I built my first backyard solar array using what I had. A furniture dolly, 1/2 in galvanized pipe and zip ties. It’s very portable and easy to clean PV panels. Worked so well I built 4 more. Now I have 2500 watts of PV panels running my 3 bedroom 2 bath home. It’s all I need.
I saw a set of 7 150W panels and each panels weighs only 3 kilograms or ~7 pounds. I am wondering if this could be supported by a frame of PVC drain pipe. It's quite robust if you construct it properly and is probably cheaper than wood or galvanized steel pipe. I suppose you could shove two PVC pipes in one another for extra rigidity and strength. Yay or Nay?
Friendly reminder to all DIYers- copper sulfate pressure treated lumber (everything sold now) will corrode aluminum. If you are planning to attach this mount to pressure treated lumber permanently, I'd recommend a galvanized steel base plate between the aluminum and the pressure treated lumber. PVC decking will compress under load. You could also use a zinc treatment (Rustoleum Cold Galvanized) it you are using some reclaimed un-coated or partially rusted steel, which for a DIY project would be 100% on brand ^_^
Looks and sounds like a nice setup. One thing you can do to stiffen things up, is to add some hurricane strips at the timbers. Also, I would add some sort of ground screw to help hold it down from the wind. A couple of dog ground stakes would work. Ones for mobile homes would work, but that might be over kill. When you add the piers, all you would need to do is lift up the complete system and put on top if them with some post anchors.
Both good suggestions if I was going to keep this setup long term. Since it is temporary and we do not have much wind here, I am not too worried. Yep, setting it on the piers will be an easy two person lift for sure.
If this is the same one Will Prowse reviewed, the only down side is that it is fixed 25°. Alas, here in the great white north, that's nowhere near steep enough in the winter.
@@CountryLivingExperience Pretty much a build-your-own scenario. Where I live, you also have to worry about high winds. This past week, that wood-based version you showed would have ended up half a mile down the road on the neighbor's property!
My ground mount for my 3400 watt system is bolted to 4x4x8' fence posts on the high side buried 2 feet in the ground, and rests on concrete patio blocks on the low side. On a hill, through several nor easters, hasn't moved at all. I like the system in this video, and would definitely use it on a future install.
I like these mounts. I believe they would be fine for some experimental solar setup to get your feet wet in this tech. Long term, no go anywhere that requires a permit and inspection for grid tied solar, and they would need an engineering sign off. They won't pass in most jurisdictions unless they are footed in concrete or other ground anchoring. I'm in CT and these won't pass inspection. I may try mounting 4 big panels in one of these just to see if the location I am planning a ground array has potential. Since they will not be "permanently" attached to the ground maybe the inspector would look the other way while I play. I could attach wheels and make it portable, or tell them I'm building a solar airplane.
This is awesome. I was at Signature Solar last Friday and purchased two more batteries. I wish they had this on display in their new office area. It is large enough. Now another trip back only 2 1/2 hours. Probably end up in Texarkana for the weekend again lol. This is a good excuse to see home more often. Thanks for sharing.
I will be driving to Signature Solar (5 hours) soon as that is the only way I can get 4 Aptos 440W Bifacial Solar Panels and this rack. If I try to buy them on line then the minimum number of panels is 10.
@@keything8487 Hopefully when they say 105mph its true. I live in Florida (central) and both hurricanes crossed my area at 75mph. I trust Country Living Experience so we decided to give it a try.
This is a really nice Chinese ground mount system. Very affordable, light weight Aluminum, and easy to install. This is a great option for mobile power off-grid trailers.
One thing I noticed when I went and looked at the product is your base didn't seem to account for adjusting the angle so you would need to bump it up higher so you could take advantage of that feature. Still, great suggestion and thanks for the video
I found out about this mount from you, even though I am a Signature Solar customer. Be advised that the techs at Signature Solar say that you have to go with the piers, otherwise they have had customers lose their mount when mounted to wood. The problem with the piers is that they require a massive amount of concrete.
We really wanted to go solar but during the winter months we only get about 2 hours of direct sunlight a day until the mountain behind us shades us. But in the summer we get about 18 hours of sunshine.
Wow that is pretty awesome! When I get my solar system started it is going to be ground based so this would be perfect! Good job tracking this down and great explanation/demonstration. Only question I would have is can the piers or posts the bracket is mounted on be elevated to help offset the shadowing? Thanks for sharing! 🤠
I used 4x6 posts about 18 inches into the ground. The structure was made from 2x8’s and 2x4’s. Still standing immovable after 8 years and many large wind storms. Way cheaper than the flimsy structure the solar company wanted me to buy with the solar cells.
You got lots of dirt to fill a ballast system, I opted for mounting 2 panels up on some 2x4 8ft high, got 2x4 kickers in back of em hooked to bottom in front to kicker with some chain that is a bit adjustable....but not huge adjustments kickers are 4ft 6 in in back. 500 bucks to build the mounting for 3.6kw of panels. The kickers can fold under and they can drop down to lay flat on the ground in a couple mins if I think a storm is coming.
Each set of panels can be folded up and loaded in a truck, can load the 3.6kw in about 10 mins with a friend, they weigh just a tad over 100 lbs each frame. I toss some concrete blocks on the chain, it will never move unless its a tornado...and nothings gonna take that.
Another great video. After watching this, I went right over to Signature Solar and bought 2 kits (plus another inverter and 2 more batteries). They have a $100 flat rate shipping deal right now that makes getting more stuff right now (while you still can) make sense! Compared to the batteries, the inverters are cheap. I bought another to have on hand as a spare (like having a spare tire in the trunk).
