No-Drill Shipping Container Solar Panel Mounting!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 พ.ค. 2024
- In search of a way to semi-temporarily mount some solar panels to a shipping container without drilling any holes in it or resorting to complex racks, I came up with this system using magnets! Not the right solution for every case, of course, but I hope you find it useful.
Products used/shown (not sponsored). If you use my Amazon links, you pay the same, but as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases:
* Z Clips (pack of 4): amzn.to/3V8jmDU
* Magnets (pack of 2, 270lb force): amzn.to/3CbQr9k
* Nylon lock nuts (pack of 50, M5 x 0.8mm): amzn.to/3Vdzuny
* Renogy solar panel (single 100w panel): amzn.to/3fFY0xm
* Plastic scraper/putty knives (6-pack): amzn.to/3EqlrVW - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
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Finally, a useful video about shipping containers and solar panels without all the BS. Really well done. Thank you!
This video saved me $1435.00
Thank You !
WELL DONE PV.
Heat from top and below (heated container roof).
you will be amazed by performance increased if you raise the PV up a little bit to let air flow under the PV
Totally valid point though there is a lot of airflow already since the roof isn't flat.... It has a corrugated profile and the magnets are attached to the ribs not the valkeys. But fair point!
That's a really great idea. ❤ I just got suggested by the YT algorithm to watch your well drilling video (part 1) so I'm betting you will start to get a lot of us "new" subscribers. Your videos are really well formed, informative and entertaining. Thanks look forward to more videos as you post them.
Thanks Mark! Just getting started so I appreciate the encouragement.
Great idea! Looks super clean. Could probably use some aluminum flashing on the outer edge to keep wind from gettiing under but they survived a few years + a tropical storm so Im sure theyre fine. Would be interesting to use angle brackets that were raised slightly to get a better angle but probably not worth the risk. Great video!
thanks for writing back on the magnets - the 270 lb strength magnet is definitely more than I imagined! You may have a convert!
Well they make them in lots of sizes, obviously the more pull the more expensive so it's kind of your call!
More off grid content would be welcome
This is clever. Good idea.
Very cool project. I'm looking forward to seeing more!
Thanks!
You are so brilliant, thank you for the share!!
Haha, well glad you enjoyed it!
I also think that the force of the magnets can be overcome by the level of wind power present out there. I think the rule of thumb is that if it isn't bolted down, it WILL eventually blow away. I partner in a cabin over in Homestead Valley. It goes from mild to wild and back in a jiffy. The wind is a fickle friend. IMHO there's a better chance of them sailing off than that of rain getting past properly sealed attachment holes.
Oh for sure it's possible! No argument there. I just didn't want to riddle the roof with holes or have to work out a few bigger "rails" with fewer but bigger holes to mount them too. But agreed, tradeoffs here for sure. And definitely only recommended as a temporary technique!
If you see any movement then I would use some cheap ratchet tie down straps with some home made brackets for the ends. I would guess that as a temp method they will work fine.
A little glue under magnet couldn't hurt, epoxy... other than that, what a great idea....
Hey thanks for the clear video - I was hoping you would show how you got your wire INTO the container? It looks like you're going in through the corner?
Sorry about that! You just drill a hole for a wire gland and that's it. Use a step drill for the hole.
Looking forward to more videos
Thank you!
I bet the whole container moves in all these mentioned micro bursts as much as the mag mount panels. How cool would a sliding rack system be that could shade the sides and roof. Slide in for transport.. Thanks for magnet idea.
Yeah the panels don't move AT ALL but of course I'm sure they *could*. Love your sliding rack idea!
Someone did this recently - search for "shipping container guy solar"
Thanks for sharing, new subscribed 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks sir!
Have you had any trouble with your magnets? it gets windy, wondering if they held down in the wind
Nope. They are incredibly strong in sheer which is mainly the force direction. They've survived a tropical storm and lots of high winds but of course it's more risky than bolting them down!
Where I live there is hurricanes and tornados sometimes. Guess I'll add.some kind of strong glue
What kind of batteries do you use to store the power?
Yeah, I wouldn't recommend this for places like that! Certainly it beats leaning it against a building, but where true storms are concerned, I'd definitely drill and bolt. Just my opinion!
