilton Hotel where I talked to the guy on west Arden way Sacramento.
John, if one was going to look for land to do a solar farm, what requirements would you be looking for in the land and in what priority order would they be,
You're calling this a solar farm. Does that mean it has the capability to support multiple households? If so, then how many can it provide sufficient electricity for daily (presuming a battery storage is added to the project)?
It's just for one house. "Farming" referring to the use of farm land. We're just farming solar for electricity savings on the same land used for raising farm animals. :)
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Wow... that conduit is supposed to be buried 12” minimum depth, 18 to 24” recommended... you have around 4” cover... expect a LOT OF LEAKING PIPES FROM EXPANSION... take a lot of measurements of the pipe path, and write it down on a map of the property... damage is highly likely
We have no depth requirement here for a branch circuit, only for service entrance and that is at 36 inches because a service entrance from the utility has no breaker at the pole. I wanted to go a little deeper but a giant bolder about 12 feet wide and 6 inches deep said no. The camera lens had a fisheye effect that made it look shallower than it really is. Its between 6 and 8 inches in paces. Its farmland and will be undisturbed other than walking on it at times. The ground here has a lot of clay and gets real hard. I don't expect it will ever get exposed. If it does we will use the tractor and cover it deeper.
Underground conduit always leaks, that's normal and you should expect them to fill with water even if it is only due to condensation. In real life this install will work just fine. People have been burying cable in a 'farmer trench' like this for almost a century and while it does increase chances of damage vs code it otherwise works fine. Where I live you need to go 4ft deep to avoid frost heaving which is impractical so, yeah, everything is done like this in the real world aside from major electrical work such as service entrances and the like. The inspectors look the other way as they know digging a trench like that in your backyard to a shed is stupid.
Cool but personally I would have preferred to hear the conversation that was taking place about the job rather than hearing the nice music and watching the build sped up.
We drilled a 14" hole about 3 1/2 feet deep. Each post had about 6 bags of cement, 80 lbs each. Some a little more. It was probably closer to 400 lbs each. We wanted it to stay put over time. The base was the hardest part of the project. On my next solar project I may just cement unistrut legs in the ground and bolt it all together with a pre-set tilt towards the sun.
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That’s so cool. I can’t wait to have the land to build a solar farm like this. Thanks for showing us!
Thanks for the comments. You're Welcome! I have a new video coming soon you will like. It's a 5000W ground mount system with an Outback Hybrid inverter and Battery.
Awe inspiring work, looks like you have a chunk of the ISS in your yard!
This is brilliant, so eager to try this in the UK. Would you consider sharing your sketch plans ?
Beautiful!
I am almost through erecting a mount similar to yours for a single 30 panel mount (60 cell panels) that mounts 3 panels vertically and 10 panels wide using 6 posts. So far so good. I searched long and hard before deciding how to build the mount and your mount was closest to what I actually did. I wish it had come up higher in the search results almost didn't find it.
Excellent!
Where did you purchase the solar panel mounting hardware?
Is that just normal panel mounting hardware? Or did you need something special to fit the Unistrut?
Awesome video wondering if you would share your sketch for build
Is this just tilting using the single lag screw per upright post, how are you stabilizing it so it won't move, i.e. wind?
Nice, quick demonstration of what u did, I really some other videos can show the drilled down details of what exactly went into doing this
I was going to use the same center mounting that you have except for offsetting (~10%) the weight so you would have little more to the front, yes will need second adjustable support to the bottom end, but better to deal with the high winter winds that come through....
That sounds cool with a 10% offset. Remember the weight. I calculated each 18 panel section is over 1500 lbs. One person can tilt it but still takes a little effort. Good luck with your project!
Fasil the solar panels together is not leakage in between them the things you use underneath the solar will last 40 years mine's all wooden I rebuilt my frame I took the old out and we use the old frame with a small set of solar panels start with had a few extra and I probably that's be another 30 as long as I keep the water off and the snow.
Like the adjustable angle mounting of panels, always a good idea when possible.
Hoever- that is a very heavy and large racking system ( very susceptible to high winds )
Please secure it as much as possible !