The concrete piers in the installation guide are spec'd at 510KG each. That's over 1100 pounds each or 4500 pounds of concrete in total. I'm not sure a few timbers is equivalent.
Thanks for the information, the grounding brackets cut’s thru the coating of the Aluminum. It’s not really metal to metal because of the coating. Nice job.
Very nice way to temporarily fasten them until you work out the final mounting points. Was there a benefit to extending the horizontal pieces out so far past the outriggers? Since you need approx 51" between the struts it would appear that a 5 foot piece would be more than sufficient (per two panels) unless you planned on joining them in the middle. I actually don't plan to - I want two separate 2 panel mounts.
Thanks. No benefit, that is just how my brain designed it at the time. It was really solid. If you don’t want to join them, then it the 5’ section is totally sufficient.
I am pondering an in line system on the ground at the edge of my turf and even with this system and current panel prices the mounting system would be costing me as much as the entire electrical system (panels + inverter). This feels so wrong. I am willing to do some work and looking for something cheaper still. Thinking of something simple triangular in which the panel is part of the construction (diagonal part). Think I got it now: near vertical poles, just a bit tilted, won't take up much ground surface area, with panels fixed in between them. I can easily make up for the loss on the sub-optimal slant by adding a few more panels and it will still be cheaper.
Awesome! Doesn't the ground wire also need be tied to your in your inverter's ground if your using a all-in-one unit or in your house where the Ground Neutral bond is?
That is actually a big debate. I ground mine at the array and don't use an EGC because mine are 100ft from the house on a ground mount. If on your roof, yes.
What about wind loads would your setup handle a 60 mph wind gust? Doesn't seem like those 4x4's would be sufficient to meet the challenge if they are not anchored to anything.
Not sure my temporary setup would handle 60 but we don't have high wind loads here at all. The rack if mounted on the concrete piers is rated for 105mph.
We are going to install this ground mount. We have rock and we do have an accessible way to get any equipment in. Do you think doing it like yours but permanent would be good? We were planning on putting rebar in the wood into the ground and maybe some steel cables. We are in southern Arizona. The wind blows some but nothing crazy.
That is hard to say. Ours didn't move at all during the time we had it on the wood but we didn't have many windy storms. We ended up putting it permanently on some concrete piers. Maybe you could try to drill into the rock and epoxy in some rebar, then pour a pier around that.
Great video, clear and concise! Love your channel, always great info and presentation! Do you have a suggestion on where i can get extra rails for the Brightmount racks? I have 10 panels (SS minimum order) and two of these racks. I want to use splice plates to add 15" to each end of each rack as my panels are 41" wide. They sell 5" extensions, cute but worthless for me. TIA
Looks like a great product but I wish they'd made the rack just a bit wider so that they could accept the large 550w panels. Max panel width according to the manufacturer is 44 inches and most large panels are 44.6 inches. Even though it's close I don't think you'd have enough room for the end clamps.
@@TouchwoodTV I have the exact same situation. You can still use the Brightmount system, but also get their 5” extension kit (one pair per Brightmount box). They’re only about $13 per pair and they’ll give your rails an additional 5”, to accommodate panel sizes that exceed 44”.
How would you set these up if you wanted to adjust angle for the seasons? I'm thinking that w/ that timber cross bar drill a hole in each end and place rebar inside, then have vertical post in concrete with 3 sets of holes (drilled thru) for different angles and then you can take the rebar out lift/lower the cross timber and put the rebar in for the desired angle. What do you think?
Brother can those racks be connected together for more panels .... I may just build another big pole mount I have 30 more panels too mount.. 6 years ago I built 2 big pole mounts and now im adding another 30 panels we get some good wind every now and then up on the mountain more than in ft worth... Those are cheaper mounts around plus signature solar has been upping there game .... Keep it up brother
How do you know they won't move? Have you calculated the lifting force on 4 large panels at 25 degrees in max winds in your area. If not, hope is your strategy...
@@larrylarry1206I’ve got 4 of these. Not mounted yet, but the 105 MPH lift would come from a force 1 hurricane that’s blowing from behind the panels. Unless there’s a downburst (I’ve had one) setting the array next to a building may reduce the anchoring requirement somewhat. Do you have a reference for that calculation?
You don’t show the final product assemble and the total size compared to your ground mounted system in the background. Can you please do so? Or at least provide the area for both?
I don't know the dimensions of the Harbor freight panels so I am not sure they would fit. Honestly I would not waste your time with those HF panels. You can get one 450w panel from a reputable manufacturer for $220. So if you buy 4 Harbor Freight panels at $120 each, you would spend $480 and still not have the same power as the one good panel. If you buy two good panels, you will spend $440 and have almost 1000w of power.
The whole thing is off-balance on a single 4x4, unbelievable. With no end view shown to indicate the flimsy design. Triangulation, triangulation . . . hello?! As says below: "hoping this unit is sturdy enough for the 4 panels it holds from being too front heavy, and tipping." LOL. Worst design I've ever seen on TH-cam or elsewhere. Beware!! --
@@CountryLivingExperience Great to hear. I finally trenched this weekend and am ready to start this portable install. Can you please give a parts list for the length of posts, lag screws type, structural screws, ect? Looks like 8 foot pressure treated 4x4's in your video? I am going for 2 rows of 12 for my 24 panels. I was thinking of each row about 5 to 10 feet apart for shading? I have 6 EG4 bright mount kits to install since my inverter will take 3 strings of 8 panels in series. Thanks.
