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You did awesome job! if anything I personally didn't like the wood posts & the way the brackets are attached to it, regardless of PT or not water can damage the post from top and make the bolts lose, if that's the only option you have you should have added galvanized floor bracket to keep the wood together in case of future water damage, specially with the amount of flexion it has, wind can make it come lose,, the other thing I would do is spray can of tar under the brackets. I am not sure where you live but here in FL hurricane is our worst enemy when it comes to structures like this. I would also add a support both at high and low points to take the flexing out or to minimize it.
Very good idea. I might have even left an inch between the pairs to allow wind to escape rather than lift, but the gaps between the pairs should be sufficient. I think a lot of people will be looking at this idea for sure! Thanks for sharing!
@@AveRage_Joe Im getting read to. Ill be putting Neo Solar 335w panels stacked 2 high. My calculations show I can get 2 Brightmounts and put them directly side by side and 2 rows high and 9 rows wide with my panels which are 77"x39.1". I am going to use 1"x4" treated wood to run vertical for the panels to mount to. The wood will be temp until next year in hopes of metal/unitstrut prices coming down. I will use either 4x4 or 6x4 to mounth brightmount to and run them down into the ground anchored with concrete. I just have to calculate how tall the mount has to get my steepest angle for my zip which is 46.4 deg to keep overhang from going into the ground when adjusting tilt angle each season.
We have used the same idea in my work... but I would not use steel brackets on aluminum, we used 12in L shape brackets, that way it gave measurement between panels and prevented any sag in the middle. We tried just using 3M VHB tape (because it was supposed to be for a few days) but then we added screws and is been 2 years in use. For the clamps they sell adjustable ones for different size panels. But overall, great Idea!
I would DEFINITELY add struts to help it survive strong wind. Also, u r banking on lags bolts sunk into the TOP of wooden posts where moisture will settle and most assuredly rot the wood, weakening the lags bolts ability to resist wind. Last, but not least, the small diameter bolts are all that's affixing the panels together and affixing them to one another. That little wiggle you experienced by shaking the panels is nothing compared to a thunderstorm. There are reasons the vendor rated the mount for ONLY 4 panels. It looks stout on a nice bright sunny day, but when Mother Nature gets angry, I would not stand too close.
Another issue is where the manufacturer specifies that the panels be clamped. Typically four points about 20-25% from the end, rather than just the two mid-points being used. But if it's holding up for you, well done!
Keep in mind, adding those extra panels created a larger “sail” for the designed rack size. Having it against the house will help but a large wind storm may break this apart.
Since they fit, the wider slit between panels may be a good thing. I say this because someone commented the other day that letting wind blow thru helps reduce stress on the mounts / reduces 'lift'. Don't know if it's true but would make sense :). Another nice vid - I like how you think putting 10 panels on a 4 panel rack!
Joe, you are very creative. Can you get a 3rd rail to run between the two panels to support and brace it from bending or braking the panels in high wind speeds? The price point on the EG4 Rack is great, yet the 105 mph wind load is not sufficient for my location. Thanks for sharing your projects!
Thanks! Yeah I could probly add a 3rd rail in there. May be a good idea for the snow we can get here. This rack is super cheap for all the stuff you get! What kinda winds do you get😲
@@AveRage_JoeI live in Bermuda, an island 700 miles off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. We have annual hurricanes with 150+mph winds. Government Regulations are very stringent for hurricane survival. Our homes are made from 10” concrete blocks, limestone slate roofs and aluminum swing out blinds to protect windows glass from flying debris to secure the structure from being compromised. Regrettably, that mount would get twisted worse yet get ripped apart, flying at high wind speed velocity cause serious damage. I was thinking about your panels being installed in front of your window in the event you had a storm or tornado. Thanks again, we enjoy watching your videos!
Looks pretty good too. You don't get much snow load and you will be out there taking it off so should work as long as Dorthy leaves you alone (tornado).
I actually have 25 of those same panels from SS. At 30 bucks or so a panel haven’t had a affordable way to mount them. So I used some old railroad ties and propped them up on the ground. Angle isn’t the best but it’s sure cheaper. This might be a way to do it for cheap ish.
Ground mounts are so expensive, it is really cool to see this. Especially when you've got heavy used panels and you find out that the mounts cost more than the panels! I've been looking at steel bed frames and metal railings in the freebie ads and wondering if I can create anything from salvage cheaper. Maybe a combo with some pre-made ground mounts like this and some salvage reinforcement for a really windy spot.
Yeah this one isnt to bad at all. Steel bed frames and rails...Thats a Great idea! Im sure that would be plenty strong just made with that alone This one does have a wind rating if mounted correctly to concrete. I dont remember what it is off hand but should be in the manual on there site. Mine has been through some strong storms allready and holdung up great.
@@AveRage_Joe No but I was considering one from signature and was leaning towards building one from wood. Now I’m rethinking my situation. I need a rack for 10 panels and your solution of bolting them together may solve the problem. I’m faced with limited full son areas. Appreciate your sharing.
Believe it or not I was wondering the exact same thing.... Think 10 solarevers 440 watt panels from singular would fit? Extra bracing in the front or back? Aluminum angle iron?