Our panels were removed by wind (hurricane) and were directly mounted to roof racking.
The roof and racking remaine intact but panels were peeled right off.
Your build looks more at risk than our old roof mounts.
More wood, chain, cable or whatever you can do to protect your investment and labors.
The vibrations that build up during high wind scenarios can literally shake and rip things apart. We were well built and secured and still ended up replacing our entire array.
Bigger, stronger , better...
Yes, Ian just passed by here near "Mayberry," NC and I have a windy property, so that is a major consideration.
Brilliant video... thank you
Looks like you did a pretty good job. I have a future project that I will be committed to. And will soon come back and take from this video
I like what you did and I am taking your Idea, How large were the bolts that you used so that you could tilt.
I used 7/8 inch grade 8 rust resistance bolts washers and lock washers and nuts. You buy them by the pound at tractor Supply they look like anodized metal. One set including 2 washers was about $9 so 5 would be around $45. I believe a much smaller size or at least 3/4 would be plenty strong but I wanted a larger hole to spread the pressure out on the wood post. You can also drill a larger hole and use 1/2 CPVC to spread the pressure out even further and act as a bearing too but the tilt doesn't require much pressure. You could also make larger square metal plates of say 1/8 - 1/4 steels with holes for screws and center hole for bolt to spread the pressure out.
You could also add more posts etc. remember you want the connections of the unistrut between the "rafters" to keep unistrut at same level.
In my similar system
six 2x10x 16 ft about 420 lbs
unistrut 20 total pieces x 14 about 280 lbs
30 solar panels @ 41lbs each 1230 lbs
_______________
1930 lbs
on 6 posts = 322lbs per post
Remember wind load can be much higher than this but is largely horizontal load not vertical load. You may wam
nt to add some cable tie downs to the post to offset those loads depending on the mounts location.
@Electronic Solutions Is the wood for your mount 2x10 or 2x12? Im getting ready to use your design substantially and add some improvements to incorporate a safety cable for use to prevent the mount from slamming downward on its front side during angle adjustment and also as an aid to pull on the rear to bring rear side downward for summer adjustment. Did you put the blueprints online anywhere by any chance? Ill be using NEO 335w panels.
I like the design!!! I'm planning a similar-sized season adjustable array of my own... what size Lumber did you use for your post it looks like 6 x 6? And your pivot arms 2 x 6? What do you use to tilt it with I had an idea of using a manual jack screws like a linear actuator type thing?
How has it been doing since u installed it?
Awesome project
Could pls share the design you use for this project
So what was the overall investment for just all the solar panels, & how do you know how tight to tighten the bolts that secure the pannels down, I think I would of buried the PVC deeper, & used rubber mats, to protect the solar panels, should the drill slipped off the bolt heads
The aluminum frame around the panels is rather thick and its a double wall design. I could really torque them down a lot harder and probably would not be easy to crush the aluminum. I probably put an average of 25 ft/lbs of torque on them. Tight enough so they won't come loose. Since it was hex head bolts you really don't push down any so I was not worried about the drill slipping off. Its not like drilling a wood screw in. Even still, those panels are amazingly tough. We bought 2 pallets of panels. They were new. $150 each and probably $10 each for freight shipping in bulk. These are made by JA Solar, 315 Watt rating each with 4 bus bars. Good for max current load powering an inverter.
Very nice man! Looking to setup one of these myself.
Thanks! This system is saving about $250 per month at .14 cents per kilowatt (including taxes)
Electronic Solutions not bad. Let’s hope planning will be nice to me ;)
@@electronicsolutions1126 Here we pay 0,33$ per kWh, you guys are sure lucky^^
Very nice! Would you mind sharing the sketchup design?
Sure I can share it. Its not entirely complete as in it does not show all the screws and mounting hardware but the dimensions are correct. I would need your email to send it as an attachment. Its not large.
Here is a link to the design on google drive. Let me know if it works.
drive.google.com/open?id=1HRjLHUHz-ZNJX2hYys-Cp_rxSxHTXKkk
Hello...great project...did your utility and county inspector accept the ground mount as is? Did it pass inspection as far needed in your area? Thx for the plans, not a sketch up master...so i am still trying to get the measurements out of it...how are your experience with the setup so far? Wood frame bending from the weight? Any wind concerns so far?