@@rlmjc1911 Cool. I used 10' treated 4x4's. 5 to 10 feet apart should be good but it depends on your sun angle where you live. Will you be mounting them permanently in concrete sometime in the future? I used 6" structural screws for the posts and 5/16" x 3" lag screws.
Great Video! Do you think this mount would work on top of a pool screen room cage? Not sure about the legs, the runners for the screen room are already sloping pretty good, do you know if the sell a kit without the legs, just the runners?
I’m likely buying one of these, but I’m not thrilled that it is fixed at 25 degrees. For my location, optimal year round tilt angle is 35 degrees. Is it feasible to move the lower mounting hole location a few inches to increase the angle?
The majority of ground mounts are fixed. It is ideal that they are fixed to your latitude. We are at 32°N. Our main array is fixed at 30°. Movable mounts are extremely expensive.
The bottom bar looks like it has a single mounting bolt at the bottom. And the vertical rack has predrilled holes to accomplish the 25 degree angle. Should it be possible to change the angle of the bottom bar and just drill in a hole for the new angle? This is nice but if it can be adjusted it will be a much better value.
It appears you could split the rack if you wanted to keep it portable. Just don’t connect the two halves, and you’d have two panels on each skid. Signature Solar says no, but watching your video makes it look feasible. What do you think? You might some more of the end clamps.
these pieces are all aluminum, correct? i hope so, as i like the idea of this ground mounted rack. i was looking at strut (very expensive-but strong). i am hoping this unit is sturdy enough for the 4 panels it holds from being too front heavy, and tipping.
@@CountryLivingExperience Are you sure you used 10ft cross bars and 5ft for the feet/outriggers? Every other install video I find, guys are using 14ft cross bars, when mounting to temporary or movable wood ground mounts, like you did here. ?
Why ground the rack? The DC circuit from the panels is isolated. There's no potential to earth ground in the event of a short to the frame. Or am I missing something?
That's the purpose of putting lightening protection devices on your PV wiring. Not attracting lightening to the frames by giving them a clear path to ground basically turning the pv array into a lightening spire.
My EG4 Rack Came today putting it together now with your video on 50% speed, lol. If anyone has a suggestion for the Concrete anchor with a Link to it that would be Awesome.
@@CountryLivingExperience I meant the concrete blocks you drill into, I tried looking at home depot website but nothing caught my eye that looked like the picture in the instructions
That was just a demonstration. I used footage from my mini split install vid. You need to pour the 30" deep piers shown in the instructions. Those blocks won't hold at all.
Great rack and a fantastic price. Shipping will add a few $$$ for me but still worth it What is your method to move this beast when set up as portable?
Great demonstration, detailed and in depth, which is why I subscribe to your channel. Quick question, does this and or even your large ground mount ever have to go through inspection and permitting etc?
Thanks James. I live out in the county and did it myself. So for me specifically, no. This is more than likely engineered well and would pass any inspection.
@@shaybee22 .....did it pass? im in cent-fl, down by OIA, and want these. i haven't bought my system yet, getting as much info as possible, these look great !!!!
Minute 1:20 or so of the video: Do you have an electric pole from the grid almost in front of your main solar array?? Shading will produce hot spots on your panels and eventually will degrade them... not to say that hot spots can produce electric arcs and start a fire... Take that into account... try to get a thermal camera and monitor those panels from time to time... just a friendly advice... 👋👋👋
Thank you for the concern. I am not too worried about shading with these type of modern panels. They have several bypass diodes and also are split cell. This makes for an easy reroute of power around shaded cells without many issues. Additionally the sun moves quite quickly and nothing is shaded for more than a very short period of time. Shading is only a big issue if a portion of a panel is constantly in shade while the rest of the panel is not. This would be the case if you lived in a forest with a limited window to the sky.
3:20 into the video you have your hands on a piece of the angle bracket. Could you tell me the length of that part? The instructions don't show this measurement and the only response I get from Signature solar is the measurement that in the manual and that not the measurement I'm after, or the instructions are drawn wrong. I want to buy two of these, but I need the length of this part so I'll know it would work in my case. I call this, not wanting to repeat mistakes I've made in the past.
Sounds like these racks don't include approved engineering stamps for a location. Would have to pay for a local engineer to approve it for your area. Other systems do provide engineering approvals. Something to factor in cost wise.
I bought this same rack. The instructions for this is horrible and out of order. The manufacturer reached out back to me on some questions i had pointed out about the anchor screw steps, they responded with some clarity and said: "...there needs to be some clarifications/corrections in the manual.". You seem to've figured things out. Im just watching to see how you lift/mount your panels on this thing... of course the instructions dont talk about this either. I actually installed the 4 concrete piers using 12" tubes... so my 320W ea panel lift is much higher than your lumber set up.
i used an old chair to help me mount the panels. Just slid it under the panel to support it while I linked it up with the others. No need for another person that way
No way man. That thing is way to expensive compared to others. I actually considered y'all's racking system when I was installing my 15kw array and just couldn't believe the price. I went with the iron ridge ground mount system and have also used that for all my other customers.
What about mounting the entire array so it can rotate to follow the sun during the day? At least put on wheels to mkve it manually as the most primitive but effective method.
Secure it how you see fit. Place some block on the outriggers or drive e piece of rebar through them. As I said, this is temporary and portable. I will be pouring permanent piers.
You're welcome. How many panels? How many sunny days in your area? There are so many factors that would go into calculating how much a system will produce in a year.
I built my first backyard solar array using what I had. A furniture dolly, 1/2 in galvanized pipe and zip ties. It’s very portable and easy to clean PV panels. Worked so well I built 4 more. Now I have 2500 watts of PV panels running my 3 bedroom 2 bath home. It’s all I need.