Superbe idée ! bien... continue dans des idées de ce genre c`est super. Merci pour ce partage. 👍 j`attends la suite pour voir la production de ces panneaux.
Those panels have water in then , that's why the rust is starting inside, the silicon at the back is deteriorating so you should receive after a hot day when the moisture leaves the inside of the panel
Awesome video. I have mid clamps running out my ears. I had a bad panel. Sadly It gave its dying breath saying "use my frame". With a 2" piece of frame all of my clamps are mid clamps. I totally love ❤️ how you were able to make a video without the words victron and BMS. Keep up the amazing work
Thanks! Cant say we have ever had 2-3ft of snow at a single time but Id be out there brushing it off sooner lol. For real tho Ill probly add a brace or 2 to make it stronger for the sole purpose of snow weight!💥🤘
Looking good. I got 4 400w QCells (41"x74") mounted on my rack and there's like a foot and a half of total rail left on the edges, wish it was a couple feet wider so I could fit 5 panels. No way it would support double stacking these.
@@AveRage_Joe They are awesome and they look great, I just need to figure out where to put the rest of them and do some trenching for the PV lines. In a temp setup, they keep my split phase Growatt running, and my EG4 batteries charged up, but this is a long overdue project.
i sure like to mount 5x of the 40" or 41" width panels - these are the 380w and up - since SS sells them 10 panels as minimum. wonder where we would be able to buy another rail (the same kind in the kit), and two additional splices, so we can cut a foot off of that rail and extend the two rails of the kit to accommodate a 5th wide panel? thanks,
YesSirr! Still going strong! I did an update video a few months ago but could do another. Its actually had over a foot of snow on it this past winter and all the strong storms this year to include the tornado winds.
Maybe add some tensioning wires from the top edge of the panel to the wooden supports so that if there's future snow load or wind load it's got some extra support?
With modern panels of up to 500watts 4 would have the same output as your 10. If you were able to squeeze 5 panels on your output would be 25 percent greater. But these 2 ke are basically free as they were lying around idle anyway!
What exact grips did you use hold the Panels in place? I use a chair lol. Are they these IRWIN QUICK-GRIP Bar Clamps for Woodworking, One-Handed, Micro, 4-1/4"?
I think I’d buy a few round steel posts from a scrap yard (e.g., from an old swing set) and weld on some 1/4 plate for the mounts. Drill ‘em ahead of time. Then concrete the posts about 3 ft deep.
I got the 250 Canadian solar panels and I am running in the same problem.really thick too so I think I'm just gonna mount them bolt them to the back. With some unistra, I will get something figured out. Them solar panels. You got are really Thick my Aint. half is bad I don't think. Still works nice job!
Brave a daring adventure for sure. I’m interested in seeing how well it holds up. If so, that’s a sure thumbs up for Signature Solar. I had to “Like the smash button” on this one, for sure! ;-)
No issues at all. We are actually in a power outage right now from a big storm. Lots of trees and limbs down from the wall cloud that rolled through. Wall cloud had 70+mph wind. Ill also say that having the rack closer to the house and inbetween houses. It doesnt get a huge amount of wind. Anyway, its still up and doing its job!🤘
That's friggin cool! gives me an idea to do that with regular 60 cell panels :) So you going to wire these in 5s2p then combine the outputs of both p's to a single wire run? with under 8A, you could run simple 14awg wire to your charge controller. 10s1p probably won't work unless you get a 600v PV charge controller.
Thanks Man! Let me know if you do! So for these panels Im gonna connect to one of the PCM60X charge controllers and its 150v input max soooooo Ill do a 2s5p prolly lol since the voltage is also weird on the panels. Ill use some 10awg for the run since it was also free😆💥🤘
Nails on a chalkboard is TAME by comparison! That looks good. I bet it works well. You could put a center brace under all of them, where the metal straps hold them together? Shouldn't be too hard. :)
You're lucky you have a fence and house to defeat the wind. Where I am I have insane winds that blow from the west and from the north into the backside of my ground mount arrays. If I mounted my panels like you have one morning I'll come out and all the panels and the mounting would be totally gone! One of the problems with a ground mount is maintaining the ground under them. Either grass/weeds go completely nuts or the grass dies back with you ending up with moss and other annoyances. Weed wacking under the array isn't my favorite thing.
Yeah the wind is much less right there. I dont know if I would try this way out in the open unless I attached some extra supports(which I still may do but we see). So far weed wacking isnt to bad since its only at the lower section on panels. The rest is gone lol
Did it pass permit inspection? Also, for the end clamp, just screw a couple of blocks to the side of the panel that are at the right height for your clamps.
@@AveRage_Joe Off-grid or not, in many jurisdictions, it the structure is over 28" above grade, or if you alter the electrical wiring of the building, or if the energy storage is greater than 1kWh, it requires a permit and an inspection. (I know, "Bwahahahaha") I'm not the permit police, just hoping to prevent fires.
I have this wacky idea for the winter. Could you use those 12v heater pads that are for batteries on the back of the panels to melt the snow off? Or the ones they make for water tanks in trailers. Just a thought. That setup looks amazing. Are you going to put a grounding wire on it?