I have a ~2kwh LiFePO4 battery bank that keeps the security cameras and internet running, and lets me power the well pump now and again if needed. Eventually the site will have a real power system with lots of panels and batteries but this is a temp setup.
So the wind doesn't grab them. How high of winds do you around that area?
It's pretty breezy. Regularly hits 20-something but I doubt they've seen over 30 yet. Given how low a profile they have, my bet is they'd handle way way more but can't promise that.
@@LetsOverthinkThis Thanks! In CO and getting ready for a well so liked those videos also. It gave me something of what to expect and like that slurry area so it doesnt run everywhere. At 9600 ft with winds pretty high. Ill use those magnets on the inside to hold some lights on the inside of the containers. Think I will need to build a frame of some sort. Are you going to build?
Hope you didn't fall for the LION batt scamm. Friend of mine used 3m double edge tape to mount his solar panels on the roof of his moho. Never had any problems with them.... I like JB Weld.... cute foundation... would like to see a couple of pix of how you did that... Thought I'd mention this, when you need to clean the solar panels don't use your well water, it will be a mess, use distilled water, save having to do it twice.... and dust will stick to the well water residue so the stay cleaner longer with the distilled water.....
Good tip on the water! Not sure what scam you're referring to but my batteries are LiFePO4, not Lithium ion. Works about ten times better than the sealed lead acid I had before but definitely pros and cons either way.
As for mounting, I love 3m adhesive tape but haven't used any in weather exposed areas yet.
Thx for commenting!
@@LetsOverthinkThis give them some time.... desert temp swings are huge....
@@rss608 LOL, I'm aware and don't have problems with the temperature swings we get.
My guess is you're probably good for a Microburst, 70-80mph wind as long as the panels are flat and in their current position.. Are you going to add enough Solar Panels to power your new Well? Video? ;-)
🙂 Well the panels already power it easily! Those 8 panels provide about 4kwh of power every day and the well pump consumes about 0.6 kwh to pump about 350 gallons (it's about 600 watts on average pumping 6 gallons a minute).
I dont need the water yet but it's no problem though I'll have a proper house-sized system eventually for the really energy consuming stuff (electric ovens, heat pumps, etc).
What would interest you as a video?
I have been in Joshua tree with 80 MPH winds. Just saying I'd think about bolting it down and sealing with roof mastic.
Yep, this is not meant to be a permanent solution by any means! Thanks for commenting!
I understand you are doing this for off-grid, but what is the HOLDING STRENGTH in terms of wind loading for the magnets?
Also, the clips look very low to the metal roof - what are you using for wire management clips?
Thanks for commenting. First off, anything designed or engineered is about tradeoffs and I think I'm clear the magnets are a great temporary solution but of course bolting the panels down is stronger.
Now, that said, those are each 270 pound magnets and while I don't believe that's actually their holding strength in reality, they would take quite a bit of lifting force to remove: More than the panels have seen in almost 2 years (I've had panels up there way before I made this video). And we just had a tropical storm come *directly* through here and the panels didn't budge AT ALL. The fact that the panels are so close to the surface probably helps since the wind barely gets under them and doesn't create nearly enough uplift to budge them.
The magnets are much weaker in sheer, but the panels present such a small cross-sectional area to wind coming from the side that they don't slide either.
As for the wires, they're just zip-tied to the back of the panels, again the fact that the panels are so low makes it nice for the wires since the sun never gets to any part of them except the last run that goes into a conduit down the side of the container.
Hope that answers the question!
Hmmmmmm...8 solar panels.....and what are you GPS coordinates. My RV could use a new 100 watt panel..........Ha! Ha! Only kidding....!!!!!!!!
Trespassing, destruction of property, and robbery for an $85 panel? LOL indeed! :) The gas alone would cost more than the haul! 😂
tou·ché........
Not to mention most people that live that far out in the desert usually have guns, shovels and alibis. 😮😮
yep ;)
Lock washer do not do anything just FYI they're more of a Gimmock.
Gimmick, yes, which is why I always use nylon lock nuts. But true, the lock washers probably don't do squat.