Cool
Hey man. Where in East TX are you? I’m in southwest Louisiana. Going off grid here soon, would love to connect! @@CountryLivingExperience
@@joyofthesimplelifeJSL We are near Tyler. You can send me a message at our Facebook page or email.
Do you have a video or a picture of your setup? It sounds awesome!
I saw a set of 7 150W panels and each panels weighs only 3 kilograms or ~7 pounds. I am wondering if this could be supported by a frame of PVC drain pipe. It's quite robust if you construct it properly and is probably cheaper than wood or galvanized steel pipe. I suppose you could shove two PVC pipes in one another for extra rigidity and strength. Yay or Nay?
Friendly reminder to all DIYers- copper sulfate pressure treated lumber (everything sold now) will corrode aluminum. If you are planning to attach this mount to pressure treated lumber permanently, I'd recommend a galvanized steel base plate between the aluminum and the pressure treated lumber. PVC decking will compress under load. You could also use a zinc treatment (Rustoleum Cold Galvanized) it you are using some reclaimed un-coated or partially rusted steel, which for a DIY project would be 100% on brand ^_^
Thanks for the tip
Looks and sounds like a nice setup. One thing you can do to stiffen things up, is to add some hurricane strips at the timbers. Also, I would add some sort of ground screw to help hold it down from the wind. A couple of dog ground stakes would work. Ones for mobile homes would work, but that might be over kill. When you add the piers, all you would need to do is lift up the complete system and put on top if them with some post anchors.
Both good suggestions if I was going to keep this setup long term. Since it is temporary and we do not have much wind here, I am not too worried. Yep, setting it on the piers will be an easy two person lift for sure.
Looks like a strong breeze is going to make the panels fly like a kite. Still need to cement them in.
This will probably stand a 30mph wind. I am going to pour the concrete piers soon like I said.
Sandbags across all 4 corners of the 4x4 and you're good to go.
If this is the same one Will Prowse reviewed, the only down side is that it is fixed 25°. Alas, here in the great white north, that's nowhere near steep enough in the winter.
It is fixed. It is hard to find adjustable ones.....especially for the North.
@@CountryLivingExperience Pretty much a build-your-own scenario. Where I live, you also have to worry about high winds. This past week, that wood-based version you showed would have ended up half a mile down the road on the neighbor's property!
Still wondering how they can be... tweaked for higher latitudes...cutting the bottom pieces or maybe do what's shown here but with a raised back end.
@@jasonwilde2254 Cutting and drilling the bottom front strut would work.
@@corydwagner I totally understand. Was just an option for places where it will work.
My ground mount for my 3400 watt system is bolted to 4x4x8' fence posts on the high side buried 2 feet in the ground, and rests on concrete patio blocks on the low side. On a hill, through several nor easters, hasn't moved at all. I like the system in this video, and would definitely use it on a future install.
Cool.
How did you mount the panels to the wood structure?
I like these mounts. I believe they would be fine for some experimental solar setup to get your feet wet in this tech. Long term, no go anywhere that requires a permit and inspection for grid tied solar, and they would need an engineering sign off. They won't pass in most jurisdictions unless they are footed in concrete or other ground anchoring. I'm in CT and these won't pass inspection. I may try mounting 4 big panels in one of these just to see if the location I am planning a ground array has potential. Since they will not be "permanently" attached to the ground maybe the inspector would look the other way while I play. I could attach wheels and make it portable, or tell them I'm building a solar airplane.
I don't live in any jurisdiction and there are no inspections here.
Used your link to grab another one of these today, they work great compared to other options I had planned on trying lol 🙏
That is awesome. So glad Sig Solar developed a highly useful rack.
This is awesome. I was at Signature Solar last Friday and purchased two more batteries. I wish they had this on display in their new office area. It is large enough. Now another trip back only 2 1/2 hours. Probably end up in Texarkana for the weekend again lol. This is a good excuse to see home more often. Thanks for sharing.
They are developing so many things so quickly it is hard to keep up.
I will be driving to Signature Solar (5 hours) soon as that is the only way I can get 4 Aptos 440W Bifacial Solar Panels and this rack. If I try to buy them on line then the minimum number of panels is 10.
I just bought 2 thank you for the information I was going to build my own with uni-strut but cant beat the price.
Awesome! You're welcome.
stut is way stronger, but waaay more pricey too !!
@@keything8487 Hopefully when they say 105mph its true. I live in Florida (central) and both hurricanes crossed my area at 75mph. I trust Country Living Experience so we decided to give it a try.
This is a really nice Chinese ground mount system. Very affordable, light weight Aluminum, and easy to install. This is a great option for mobile power off-grid trailers.
It is a quality item. Very versatile.
One thing I noticed when I went and looked at the product is your base didn't seem to account for adjusting the angle so you would need to bump it up higher so you could take advantage of that feature. Still, great suggestion and thanks for the video
Mine is the older model which did not adjust. The new model does.
I found out about this mount from you, even though I am a Signature Solar customer. Be advised that the techs at Signature Solar say that you have to go with the piers, otherwise they have had customers lose their mount when mounted to wood. The problem with the piers is that they require a massive amount of concrete.
They have to legally say that. I also think the piers are way over engineered.
I saw these on Will's channel too. Only thought was the fixed angle. I suppose there are ways around it. Nice price.
You could probably cut that bottom strut a bit shorter and drill a new hole for a steeper angle.