Yeah I guess you could prolly add those heater pads BUT since its a ground mount its waaaaaay easier to brush off the snow. Yeah Ill be grounding the frames for sure!💥🤘
Hmmm. these panels look very familiar. I had these panels oh 15 years ago when they just came out. They are crap. You can see in your video how in some of the cells there are problems in the bonding. That just gets worse as they heat up and eventually the backing will bubble and you'll see the cell just turn to mush in the front behind the glass. this happened after only 5 years and I live in Northern California at pretty much sea level. No harsh conditions. Sanyo was out of the solar panel business so I couldn't get my money back.
When aluminum and stainless steel are used in an assembly together, the electrons from the aluminum will begin to transfer into the stainless steel. This results in the aluminum weakening. This weakened aluminum causes it to deteriorate at a much faster rate. This can lead to an extended life of the stainless steel.
Is that your utility electric meter on the wsll behind them? Meter reader will love that, unless yours is "smart". Trimming grass/vegetation will be a challenge but it looks great!
🤷♂️ I just throw it up for off-grid use. I had some solar water panels there for over 10yrs and the utility company has been here in that 10yr time to change the meter. No issues. If that changes, ill do a video!💥🤘
Liking the bloopers! I do worry a bit about the wind on that mount. I only have life on the Colorado front range to compare, and it seemed like there was a minimum 10MPH wind 24/7/365. Do you guys get enough to spin one or two of those Chinese Lantern wind turbines? That might be something to incorporate into your system if so.
Thanks!! The manual says like 105mph for the rack..... We dont get any good sustained wind. Ive tried other horizontal wind gens and its really only "good" in spring and winterish. Id love a vertical axis wind gen to try tho!!
Eeeeek ever since I connected my Stove, AC and dryer.......excess whats that lol. I would like to get another water heater but an electric one so I could dump the excess into it as a pre-heater. My main one is gas but want to put an electric one inline. Let me see what I can come up with!🤘
You don't live in a windy area, I hope ? I'm afraid the panels would be lifted if a wind blast comes to your house one day. I installed a blind on my house, the canvas was not completely open and yet, after a gust of wind, I found my blind on the ground!
0:10 something similar happened to me when I mounted them this way (on the edge). Fortunately for me, the drop was less than 6 inches and nothing happened to the panel.. Since then, I remounted all panels differently and absolutely no chance of that ever happening.
Off topic for this video but when you ground your array do you use a separate earth ground rod or tie everything into the same earth ground that your house electrical system uses?
@AveRage Joe @AveRage Joe I have been trying to convince signature solar about this topic, shared my inspectors requirements and sent the video from mike Holt video with this exact topic and they are saying that I have current on my ground because I have everything tied to one ground, being told that AC and DC earth grounds are required to be kept separate, I am completely lost on the wisdom from SS on this, I will be going with the correct way bur for some reason I can't get rid of current on ground (growatt 3000tl lvm-es in split phase) watts247 says to bond AC in and AC out together to create a common neutral but I have not done this yet.
Well....there is a few things to be aware of. "Inspectors" are always "right" so if they say you need a seperate or another ground somewhere.....sadly you need to do it unless you can prove them wrong. I think those inverters you are using need to be unbonded inside the case (by just removing the cover and removing a bond screw on the circuit board and is easy to do) and that will get rid of your current on ground. Actual AC and DC ground should be seperate (like DC battery neg and AC from grid)BUT we are talking about the solar panel frames and rack which should all be connected to the same ground point. I think if you remove the bond screw inside inverter that will fix your issue. If it doesnt then you may have a random wire issue inside your walls (like I do😄).
Oh ok gotcha. Well.... its possible a wire is "wired" werid somewhere. My house is old and the wiring is all messed up from way back in the day. I do have a little current on ground but its not an inverter issue. It was there before hand. Mine is a light switch wire thing. I found it by turning on and off breakers🤷♂️
Bolting or screwing into wood end-grain is a bad bad bad idea!!! Soon as water starts getting into the grain it will loosen and even though it’s pressure treated it will still start to rot away. There’s different grades of pressure-treated wood‘s. If you bought this from the home center it’s not for direct burial, it’s for above ground use only. Again there’s no strength when you attach something to the end grain of wood. If you’re going to do something like that you need to use a metal bracket that screws into the side of the 6 x 6 and then bolt into that down through the top.
Ill have to seal up the ends I guess to help prevent water. Ill look into a bracket of some sort. This is #2 treated and is rated for direct burial or submerged in fresh water.
@@AveRage_Joe what I was referring to was the big box stores pressure treated wood is not the best for direct burial even their #2. If you go to a small lumber yard for contractors you will find they carry Premium, Select, and a #1 grade for just a few dollars more and it won’t twist and bow like the #2 will. Also when you put the brackets on don’t use any fasteners with zinc in it like galvanized nails. Try to only use stainless steel. The chemicals in the wood will react to the zinc and rust apart. sorry I used to build decks and docks, not trolling your videos! I like your channel👍🏻
@@AveRage_Joe they will have a better quality, I know #2 is rated for what your doing but it will split and twist on you compared to the #1 or premium and select.