No problems with wind. in 30 mph gusts it does not even shake. Not even a little. It simply weighs a lot. Each array is about 1700 lbs. It would probably take a direct tornado hit to cause any wind damage. Each panel is close to 50 lbs so the weight is distributed. I don't expect enough weight loading to warp the beams any. I could easily swap one at a time if ever needed. With minimum maintenance it should last 50+ years. Our area does not require any inspection other than the electrical connection to the grid. (breaker box area) and the power company does an "anti islanding" test which means if the grid stops sending the AC sign wave, the inverters shut down. If they did not it could easily electrocute a serviceman working on the lines from quite a distance. Power sold back to the grid gets its voltage stepped up to a much higher voltage through the distribution transformers. They work both ways.
The power company requirement is that it all be UL 1741 listed equipment. We also did a 5 year contract as a power provider/generation system.
Where's a good place to buy surplus solar panels for cheap?
Keep an eye on Ebay. Buy in bulk like 10 or more because a pallet can hold up to about 26 to 30 panels and will cost around $275 to ship. If there are 10, 20 or 30 the cost will be near the same. Your shipping cost per panel drops with a larger amount.
I’m wanting to get some for my school what should I be looking at
Wow! This is the best build that I've seen! I like how the framework pivots.
Question: what did you use to attach the supports to the posts to allow them to pivot?
Thanks Again for sharing!
greetings; i realise it has been a long time since installation but i was wondering if you experienced any corrosion on the unistrut where they came in direct contact to the treated boards used for the structure. i am in georgia as well (there is no other place like it)...............g
How long did it take to build this unit?
It took us over a month but that was just weekend work.
How much does a project like this cost?
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How much do you get paid per kilowatt from the utility?
Each power company is different. Georgia Power pays about 4 cents per kilowatt. I would rather use what i make.
Hi there I wanted to know how much your entire system cost you guys if at all possible. Including all elements and where I can purchase the items. I also wanted to know if you are using mono or poly crystalline solar panels and on average how much energy your setup produces per month . Any information would be extremely valuable.
Yes I hope they reply
Nice
Is the wooden frame 2x 6 or 2x8 or what? I also noticed the doubling of the inner sections top and bottom.
in California PVC conduit need to be buried a minimum of 18"... guess Ga. Is more lenient. Did you have to pull permits for this project?
We were not required to pull permits. In our area the install is recommended to be UL listed and inspected by the Power Company. We should have used rigid metal conduit which has a minimum depth limit of 6 inches (or 4 inches if protected by concrete). We had huge rocks below so about 8 inches deep so that was about as deep as we could go. Power Company gave it the ok since its all behind a breaker and there is no vehicle access over the conduit. With any project each person should check with the county they live in to see if any permits are needed. We have 2 power companies in our area. One is very strict needing a certified solar installer to sign off on the the project and the other does their own inspection.
Can you please can share it. Its not entirely complete as in it does not show all the screws and mounting hardware
I used Unistrut or Superstrut as Home Depot calls it. Go check out the Home Depot website and search for it. They sell all the hardware to fit. The mounting screws are your choice. You can use 1/4" or 3/8" screws and match with the correct size strut channel spring nut and the top square washer to hold the panels down. The length of my screws was 2" long. That would work with most solar panel thickness. Some panels are thicker than others on the frame and they usually range from 35mm to 55mm thick. Be sure to order the right size end clamps for the thickness of your panels. I found mine on ebay for about $1.50 each. Its a simple solution for mounting solar panels and way more affordable then using aluminum channel made for solar.
Wow, this is amazing. I want to do a similar project, what are those brackets called?
Unistrut or jr unistrut.
What was the cost of the ground mounting?
How much does it cost you to invest?
nice
What is the for the panels please
i like what you did. i'm just a little uneasy using treated wood for a rack system.
We did use the heavily treated lumber designed for ground contact. It should last a long time but I think my next project I will go with all unistrut. You can cement it in the ground to use for legs.