The current racks they sell are now adjustable
We really wanted to go solar but during the winter months we only get about 2 hours of direct sunlight a day until the mountain behind us shades us.
But in the summer we get about 18 hours of sunshine.
Get the solar, it is still viable.
Wow that is pretty awesome! When I get my solar system started it is going to be ground based so this would be perfect! Good job tracking this down and great explanation/demonstration. Only question I would have is can the piers or posts the bracket is mounted on be elevated to help offset the shadowing? Thanks for sharing! 🤠
You're welcome.
Yes, taller piers in the rear row and shorter ones in the front would help with the shadowing angles.
Thank you for an excellent, straight to the point video that was no fluff, nonsense, and helped me get this thing set up. Greatly appreciated.
You’re welcome
I used 4x6 posts about 18 inches into the ground. The structure was made from 2x8’s and 2x4’s. Still standing immovable after 8 years and many large wind storms. Way cheaper than the flimsy structure the solar company wanted me to buy with the solar cells.
Would be interested in plans if any?
I can send you pictures. There are no plans because I made it up as I went along.
That would be great, just to give me an idea. I have a plan of my own, but was just looking at other Solar mounts to find other ideas.
Sweet, thanks for the help!
You’re welcome
You got lots of dirt to fill a ballast system, I opted for mounting 2 panels up on some 2x4 8ft high, got 2x4 kickers in back of em hooked to bottom in front to kicker with some chain that is a bit adjustable....but not huge adjustments kickers are 4ft 6 in in back. 500 bucks to build the mounting for 3.6kw of panels. The kickers can fold under and they can drop down to lay flat on the ground in a couple mins if I think a storm is coming.
Each panel frame has two kickers hooked on with a hinge.
Each set of panels can be folded up and loaded in a truck, can load the 3.6kw in about 10 mins with a friend, they weigh just a tad over 100 lbs each frame. I toss some concrete blocks on the chain, it will never move unless its a tornado...and nothings gonna take that.
With mounting hardware the are 8ft high, 6ft wide and folded up they have a thickness about 7 inches, a bit less.
5 sets of 365w used panels, around 1700-1800 for the panels and mounts so 10 panels in the 5s2p
Another great video. After watching this, I went right over to Signature Solar and bought 2 kits (plus another inverter and 2 more batteries). They have a $100 flat rate shipping deal right now that makes getting more stuff right now (while you still can) make sense! Compared to the batteries, the inverters are cheap. I bought another to have on hand as a spare (like having a spare tire in the trunk).
Thank you. That $100 flat rate is a great deal for sure.
I also like to have a lot of spare tires just in case.
The concrete piers in the installation guide are spec'd at 510KG each. That's over 1100 pounds each or 4500 pounds of concrete in total. I'm not sure a few timbers is equivalent.
I said it was temporary. We had two strong thunderstorms here this week. Didn't move an inch.
You do what you think is appropriate for you.
Thanks for the information, the grounding brackets cut’s thru the coating of the Aluminum. It’s not really metal to metal because of the coating. Nice job.
Thank you
Very nice way to temporarily fasten them until you work out the final mounting points. Was there a benefit to extending the horizontal pieces out so far past the outriggers? Since you need approx 51" between the struts it would appear that a 5 foot piece would be more than sufficient (per two panels) unless you planned on joining them in the middle. I actually don't plan to - I want two separate 2 panel mounts.
Thanks. No benefit, that is just how my brain designed it at the time. It was really solid. If you don’t want to join them, then it the 5’ section is totally sufficient.
"Best buy for everybody"....(below the Mason Dixon line)
Just the example of a portable setup I was looking for. Thanks! (from Lindale TX).
You’re welcome
Thanx for the help my guy. God bless.
You’re welcome
Great job. Clear and concise.
Thank you
I am pondering an in line system on the ground at the edge of my turf and even with this system and current panel prices the mounting system would be costing me as much as the entire electrical system (panels + inverter). This feels so wrong. I am willing to do some work and looking for something cheaper still. Thinking of something simple triangular in which the panel is part of the construction (diagonal part).
Think I got it now: near vertical poles, just a bit tilted, won't take up much ground surface area, with panels fixed in between them. I can easily make up for the loss on the sub-optimal slant by adding a few more panels and it will still be cheaper.
If you can do it cheaper, go for it.
Awesome! Doesn't the ground wire also need be tied to your in your inverter's ground if your using a all-in-one unit or in your house where the Ground Neutral bond is?
That is actually a big debate. I ground mine at the array and don't use an EGC because mine are 100ft from the house on a ground mount. If on your roof, yes.
What about wind loads would your setup handle a 60 mph wind gust? Doesn't seem like those 4x4's would be sufficient to meet the challenge if they are not anchored to anything.
Not sure my temporary setup would handle 60 but we don't have high wind loads here at all. The rack if mounted on the concrete piers is rated for 105mph.
Rule of thumb anything over 3ft requires 6x6 post
@@davidlarson1369 What about all the vertical 6' fencing with 4x4's?
Hi, thanks for this video. Exactly what I was looking for. 💪
Glad it was helpful!
We are going to install this ground mount. We have rock and we do have an accessible way to get any equipment in. Do you think doing it like yours but permanent would be good? We were planning on putting rebar in the wood into the ground and maybe some steel cables. We are in southern Arizona. The wind blows some but nothing crazy.
That is hard to say. Ours didn't move at all during the time we had it on the wood but we didn't have many windy storms. We ended up putting it permanently on some concrete piers. Maybe you could try to drill into the rock and epoxy in some rebar, then pour a pier around that.