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I would have overloaded also myself.
You did awesome job!
if anything I personally didn't like the wood posts & the way the brackets are attached to it, regardless of PT or not water can damage the post from top and make the bolts lose, if that's the only option you have you should have added galvanized floor bracket to keep the wood together in case of future water damage, specially with the amount of flexion it has, wind can make it come lose,, the other thing I would do is spray can of tar under the brackets. I am not sure where you live but here in FL hurricane is our worst enemy when it comes to structures like this. I would also add a support both at high and low points to take the flexing out or to minimize it.
Now you need to lift the house to see out the windows
Thats the next project🪓🔨😆🤘
Very good idea. I might have even left an inch between the pairs to allow wind to escape rather than lift, but the gaps between the pairs should be sufficient. I think a lot of people will be looking at this idea for sure! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks! If others try regular sized panels Id be interested to hear if it works!
@@AveRage_Joe Im getting read to. Ill be putting Neo Solar 335w panels stacked 2 high. My calculations show I can get 2 Brightmounts and put them directly side by side and 2 rows high and 9 rows wide with my panels which are 77"x39.1". I am going to use 1"x4" treated wood to run vertical for the panels to mount to. The wood will be temp until next year in hopes of metal/unitstrut prices coming down. I will use either 4x4 or 6x4 to mounth brightmount to and run them down into the ground anchored with concrete. I just have to calculate how tall the mount has to get my steepest angle for my zip which is 46.4 deg to keep overhang from going into the ground when adjusting tilt angle each season.
We have used the same idea in my work... but I would not use steel brackets on aluminum, we used 12in L shape brackets, that way it gave measurement between panels and prevented any sag in the middle. We tried just using 3M VHB tape (because it was supposed to be for a few days) but then we added screws and is been 2 years in use. For the clamps they sell adjustable ones for different size panels. But overall, great Idea!
I LOVE that way of doing it! Was it a T shape or L shape?
I would DEFINITELY add struts to help it survive strong wind. Also, u r banking on lags bolts sunk into the TOP of wooden posts where moisture will settle and most assuredly rot the wood, weakening the lags bolts ability to resist wind. Last, but not least, the small diameter bolts are all that's affixing the panels together and affixing them to one another. That little wiggle you experienced by shaking the panels is nothing compared to a thunderstorm. There are reasons the vendor rated the mount for ONLY 4 panels. It looks stout on a nice bright sunny day, but when Mother Nature gets angry, I would not stand too close.
Another issue is where the manufacturer specifies that the panels be clamped.
Typically four points about 20-25% from the end, rather than just the two mid-points being used.
But if it's holding up for you, well done!
In a wind protected back yard this is more likely to work. If you've got a windy spot out in the open, you are going to have do a little more.
I'm here for the sound! Put your headphones on!!! This thing is BOMBENFEST 💪
You gotta LOVE that SCREEEECH😆😆😆💥
Keep in mind, adding those extra panels created a larger “sail” for the designed rack size. Having it against the house will help but a large wind storm may break this apart.
Since they fit, the wider slit between panels may be a good thing. I say this because someone commented the other day that letting wind blow thru helps reduce stress on the mounts / reduces 'lift'. Don't know if it's true but would make sense :). Another nice vid - I like how you think putting 10 panels on a 4 panel rack!
Sounds good to me🌬🌪😆 I need as much power as I can get! Thanks for watching💥🤘
Joe, you are very creative. Can you get a 3rd rail to run between the two panels to support and brace it from bending or braking the panels in high wind speeds?
The price point on the EG4 Rack is great, yet the 105 mph wind load is not sufficient for my location.
Thanks for sharing your projects!
3rd rail was my thought too, but could add concrete blocks and cable stays to hold the tops and bottoms of the panels steady in case of a tornado...
Thanks! Yeah I could probly add a 3rd rail in there. May be a good idea for the snow we can get here. This rack is super cheap for all the stuff you get! What kinda winds do you get😲
We do get tornados here. No shark nados, just regular ones😆
@@AveRage_Joe If you get hit by a tornado, you'd have bigger things to worry about! Solar panels aren't as useful without a house!
@@AveRage_JoeI live in Bermuda, an island 700 miles off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. We have annual hurricanes with 150+mph winds. Government Regulations are very stringent for hurricane survival.
Our homes are made from 10” concrete blocks, limestone slate roofs and aluminum swing out blinds to protect windows glass from flying debris to secure the structure from being compromised.
Regrettably, that mount would get twisted worse yet get ripped apart, flying at high wind speed velocity cause serious damage. I was thinking about your panels being installed in front of your window in the event you had a storm or tornado.
Thanks again, we enjoy watching your videos!
I think that is a very clever use of space! Nice job.
Thank You!!
“Making it up as we go Joe” got the job done! 💥Boom!💥
Thats what we doooooo😆🤷♂️💥🤘
Looks pretty good too. You don't get much snow load and you will be out there taking it off so should work as long as Dorthy leaves you alone (tornado).
Dorthy does show up from time to time😲🫣🌬🌪
I actually have 25 of those same panels from SS. At 30 bucks or so a panel haven’t had a affordable way to mount them. So I used some old railroad ties and propped them up on the ground. Angle isn’t the best but it’s sure cheaper. This might be a way to do it for cheap ish.