We are thinking I'm doing the same thing. How far are your panels away from the batteries, and how big of wire do you need to run that distance?
My system is similar to his and my pv wire run is 160 feet. The size wire used can be determined by the voltage it will carry and the amps it will carry. The less amps and higher voltage the smaller the wire needed. The voltage you can use will be largely determined by the inverter or charge controller you use. For instance most inverter vary from about 140 volt to about 450 volt pv input from the panels. I was able to use 10 awg THNN wire because I used 240 volts with 6 panels in series to reduce the amount of strings and I run 2 strings in parallel to each MPPT controller. This is in my case 3600 watts and the max for each controller is 250 volts and 4,000 watts. If I had used 2 strings of 7 it would;d have been 280volts and 4200 watts which is too much and damage would occur.
Here is a link to a voltage drop calculator you can use to determine the size wire you need. Iy would have cost me $365 for 8 awg wire but only cost $180 for 10 awg. I think the link will show values I used but you can change however you want just fill in the numbers.
www.calculator.net/voltage-drop-calculator.html?material=copper&wiresize=3.277&voltage=240&phase=dc&noofconductor=1&distance=160&distanceunit=feet&eres=16&x=65&y=16
I forgot you get the voltage from label on the solar panel open voltage and the amps from it also as vmax. since mine are 40 volt panels and 9 amps 6 of them make 240 volts and 9 amps. then adding another 6 in parallel the voltage remains at 240 volts but amperage increases to 18 amps.
hi do you still have the sketch up plans,,,so if i wanted to copy your set up i could?,,or maybe a metrail list for the racking? thanks
Unistrut (or superstrut) can be purchased at Home Depot or Lowes.
I have the plans in sketch up. I will see if I can post them to a shared google drive location and link them in the comments!
@@robertballard626 sounds good,,thanks
Is he using autocad at the beginning of the video to model the system
No that is Sketch Up free. Its available here: www.sketchup.com/plans-and-pricing/sketchup-free
I had some questions on the project. At your earliest convenience would you be able to reach out through email, phone , and or text ?
Looks great. Do you have a copy of the plans? I have 4 kw on my roof and am looking to add another 4k in this configuration.
How are you connected now? Using a string inverter or micro inverters? I have done a few installs with micro inverters where you have a small inverter for each solar panel that convert the DC to 240VAC. I may add an additional 1000wh to my roof and just use 4 - 250 watt panels and 4 micro inverters. I just need to add a 240v double pole breaker to feed through. I will make a video on one of those setups real soon.
@@electronicsolutions1126 I have a Sol-Ark 8k. It has a dual mppt controllers. I have 1 string on roof in a SE direction. I want to put another 5.4k on a mount like this in a ssw direction. We are putting in a heated pool and this is how i convinced the wife the power bill wouldnt go up.
@@av1204 Sounds good. another 5.4kwh should definately cut back on the heating bill for the pool. You may want to consider a timer on the pool heater. Run it during the day when the sun is out.
Can you share your plans for this build? The video is all well and good but you don't really show (up close) what has to be done, what has to be measured. That would be awfully helpful to a novice like me.
Hi do you happen to have any info on how to go about getting surplus solar panels I'm looking to build the exact same system
Ebay is a good place to start. check shipping prices with the seller.
For used, and surplus panels try San Tan solar in Arizona and Sun Electric in Miami.
Awesome brother... Just subbed... I just finished my array build mother's day... Video up yesterday.. I'd love too see what you think... Yours is nicer but my budget is lower. I'm 6.4kw... ... Thanks for being awesome and I'll be checking out more
Good deal! You will love your power savings. I'm going to be adding more to my house soon. This video is a friends house we did. I currently have a 2700 watt system but Georgia power was only paying about 4 cents per kilowatt. They have now announced they will soon be offering an even trade. That's a big deal! If you use 1000kw a month and make 1000kw then usage will be zero on the bill.
Its like using the grid similar to a battery bank.