Great video, clear and concise! Love your channel, always great info and presentation! Do you have a suggestion on where i can get extra rails for the Brightmount racks? I have 10 panels (SS minimum order) and two of these racks. I want to use splice plates to add 15" to each end of each rack as my panels are 41" wide. They sell 5" extensions, cute but worthless for me. TIA
Thanks Bob. Not sure you can get any extra rails by themselves, sorry.
Looks like a great product but I wish they'd made the rack just a bit wider so that they could accept the large 550w panels. Max panel width according to the manufacturer is 44 inches and most large panels are 44.6 inches. Even though it's close I don't think you'd have enough room for the end clamps.
I'm hearing a rumor that EG4 is revamping this mount soon to accommodate these 44.6" wider panels.
They have a extension kit now.
I have 8 200 watt Rich Solar Panels. They measure 28 3/4" x 58 1/2" each. What parts did you use to mount panels top and bottom? Thanks so much!
They actually mount on the sides of the panels. The kit comes with the clamps to mount the panels. Check the thickness of your panels though.
What is the angle of this ground mount system and is it adjustable? Thanks
25° fixed angle
Looks like a nice system it was perfect for me except my panels are 44.5" wide - too bad...
Thanks. Unless they are square, they should fit. What is the other dimension?
You should be able to get 4 of them on this rack
@@TouchwoodTV I have the exact same situation. You can still use the Brightmount system, but also get their 5” extension kit (one pair per Brightmount box). They’re only about $13 per pair and they’ll give your rails an additional 5”, to accommodate panel sizes that exceed 44”.
How would you set these up if you wanted to adjust angle for the seasons? I'm thinking that w/ that timber cross bar drill a hole in each end and place rebar inside, then have vertical post in concrete with 3 sets of holes (drilled thru) for different angles and then you can take the rebar out lift/lower the cross timber and put the rebar in for the desired angle. What do you think?
Could work. Give it a shot.
Brother can those racks be connected together for more panels .... I may just build another big pole mount I have 30 more panels too mount.. 6 years ago I built 2 big pole mounts and now im adding another 30 panels we get some good wind every now and then up on the mountain more than in ft worth... Those are cheaper mounts around plus signature solar has been upping there game .... Keep it up brother
Thank you.
I think they can be connected together. You just need a few more of the rail connectors and it will be good.
How much snow load and how much wind can that mount handle?
Thanks for the info and video.
You're welcome
Can you tell me by measuring the three short pieces that make the triangle as the manual didn't provide the dimensions. How long each of them?
I ended up putting my EG4 Mount On 2 Parking Lot Bumpers. They were 35 bucks each, 300 pounds each. So I know this won't just blow away, lol
That’s awesome. Great solution!
How do you know they won't move? Have you calculated the lifting force on 4 large panels at 25 degrees in max winds in your area. If not, hope is your strategy...
@@larrylarry1206 yes i have the calculations right here
@@larrylarry1206I’ve got 4 of these. Not mounted yet, but the 105 MPH lift would come from a force 1 hurricane that’s blowing from behind the panels. Unless there’s a downburst (I’ve had one) setting the array next to a building may reduce the anchoring requirement somewhat.
Do you have a reference for that calculation?
It looks like an IKEA build. I always end up with extra parts when I finish.
I need one that swivels the sun goes over our property.
Those are difficult to find and are expensive. There are some videos out there that show how to make one yourself.
@@CountryLivingExperience Thanks I'll look into it.
It looks well made.Is the a UL or equivalent sticker so each and every piece does not need a wire ground bond ? Ground rods?
IT is well made and sturdy. You always need to bond everything together with an electrical grounding conductor.
Hi, I'm curious to know how vertical the rack can stand for the winter months up north? Can they stand straight up?
These only adjust between 25 and 35°.
@@CountryLivingExperience Thank you for the reply!
Could this be used in a pull behind trailer to pull around the yard for emergency backup? TY
Sure. That would be a great project.
You don’t show the final product assemble and the total size compared to your ground mounted system in the background. Can you please do so? Or at least provide the area for both?
i was thinking the same !!!
Hello, What was the length of your long beam. Thanks
Approx. 90"
I am only able to afford 4 to 6 Harbor freight Thunderbolt 100w panels. Will these racks accommodate them or overkill?
I don't know the dimensions of the Harbor freight panels so I am not sure they would fit. Honestly I would not waste your time with those HF panels. You can get one 450w panel from a reputable manufacturer for $220. So if you buy 4 Harbor Freight panels at $120 each, you would spend $480 and still not have the same power as the one good panel. If you buy two good panels, you will spend $440 and have almost 1000w of power.
@@CountryLivingExperience The best Aptos 440W Bifacial Solar Panels are $179 each at signature solar
Neat, simple, affordable what's not to like 👌👍
Absolutely
The whole thing is off-balance on a single 4x4, unbelievable. With no end view shown to indicate the flimsy design. Triangulation, triangulation . . . hello?!
As says below: "hoping this unit is sturdy enough for the 4 panels it holds from being too front heavy, and tipping."
LOL. Worst design I've ever seen on TH-cam or elsewhere. Beware!!
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I purchased some and will install them once I finish designing my second solar array. How do you like these so far?
Awesome. Mine has been great so far. No issues.
@@CountryLivingExperience Great to hear. I finally trenched this weekend and am ready to start this portable install. Can you please give a parts list for the length of posts, lag screws type, structural screws, ect? Looks like 8 foot pressure treated 4x4's in your video? I am going for 2 rows of 12 for my 24 panels. I was thinking of each row about 5 to 10 feet apart for shading? I have 6 EG4 bright mount kits to install since my inverter will take 3 strings of 8 panels in series. Thanks.