NICE!!! I wish I could have gotten more of these panels. Surprisingly they work GREAT!!! Ive seen well over the 2kw on the rack so far. CRAZY!!!
Ground mounts are so expensive, it is really cool to see this. Especially when you've got heavy used panels and you find out that the mounts cost more than the panels! I've been looking at steel bed frames and metal railings in the freebie ads and wondering if I can create anything from salvage cheaper. Maybe a combo with some pre-made ground mounts like this and some salvage reinforcement for a really windy spot.
Yeah this one isnt to bad at all. Steel bed frames and rails...Thats a Great idea! Im sure that would be plenty strong just made with that alone
This one does have a wind rating if mounted correctly to concrete. I dont remember what it is off hand but should be in the manual on there site. Mine has been through some strong storms allready and holdung up great.
if you end up cutting up those clamps, you might be able to use the cutoffs as spacers so you give your bolts a bit more support against shearing
I may do that!!🤘
Awesome work around
I wouldn’t have thought of that.
Rethinking my install 🤔
Thanks! Do you have one of these racks or a similar one?
@@AveRage_Joe
No but I was considering one from signature and was leaning towards building one from wood.
Now I’m rethinking my situation.
I need a rack for 10 panels and your solution of bolting them together may solve the problem.
I’m faced with limited full son areas.
Appreciate your sharing.
Watched this again, wondering if you could their extra rail and splice plates and add to the end to hold 5 big panels. Wha chew tink?
How are the posts holding up with no concrete? I'm about a week out from doing this project and if I don't need concrete then I'll bypass that.
Perfect work , now you are the expert
Believe it or not I was wondering the exact same thing.... Think 10 solarevers 440 watt panels from singular would fit? Extra bracing in the front or back? Aluminum angle iron?
Superbe idée ! bien... continue dans des idées de ce genre c`est super. Merci pour ce partage. 👍 j`attends la suite pour voir la production de ces panneaux.
It looks very good. Maybe you could make an update video after the first windstorm.
Thanks.
Fricken magician! Way to go! Thanks for sharing
😆💪Thanks for watching!💥🤘
Those panels have water in then , that's why the rust is starting inside, the silicon at the back is deteriorating so you should receive after a hot day when the moisture leaves the inside of the panel
I was thinking the same thing, they're cooked. I'd be testing them prior to install.
Could be🤠
Tested and used for a few months in this area. Not on the rack tho💪☀️
The fence on the other side will help block and address the other side also would help. Keep out the wends. 😊
We can occasionally get some high wends but shouldnt be to much of an issue where it sits.....I think😲😆
Awesome video. I have mid clamps running out my ears. I had a bad panel. Sadly It gave its dying breath saying "use my frame". With a 2" piece of frame all of my clamps are mid clamps. I totally love ❤️ how you were able to make a video without the words victron and BMS. Keep up the amazing work
Thanks!!! Nice use of the frame!!! LOL I only have 1 item that is victron and its the Shunt. Good Ol Andy!😎💥🤘
That looks great! What happens when you get 2-3ft of snow on it though??
Thanks! Cant say we have ever had 2-3ft of snow at a single time but Id be out there brushing it off sooner lol. For real tho Ill probly add a brace or 2 to make it stronger for the sole purpose of snow weight!💥🤘
Looking good. I got 4 400w QCells (41"x74") mounted on my rack and there's like a foot and a half of total rail left on the edges, wish it was a couple feet wider so I could fit 5 panels. No way it would support double stacking these.
I hear those panels are GREAT!!!
@@AveRage_Joe They are awesome and they look great, I just need to figure out where to put the rest of them and do some trenching for the PV lines. In a temp setup, they keep my split phase Growatt running, and my EG4 batteries charged up, but this is a long overdue project.
i sure like to mount 5x of the 40" or 41" width panels - these are the 380w and up - since SS sells them 10 panels as minimum. wonder where we would be able to buy another rail (the same kind in the kit), and two additional splices, so we can cut a foot off of that rail and extend the two rails of the kit to accommodate a 5th wide panel? thanks,
Having lived in Nebraska during my youth, I never experienced high winds ;) looks sturdy, is it still standing and functional to this day?
YesSirr! Still going strong! I did an update video a few months ago but could do another. Its actually had over a foot of snow on it this past winter and all the strong storms this year to include the tornado winds.
Maybe add some tensioning wires from the top edge of the panel to the wooden supports so that if there's future snow load or wind load it's got some extra support?
Yeah that is in the plans for sure. I think I have some random metal just for the job!😆🔨🪓💪
I was thinking the same exact thing, maybe get some helix ground anchors and some cables.
I quite like the helix ground anchors, I want to find a project for them at some point.
With modern panels of up to 500watts 4 would have the same output as your 10. If you were able to squeeze 5 panels on your output would be 25 percent greater. But these 2 ke are basically free as they were lying around idle anyway!