@@electronicsolutions1126 TVA here used to pay higher than they charge so they could sell the surplus for higher as GREEN energy and maybe some type government incentive as well as not having to build new power plants . Then charge was .10 per Kwhr and paid .15. Now they charge .10 per Kwhr and pay .075 per Kwhr. Still a lot better than some states or areas like Missouri where some payt about .02 per Kwhr. I am almost at the point where I could either buy more batteries or use generator more and go offered in the city cheaper than paying the monthly meter fee. I don't sell to the utility anyway.
@@electronicsolutions1126 I contacted my utility(Jefferson Electric ) and they will only pay 5 cents per killowatt and then sell it back to you at night for retail. I hope the new Administration enacts some solar credits for Georgia like SC does.
Enjoyed the video. Did you add more bracing to the wood frame? From what I've seen of much sturdier pole buildings blowing apart you are seriously under engineered for the size of that sail. You have a lot of money in your panels so no reason not to build for that once in a 100 year storm. The posts themselves look ok although I would have went with two rows. If you bought the posts from a home center they are in all probability UC4A instead of UC4B pressure treated. Which means they won't have the 20 year life you're looking for. Just like a deck some will last and some will not.
Hi There! Is there a way to discuss with you about the solar panel farming business? Email? or Phone?
THanks
4 years return on investment? Thats a deal hard to pass on!
Do it yourself is the way to go. I saw a quote for a system this size and it was $100,000. It did have an off grid battery storage and an intelligent inverter to charge the battery before sending the excess back to the grid but there must have been a lot of labor in the quote. There is no way adding a better inverter and an LG Chem battery pack would raise the cost almost 10 times more.
Yes. Do it yourself!
pity there are no numbers to go with the assertion
@@yarpos I have a 13,500 watt system with 30Kwhr lithium battery backup for the following cost. Yes, it can be done DIY. Mine and I believe his are off grid:
42 300 watt new "open box" panels made in USA $105 each $300 shipping $4710
3 MPP MG5048 with parallel kits shipped to door $2250
10,000 watt Transformer $300
Mount including wood unistrut concrete bolts conduit (for hole in post) conduit rental trench digger and auger $1124
2 guage battery cable 50 ft cable ends plywood mount pvwire 10 ga various short wiring grounding rods $700
battery new lg cells from chevy bolt never cycled 30 Kwhr $3300 delivered (70 cells)
Grand Total : $12,384.00
30% credit - 3,714.00
-----------------------------------------
after credit $8,670.00
payback period 5.5 sun hours per day avg 5.5 x 13,500 watts = 74.25Kwhr per day
at .10 per Kwhr = $7.43 per day
avg30.5 days per month = $226.62 per month
minus 15% for inefficiencies ( $33.99 ) = $192.63
$8670 divided by $192.63 = 45.01 months
This system can provide 15,000 continuous watts or 30,000 peak watts or 125 amps at 240 volts split phase. (yes the transformer can provide this since with all the larger loads balanced 240 volt loads). I rarely use more than 8,000 watts continuous.
Even if 20 % loss in efficiencies still less than 48 month payback though I plan to add another 30 Kwhr of battery backup in time which would make payback another 16 months or so.
@@teekay1785 Why would you add more capacity when you only use a fraction of what you produce now?
Hello, i hope you are still responding to comments on this video. i have several questions. Did you require a permit for your land to do this yourself, how were your taxes effected by this, and where are you located (which state)? I completely have the ability to do all of this myself and was wondering what legal hoops you had to jump through.
nevermind, i see you're in Georgia. that answered that part
Were not in the city limits and did not need a permit, just the paper work and basic inspection by the power company. They want everything UL 1741 listed from panels to inverters. A UL 1741 inverter will automatically be approved since it powers down properly if the grid goes down, thereby protecting line workers if they are working on the lines.
I would recommend looking at your County ordinances. Our County has no restrictions other than to follow National Electric Codes.
Great video! Im looking to lease land for a utility solar farm. Do you know what the land requirements are? Can I email you? Thanks!
I am not sure about land requirements if you are building a solar farm for commercial use. Check with your local county government. They would know or check with your utility company.
Did you find out the land requirements for a solar farm? Have you also contacted a solar developer? I am also thinking about leasing land for solar use.