@@rlmjc1911 Cool. I used 10' treated 4x4's. 5 to 10 feet apart should be good but it depends on your sun angle where you live. Will you be mounting them permanently in concrete sometime in the future? I used 6" structural screws for the posts and 5/16" x 3" lag screws.
@@CountryLivingExperience Thanks for the info. I'll probably keep them portable since I'm near a septic field.
How much would a basic ground set up cost? All I know is putting them on the roof is ridiculously expensive.
How many panels do you have? I can give you a better breakdown if I know your system size.
Great Video! Do you think this mount would work on top of a pool screen room cage? Not sure about the legs, the runners for the screen room are already sloping pretty good, do you know if the sell a kit without the legs, just the runners?
Thanks.
This would not work for a roof application or on a lanai. It is specifically made for the ground.
ground mount solor
I’m likely buying one of these, but I’m not thrilled that it is fixed at 25 degrees. For my location, optimal year round tilt angle is 35 degrees. Is it feasible to move the lower mounting hole location a few inches to increase the angle?
You could probably cut the lower bar and drill a new hole.
I'm sure they did that intentionally to limit wind loading. 😉
I consider this but was concerned about the fixed angle. Thoughts?
The majority of ground mounts are fixed. It is ideal that they are fixed to your latitude. We are at 32°N. Our main array is fixed at 30°. Movable mounts are extremely expensive.
Where did you purchase the mounting hardware for the panels? Thanks
This is the link to it ….signaturesolar.com/eg4-6-5k-off-grid-inverter-6500ex-48/?ref=countrylivingexperience
The bottom bar looks like it has a single mounting bolt at the bottom. And the vertical rack has predrilled holes to accomplish the 25 degree angle. Should it be possible to change the angle of the bottom bar and just drill in a hole for the new angle? This is nice but if it can be adjusted it will be a much better value.
You could cut the bottom support strut shorter and re-drill the hole to change the angle.
Hello, how can I get for my House in Africa (Mali)
All the cost before shipment?
Eric, do I understand it correctly, that since this rack is for 4 panels, I will need to purchase 8 of them for 30 panels?
For 30 panels you will potentially need 8 of them. Depending on the size of the panel, you may be able to fit 5.
Great video!
Thank you
It appears you could split the rack if you wanted to keep it portable. Just don’t connect the two halves, and you’d have two panels on each skid. Signature Solar says no, but watching your video makes it look feasible. What do you think? You might some more of the end clamps.
I think you can do that with no issue. Not sure why they said you couldn't.
these pieces are all aluminum, correct? i hope so, as i like the idea of this ground mounted rack. i was looking at strut (very expensive-but strong). i am hoping this unit is sturdy enough for the 4 panels it holds from being too front heavy, and tipping.
They are an aluminum/steel alloy. I think it is plenty strong enough.
Excellent Video!!!
Thank you
What's about horizontal L2 installation l2 mean 2 x 550 watt pv
Do the mid clamps and end clamps come with the EG Brightmount? If not, where can I purchase them from?
Yes, it is a full kit.
@@CountryLivingExperience Thanks!
What size was the wood you used 6x6? and what were your cut lengths on all of the pieces? (length, width, etc)
4x4's. But if you live in a windy area, I would use a 6x6's. The crossbars are 10ft and the outriggers are 5ft.
@@CountryLivingExperience Are you sure you used 10ft cross bars and 5ft for the feet/outriggers? Every other install video I find, guys are using 14ft cross bars, when mounting to temporary or movable wood ground mounts, like you did here. ?
This video was very helpful!
Awesome
Can you adjust the angle without removing the panels?
This is a fixed frame at 25 degrees
Can it be mod ified to take 5 panels?
Can the panels be spaced further apart to break up the wind?
I haven't tried to modify it in any way. Fitting 5 would be determinate on the size of you panels. They would have to be quite slim.
@@CountryLivingExperience The is a youtube video of a guying adding small extensions and using 5 400 watt panels
I would put a lot larger ground wire on it.
Use what you think is proper. This is just a demonstration.
How many 4x4 were used? My ground mount arrived yesterday. Thank you !
I used 4 of them in total.
Thank you
@@CountryLivingExperience How long is the main beam. Thanks
@@LarryRichelli Approx. 90"
Question, what are the dimensions of your panels on the temporary setup?
They are 82" x 41.5"
Hello. Is the actual install on video yet? If so where can I find it?
Not yet. Have too many projects on my plate 😉
What part of east texas. I'm outside of crockett. I'm starting my install off 22 panels in next 1 or 2 weeks
We are near Tyler
Why ground the rack? The DC circuit from the panels is isolated. There's no potential to earth ground in the event of a short to the frame.
Or am I missing something?
It's more for if lightning hits your panels and hopefully keeps it away from your off-grid charge controller or grid-tied inverter.
That's the purpose of putting lightening protection devices on your PV wiring. Not attracting lightening to the frames by giving them a clear path to ground basically turning the pv array into a lightening spire.
My EG4 Rack Came today putting it together now with your video on 50% speed, lol. If anyone has a suggestion for the Concrete anchor with a Link to it that would be Awesome.
Cool. The concrete anchors come in the package.
@@CountryLivingExperience I meant the concrete blocks you drill into, I tried looking at home depot website but nothing caught my eye that looked like the picture in the instructions
That was just a demonstration. I used footage from my mini split install vid. You need to pour the 30" deep piers shown in the instructions. Those blocks won't hold at all.
This mount adequate for north where I have to worry about snow load?