Yeah 100% but these were free and sitting!💥🤘
Joe the best way to connect two from the bottom,never from the side is the weakest point due to the flexing and can crack the glass
Yeah I guess I could see that🤔🫣 these are an od size(smaller then regular sized panels) so lets see what happens💁♂️😆🤘
Seeing this makes me happy to know that I can fit my little 100 watt panels in a similar fashion.
100%🤘🤠
Looks great. I am going to pick up a couple of these racks this summer for my house
Thanks! Nice! You will get the updated one!😲💥🤘
Hey Joe, what solar panel model did you use? Id like to look up those specs? Thanks Enjoyed and learned from your video?
What is the difference between those panel and so called regular panels? Also, it’s more panels the faster you can recharge your battery correct?
What exact grips did you use hold the Panels in place? I use a chair lol. Are they these IRWIN QUICK-GRIP Bar Clamps for Woodworking, One-Handed, Micro, 4-1/4"?
Yeah I used those IRWIN quick grips so I could use one hand. A chair probly worked just as good😁
Way to go brother! That was excellent!
Always remember that the guys that invented the airplane were bicycle repair maniacs. I rather think you can handle this. Great video, as always.
Thanks and appreciate that!🤠💪
I think I’d buy a few round steel posts from a scrap yard (e.g., from an old swing set) and weld on some 1/4 plate for the mounts. Drill ‘em ahead of time. Then concrete the posts about 3 ft deep.
Thats not a bad idea!
What ground mount rack would you recommend for a hurricane prone area?
I got the 250 Canadian solar panels and I am running in the same problem.really thick too so I think I'm just gonna mount them bolt them to the back. With some unistra, I will get something figured out. Them solar panels. You got are really Thick my Aint. half is bad I don't think. Still works nice job!
Maybe you could use the adjustable clamps like I showed?
I would reinforce the base,maybe some tention lines or wood braces because a good solid wind might knock it over.
Some extra bracing is in the works for wind or snow!🤘
Brave a daring adventure for sure. I’m interested in seeing how well it holds up. If so, that’s a sure thumbs up for Signature Solar. I had to “Like the smash button” on this one, for sure! ;-)
😆😎💥🤘
As long as no crazy sustained wind, I think its good buddy
You should have just velcroed the panels together, ghetto Joe. You had me lol with the elephants and squeaking ha.
Velcro.....🤦♂️That would have been much easier and quiker to do😁🤘 Lol with the elephants, I couldnt help myself
nice setup. i've learned that solar panel mounting is way way over engineered...depending on your climate and angle.
I usually just throw things together lol🤷♂️🤠💪🪓🔨
Have you had any issues with wind? Thinking of doing your post backfill idea. Ive got 6 - 405w panels to aplot between 2 of these units.
No issues at all. We are actually in a power outage right now from a big storm. Lots of trees and limbs down from the wall cloud that rolled through. Wall cloud had 70+mph wind. Ill also say that having the rack closer to the house and inbetween houses. It doesnt get a huge amount of wind. Anyway, its still up and doing its job!🤘
Maybe put som cables in the back to support it when it snows
That's friggin cool! gives me an idea to do that with regular 60 cell panels :)
So you going to wire these in 5s2p then combine the outputs of both p's to a single wire run? with under 8A, you could run simple 14awg wire to your charge controller.
10s1p probably won't work unless you get a 600v PV charge controller.
Thanks Man! Let me know if you do! So for these panels Im gonna connect to one of the PCM60X charge controllers and its 150v input max soooooo Ill do a 2s5p prolly lol since the voltage is also weird on the panels. Ill use some 10awg for the run since it was also free😆💥🤘
Any feedback on how this overloaded rack has performed?
Still up and workin great! I did do an update vid and its on my channel!🤘
Nails on a chalkboard is TAME by comparison! That looks good. I bet it works well. You could put a center brace under all of them, where the metal straps hold them together? Shouldn't be too hard. :)
😆😆 Yeah that is a good idea! I may do that!!!💥🤘
You're lucky you have a fence and house to defeat the wind. Where I am I have insane winds that blow from the west and from the north into the backside of my ground mount arrays. If I mounted my panels like you have one morning I'll come out and all the panels and the mounting would be totally gone! One of the problems with a ground mount is maintaining the ground under them. Either grass/weeds go completely nuts or the grass dies back with you ending up with moss and other annoyances. Weed wacking under the array isn't my favorite thing.
Yeah the wind is much less right there. I dont know if I would try this way out in the open unless I attached some extra supports(which I still may do but we see). So far weed wacking isnt to bad since its only at the lower section on panels. The rest is gone lol
Thanks Joe 👍💥
Thanks Wayne!!💥🤘
If they was a bit longer you could drive the snow blower right op them to keep the snow off
Lol
Nice. Ingenuity wins the day.
Yeah Buddy!🤠🔨🪓
Did it pass permit inspection? Also, for the end clamp, just screw a couple of blocks to the side of the panel that are at the right height for your clamps.
I just throw it together for off grid use! 💥🤘
@@AveRage_Joe Off-grid or not, in many jurisdictions, it the structure is over 28" above grade, or if you alter the electrical wiring of the building, or if the energy storage is greater than 1kWh, it requires a permit and an inspection. (I know, "Bwahahahaha") I'm not the permit police, just hoping to prevent fires.