After you have a proposed contract with your utility you will need to get a licensed engineer and select a 1 access tracking mount system. That system will help you determine optimum spacing. The closer together you make the rows the less energy you will get per row so spacing is a trade-off between land cost and system cost.
3-panel tracking systems in my area are on 25-foot centers with an access road all the way around them. Anyway, you need to get someone or a company that has done this before.
Why lease? If you have the money to do a commercial solar farm you make more money on woning the land it is on and when the time comes that the land will pay off big time and solar is not then you can sell the farm. When I got to Sacramento there were a lot of drive-in movies. I talked to one of the owners and he told me he put the drive-in to pay the expenses until the land value increased and then he was going to sell to a hotel. Now there is one 6 screen drive-in and several attempts to build something else have fallen through. We still have 6 screens, all the other are long gone and there is a Hilton Hotel where I talked to the guy on west Arden way Sacramento.
John, if one was going to look for land to do a solar farm, what requirements would you be looking for in the land and in what priority order would they be,
Krystal, how big of a solar farm do you plan on doing
It looks good to me. I would need a licensed structural engineer to sign off on it to get it past my building department..
L0.
You're calling this a solar farm. Does that mean it has the capability to support multiple households? If so, then how many can it provide sufficient electricity for daily (presuming a battery storage is added to the project)?
It's just for one house. "Farming" referring to the use of farm land. We're just farming solar for electricity savings on the same land used for raising farm animals. :)
Awesome, subscribe
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More of a solar garden.
I still think thermal energy is the best. It would work day or night. We just need to figure it out.
The project like this step by step is described on the Avasva website and many more plans you can find on that website.
Hi, you didn't actually show HOW you did it. This video is just a montage
The music was really irritating
Yup, I just fast forwarded.
Wow... that conduit is supposed to be buried 12” minimum depth, 18 to 24” recommended... you have around 4” cover... expect a LOT OF LEAKING PIPES FROM EXPANSION... take a lot of measurements of the pipe path, and write it down on a map of the property... damage is highly likely
SuperVstech .....STFU..yes, you are one of those
Robert Maki ? One of those? You mean a qualified electrician... yup.
Whoops
We have no depth requirement here for a branch circuit, only for service entrance and that is at 36 inches because a service entrance from the utility has no breaker at the pole. I wanted to go a little deeper but a giant bolder about 12 feet wide and 6 inches deep said no. The camera lens had a fisheye effect that made it look shallower than it really is. Its between 6 and 8 inches in paces. Its farmland and will be undisturbed other than walking on it at times. The ground here has a lot of clay and gets real hard. I don't expect it will ever get exposed. If it does we will use the tractor and cover it deeper.
Underground conduit always leaks, that's normal and you should expect them to fill with water even if it is only due to condensation. In real life this install will work just fine. People have been burying cable in a 'farmer trench' like this for almost a century and while it does increase chances of damage vs code it otherwise works fine. Where I live you need to go 4ft deep to avoid frost heaving which is impractical so, yeah, everything is done like this in the real world aside from major electrical work such as service entrances and the like. The inspectors look the other way as they know digging a trench like that in your backyard to a shed is stupid.
Cool but personally I would have preferred to hear the conversation that was taking place about the job rather than hearing the nice music and watching the build sped up.
500lbs of cement for each post?!?
We drilled a 14" hole about 3 1/2 feet deep. Each post had about 6 bags of cement, 80 lbs each. Some a little more. It was probably closer to 400 lbs each. We wanted it to stay put over time. The base was the hardest part of the project. On my next solar project I may just cement unistrut legs in the ground and bolt it all together with a pre-set tilt towards the sun.
Ikr
Taka konstrukcja nie ma szansy wytrzymać wiatru
I'm not sure but ,if anyone else trying to find out is solar energy for home worth it try Magonsi Solar System Expert (Have a quick look on google cant remember the place now ) ? Ive heard some pretty good things about it and my brother in law got amazing results with it.
That wood is going to warp, bow and twist over the years and will destroy your panels.
Funny how these things get called farms rather than factories. Be interested in your end of life plans for large numbers of solar panels.
I have a bigger setup on my house ffs
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Skip to the 9th minute, the annoying music ends somewhat there and you can hear real humans speak.