It should be but you would have to contact the manufacturer for specific load charts.
Are you saying that you can put four500W modules on one rack for $279? I thought you could only get two on a rack?
Yes, that is correct. 4 will fit with no problem.
Had a buddy with a load profile array. Foxs, raccoons , Deers, and even a bear ran up it. Ya panels didn't last.....
Yikes
Great rack and a fantastic price. Shipping will add a few $$$ for me but still worth it What is your method to move this beast when set up as portable?
For sure.
You could probably chamfer off the ends of the bottom timbers and push it like a football training sled.
Ahhh, memories of my high school football days. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Happy Thanksgiving
Great demonstration, detailed and in depth, which is why I subscribe to your channel. Quick question, does this and or even your large ground mount ever have to go through inspection and permitting etc?
Thanks James.
I live out in the county and did it myself. So for me specifically, no. This is more than likely engineered well and would pass any inspection.
@@CountryLivingExperience Lucky! Where I live in Central FL ATM they almost want a permit to replace your mail box lol
Oh no! That's crazy.
@@shaybee22 .....did it pass? im in cent-fl, down by OIA, and want these. i haven't bought my system yet, getting as much info as possible, these look great !!!!
It won't pass codes. Needs few engineer stamps....
Minute 1:20 or so of the video: Do you have an electric pole from the grid almost in front of your main solar array?? Shading will produce hot spots on your panels and eventually will degrade them... not to say that hot spots can produce electric arcs and start a fire... Take that into account... try to get a thermal camera and monitor those panels from time to time... just a friendly advice... 👋👋👋
Thank you for the concern.
I am not too worried about shading with these type of modern panels. They have several bypass diodes and also are split cell. This makes for an easy reroute of power around shaded cells without many issues. Additionally the sun moves quite quickly and nothing is shaded for more than a very short period of time. Shading is only a big issue if a portion of a panel is constantly in shade while the rest of the panel is not. This would be the case if you lived in a forest with a limited window to the sky.
Hi what kind of mounting bracket? I need 35mm
It comes with mounting brackets.
Were do get the L bracket that don’t come with the unit mounting for solar panels
Same company. They are on the website right next to the ground mount.
3:20 into the video you have your hands on a piece of the angle bracket. Could you tell me the length of that part? The instructions don't show this measurement and the only response I get from Signature solar is the measurement that in the manual and that not the measurement I'm after, or the instructions are drawn wrong. I want to buy two of these, but I need the length of this part so I'll know it would work in my case. I call this, not wanting to repeat mistakes I've made in the past.
Hope I get the correct part for you. It is the longest piece on the bracket. It is 51 3/16".
Thanks, very much.
Sounds like these racks don't include approved engineering stamps for a location. Would have to pay for a local engineer to approve it for your area. Other systems do provide engineering approvals. Something to factor in cost wise.
That's a large and tall sail in the background... wonder what the wind loads are at 60mph, 90mph. Wind x surface area is no joke!
I bought this same rack. The instructions for this is horrible and out of order. The manufacturer reached out back to me on some questions i had pointed out about the anchor screw steps, they responded with some clarity and said: "...there needs to be some clarifications/corrections in the manual.". You seem to've figured things out. Im just watching to see how you lift/mount your panels on this thing... of course the instructions dont talk about this either. I actually installed the 4 concrete piers using 12" tubes... so my 320W ea panel lift is much higher than your lumber set up.
Hopefully our video was helpful for the assembly.
i used an old chair to help me mount the panels. Just slid it under the panel to support it while I linked it up with the others. No need for another person that way
How wide are your panels?
41.5”
I wish you could have installed the Sky-Rack 2.0 ground mount for this project. Maybe next time - Great video.
Thank you.
I have seen those. They look nice but are very expensive.
No way man. That thing is way to expensive compared to others. I actually considered y'all's racking system when I was installing my 15kw array and just couldn't believe the price. I went with the iron ridge ground mount system and have also used that for all my other customers.
@@CountryLivingExperience, Yes, it’s tough to compete against those cheap Chinese imported ground mounts. The install looks great.
When are the dimensions of your panels
83x41
Does any of these solar companies have financing? Were you offered financing?
I don't finance anything so I didn't ask. I always save and pay cash.
What about mounting the entire array so it can rotate to follow the sun during the day? At least put on wheels to mkve it manually as the most primitive but effective method.
I don't think there would be much benefit to that. Having to manually rotate it would be a lot of extra labor for not much payoff.
Can I put SIX 190 watt Hqst Panels on it?
Not sure. You'll have to check your panel dimensions. The rack is 180" long.
@@CountryLivingExperience wow 15 feet? I seen another video of this on youtube and it didn't look as long as that
After Putting half of it together tonight, in my living room, lol. I can comfirm that this will hold SIX 190w Hqst panels :-)
@@Moes_Prep_and_Tech Nice!
the wind will blow this over in a bad storm??????
Secure it how you see fit. Place some block on the outriggers or drive e piece of rebar through them. As I said, this is temporary and portable. I will be pouring permanent piers.
price?
I mentioned it in the video. $299
@@CountryLivingExperience thank you.
can the size panel in the video produce 20 mWh/year in NE USA?
You're welcome.
How many panels? How many sunny days in your area? There are so many factors that would go into calculating how much a system will produce in a year.
@@CountryLivingExperience the panel setup size in your video and let's say 30 miles north of NYC. 12 mWh/year?
This design needs a tons of concrete, like 22 bags of concrete for every post
It is actually 10.75 80lb bags per post. I think it is way overkill and over engineered.