Yeaaaaaah right, just admit it...your the permit popo😆😆JK Yeah we for sure dont want fires!🤘
I have this wacky idea for the winter. Could you use those 12v heater pads that are for batteries on the back of the panels to melt the snow off? Or the ones they make for water tanks in trailers. Just a thought. That setup looks amazing. Are you going to put a grounding wire on it?
Yeah I guess you could prolly add those heater pads BUT since its a ground mount its waaaaaay easier to brush off the snow. Yeah Ill be grounding the frames for sure!💥🤘
I'd call it a win! Well done.
Thanks Man!💥🤘
Good stuff joe and Boom its done....
Thanks Man!💥🤘🐈⬛
That was awesome Joe!!!
Thanks Man!!
Hmmm. these panels look very familiar. I had these panels oh 15 years ago when they just came out. They are crap. You can see in your video how in some of the cells there are problems in the bonding. That just gets worse as they heat up and eventually the backing will bubble and you'll see the cell just turn to mush in the front behind the glass. this happened after only 5 years and I live in Northern California at pretty much sea level. No harsh conditions. Sanyo was out of the solar panel business so I couldn't get my money back.
Crazy. They seem to work great for me. Ive seen them over produce as well. 🤷♂️
When aluminum and stainless steel are used in an assembly together, the electrons from the aluminum will begin to transfer into the stainless steel. This results in the aluminum weakening. This weakened aluminum causes it to deteriorate at a much faster rate. This can lead to an extended life of the stainless steel.
Is that your utility electric meter on the wsll behind them? Meter reader will love that, unless yours is "smart".
Trimming grass/vegetation will be a challenge but it looks great!
My thoughts exactly !
Yeah that is the meter back there. It is one they can read from the street tho😄 also under and behind rack I hope to not have to much trimming🤞
Are you going to be any code violation solar panels, being a close to the house? Like near that window or the electrical meter.
🤷♂️ I just throw it up for off-grid use. I had some solar water panels there for over 10yrs and the utility company has been here in that 10yr time to change the meter. No issues. If that changes, ill do a video!💥🤘
Liking the bloopers! I do worry a bit about the wind on that mount. I only have life on the Colorado front range to compare, and it seemed like there was a minimum 10MPH wind 24/7/365. Do you guys get enough to spin one or two of those Chinese Lantern wind turbines? That might be something to incorporate into your system if so.
Thanks!! The manual says like 105mph for the rack..... We dont get any good sustained wind. Ive tried other horizontal wind gens and its really only "good" in spring and winterish. Id love a vertical axis wind gen to try tho!!
If you are concerned with the bolts snapping, you can buy a higher grade bolt. Then you can put your mind at ease 😊
Not to worried after its all up. I think we are ok!💥🤘
OK so a year later how has your system held up?
Holding up great and zero issues! Even over the winter with a foot of snow. I plan to do an update video here soon.🤘
EG4 has an Extension kit out now if your solar panels are too wide for only 12 bucks
I will have to check that out! Thanks🤘
@@AveRage_Joe I wonder if this mount would take those HUGE 550 watt panels. Its like what you have in the video minus the bolted together panels
Yeah Im pretty sure it would or would be super close. Would probly need those extensions😆😆
Worked out well, Joe 👍
Thanks Randy!💥🤘
Great video, I really like this rack system
Thanks Man! I have zero complaints on the rack other then it doesnt come with lag bolts for wood. Cant please us all tho😆💥🤘
"don't forget to like the smash button"
🫣🤷♂️😆💪
Hey Ave Joe- can you do an episode on some things to do with excess power?
Eeeeek ever since I connected my Stove, AC and dryer.......excess whats that lol. I would like to get another water heater but an electric one so I could dump the excess into it as a pre-heater. My main one is gas but want to put an electric one inline. Let me see what I can come up with!🤘
You don't live in a windy area, I hope ? I'm afraid the panels would be lifted if a wind blast comes to your house one day.
I installed a blind on my house, the canvas was not completely open and yet, after a gust of wind, I found my blind on the ground!
We can get some wind for sure! It helps that it is closer to the house and that is the south side with all the tress ect so it should see to much....😆
Good job Joe!!!
Thanks Man!💥🤘
0:10 something similar happened to me when I mounted them this way (on the edge). Fortunately for me, the drop was less than 6 inches and nothing happened to the panel.. Since then, I remounted all panels differently and absolutely no chance of that ever happening.
I ended up using the panel because nothing broke lol😲😆
@@AveRage_Joe glad nothing broke . . . you did not show us (what happened to it) on that video!!!!!
Off topic for this video but when you ground your array do you use a separate earth ground rod or tie everything into the same earth ground that your house electrical system uses?
You tie into the same ground as your house. Think of it as just connecting all the metal boxes, frames, pipes together. 💪🤘
@AveRage Joe @AveRage Joe I have been trying to convince signature solar about this topic, shared my inspectors requirements and sent the video from mike Holt video with this exact topic and they are saying that I have current on my ground because I have everything tied to one ground, being told that AC and DC earth grounds are required to be kept separate, I am completely lost on the wisdom from SS on this, I will be going with the correct way bur for some reason I can't get rid of current on ground (growatt 3000tl lvm-es in split phase) watts247 says to bond AC in and AC out together to create a common neutral but I have not done this yet.
Well....there is a few things to be aware of. "Inspectors" are always "right" so if they say you need a seperate or another ground somewhere.....sadly you need to do it unless you can prove them wrong.
I think those inverters you are using need to be unbonded inside the case (by just removing the cover and removing a bond screw on the circuit board and is easy to do) and that will get rid of your current on ground.
Actual AC and DC ground should be seperate (like DC battery neg and AC from grid)BUT we are talking about the solar panel frames and rack which should all be connected to the same ground point.
I think if you remove the bond screw inside inverter that will fix your issue. If it doesnt then you may have a random wire issue inside your walls (like I do😄).
@@AveRage_Joe screw in both units has been removed, bind done at panel, random wire in your wall as in bad wiring somewhere?
Oh ok gotcha. Well.... its possible a wire is "wired" werid somewhere. My house is old and the wiring is all messed up from way back in the day. I do have a little current on ground but its not an inverter issue. It was there before hand. Mine is a light switch wire thing. I found it by turning on and off breakers🤷♂️
What is the size of your panels? I may want to try this.
52" by 35"
You'd probably get better production with four modern panels, but I like your style!
Yeah 4 newer panels would be ideal but we use what we have😄🤘
Noice!
I'd just cut away some of the groove on the outside of the panels so the bracket can sit lower - no spacer needed!
Seems like a lot moar work lol but that is an option😆🪓🪓🪓🫣
@@AveRage_Joe A Dremel and angle grinder would do it, but yeah might take a while to do all of them!
2000W - nothing to sneeze at, though sneezing really hard may just break something.
You guys aren't in a tornado zone?
No 2000w is not much but better then none🤠 Yeah we can get tornados here from time to time🌬🌪☄️
the average intro of an average diyer for sure in the feel. definitely me!!!!!!
Nothin wrong with that😆💥🤘
Bolting or screwing into wood end-grain is a bad bad bad idea!!! Soon as water starts getting into the grain it will loosen and even though it’s pressure treated it will still start to rot away. There’s different grades of pressure-treated wood‘s. If you bought this from the home center it’s not for direct burial, it’s for above ground use only. Again there’s no strength when you attach something to the end grain of wood. If you’re going to do something like that you need to use a metal bracket that screws into the side of the 6 x 6 and then bolt into that down through the top.
What he said above ground, ground contact, below ground! And how much wend do you get in that area! Just saying looking 👀 good 👍
Ill have to seal up the ends I guess to help prevent water. Ill look into a bracket of some sort. This is #2 treated and is rated for direct burial or submerged in fresh water.
@@AveRage_Joe what I was referring to was the big box stores pressure treated wood is not the best for direct burial even their #2. If you go to a small lumber yard for contractors you will find they carry Premium, Select, and a #1 grade for just a few dollars more and it won’t twist and bow like the #2 will. Also when you put the brackets on don’t use any fasteners with zinc in it like galvanized nails. Try to only use stainless steel. The chemicals in the wood will react to the zinc and rust apart. sorry I used to build decks and docks, not trolling your videos! I like your channel👍🏻
Oh ok I gotcha! So an actual lumber yard is preferred. No worries man, I didnt read it as trolling💥🤘
@@AveRage_Joe they will have a better quality, I know #2 is rated for what your doing but it will split and twist on you compared to the #1 or premium and select.
As always great content and thanks for sharing buddy 😅😂
Thanks Man and thanks for watching!🫣💥🤘
I like it - well done!
Thanks Man!💥🤘
the winds here wont permit that, looks good though
What kind of winds do you get😲
@@AveRage_Joe they can be extreme at times, Tornado extreme
How'd these hold up?
Outstanding! Still up and doing 1800w at this very moment!🤘
@@AveRage_Joe sweet! Rock on 🤘
What is the weight of those 10 panels?
Data sheet says the panels are 33lbs each so 330lbs or there abouts.
Nice rack...
The panels look good too.
😆 Thanks Man! Oh and yeah the panels too😆😆😆
Nice setup
I'd be surprised if any of those didn't crack with all the violence bending and shaking in this video.
🤷♂️Still up and running over a year later with golf ball sized hail and a foot of snow🙌
One year later …
With a severe storm ⛈ in your neck of the woods ☑️
Worked ok 👍
Yep all working great! Been meaning to do an update video to include a foot of snow on the panels😁
you saved me some money. thank u
Well Im not sure how but you are very welcome!!💥🤘
3 rail only, 10 panels .i jus bolt the panels them together
Awesome job 👏 👍 🙌 👌
Thanks Mate!💥🤘
Nice work.
Thanks!😄🤘
Today's video we gonna begin by breaking some panels.. funny intro 😀
😆I tried...😏
Watercooling = more efficient and free hot.water
HOWdy A-R-J, ...
Thanks
COOP
the WiSeNhEiMeR from Richmond, INDIANA
...
👋💥🤘
I need wifey to approve this cunning plan 🤑
Ask for forgiveness later🤭😉🫣😆