Solar Array - DIY Metal Ground Mount (strong AND inexpensive)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ส.ค. 2024
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9:35 is where a lightweight and somewhat silly montage of the build is available for folks who want to see a little more of the backend of this.
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Everything you did there looks good. One concern is the 10awg wire running along the fence. Wire specifically designed for solar will hold up to weather and sun. Other types(thhn,thw,etc) should be placed in a conduit to slow or stop degradation.
Thanks for the note, I should have shown the cable but it is UV stabilized PV wire. Meant for direct burial or above ground if I'm not mistaken, but I'll double check
- Panels rated at 340W (theoretical) will really produce ~280W on a bright clear day
- If the wire is not UV resistant you'll need to provide protection. Old trashed water hose does that job well.
It should be UV resistant, I'll double check. I suspect in this position they'll put out an average of 300 watts each, maybe a little more
The big thing that will swing the efficiency of the panels when in full sun is the temp. When they warm up they will output less. But on a cold winter day, if they are covered by clouds and then suddenly get full sun, they can output more than 340w
Yes, to solar content! In my mind, its all hand and glove with the environmentally concientious way you live your life. For me the best part is that you embrace the notion that we can often achieve these goals without going down to the local store and buying the system.
I think demonstrating the building of these systems with scavenged materials can be helpful for folks.
@@edibleacres Pretty sure I'm not the only one who has more time than money. And the desire to learn new things.
Always happy to see you sharing whatever you feel like sharing.
So yeah, your call, if you feel like talking about solar, do it !
Thanks.
Thanks for the words of encouragement!
Great idea. I believe that DC current is not allowed to be ran into a home. May want to keep the batteries and controller outside even though not ideal when cold out if you happen to have a fire they might point a finger at the DC running into the home.
My house is off grid in the same area as Shawn. To pass inspection, I needed a DC disconnect at the solar array outside, and also inside. The high voltage solar DC has to be run in metal conduit once it’s inside of the house. But I ran it up through my floor, thru the DC disconnects and then into my all-in-one inverter. Passed inspection. Surprisingly the DC wires coming from the inverters (at 48v) and to the batteries, didn’t have to be in conduit.
as far as the lightning rod you want it separate from your panels as the panels are the high point so the panel itself will see the million volts + of static and it will destroy the panel internal insulation. it is true the frames have an earth ground and it is better to do equipment bonding for personal protection as it offers lower resistance for stray voltages to return to your overcurrent device. Earth grounds are for lightning strikes/main transformer center taps for grid and equipment bonding(green/bare wire) are for over current personal protection...your rack looks good but you may want a summer angle/winter angle adjustment
Thanks for your detailed notes here, much appreciated!
just a warning but I'm going to guess the 10 awg you stapled to the fence is not a UV resistance insulation and is designed to sit in a grey PVC conduit that has the UV coating. it will crack in a couple years and you will have a 200v 1500w circuit just waiting for someone to lay their hand across the two wires on the fence.
I believe this is UV stable but I will triple check
I've got that same EG4 all in one unit. Works well for our off grid cabin. I've got about 2600 watts worth of panels and 10.2 kwh of storage. Love what you guys did with the ground mount.
Sounds like a robust amount of storage and energy, awesome!
I have that same "all in one" inverter/charger. (one of several)
I'm excited to work with it, feels like a very reasonable deal for what it offers
This is good info, too. I'm in the process of slowly shifting infrastructure to solar, too, one or two applications at a time, so that part of the process is particularly of interest to.
Good luck!
Love the solar content, thanks for sharing!
Hey of course, thanks for supporting our work!!
A thought to consider as I am as well . For around the farm and trip to corner store and gas station .
UTV are legally allowed on most roads if registered or if requirements met only a slow moving vehicle sign is required.
There are now many new manufacturers and existing converting to electric drive UTV .
Theoretically if farming with electric vehicle powered by the sun you then far surpass Amish as efficiency .
But it’s hard to beat horses “ byproducts” !
But as I’ve shoveled lots of hay and oats in and get organic gold out the backside of horses they certainly have their value.
Interesting notes, thank you!
Great job!! It's good that you used wiring that's overkill for the current those soalr panels produce because of the distance. Plus, being that they're in series, you really minimize your losses.
I need to do 12 kW as cheaply as possible. It's crazy that the cost of the panels is actually cheaper than the racking I've found out there that can hold them. So, I'm going to have to rig something like you did.
Yeah I was surprised at the price of the racking as well. I have 6.8KW of panels. They cost $3k. Whereas the ground mount was $5k. And that was doing the ground mount cheap by doing the labor myself. Mine needed to pass inspection. Panels are at 40deg. I wish I could have went 45 or 50deg for the winter but it creates more of a sail, so I would have needed twice the amount of 3” tubing securing the rack to the ground. And twice as much concrete
Its all permaculture to me. I watch this as much as all of your other content. 🌏🌎🌍🕊️
It's recommended to have a building separate from your home for the battery bank.....
Hey Sean - looks great!
I'd say definitely look out for 3/4 or 1" PVC conduit for the electrical lines on the fence. You gotta protect those wires, they aren't rated for the sun either so they'll degrade in a few years. Be careful with all that DC power!
Thanks!
Very resourceful
Interesting and very useful. I enjoy not only the thought process but your ability to source materials at low cost. If the country doesn't totally implode you should be set up quite well to weather the storm. I have designed my own water catchment system very similar to yours over the past couple years and will be utilizing it this year.
We'll have to see! Hoping you collect wonderful amounts of water!
I like the idea of reusing DOT sign posts for sure on ground mounting. I too use whatever works as is cheaper. I even use T-posts for temporary testing. On the wiring, grounding, etc. I have the same panels and you MAY want to check continuity for ground as sometimes that anodized aluminum does NOT conduct as easily as people assume. I put a serrated locking washer and then a ground rod in case of a near field lightening strike and bury the cable. Additionally, I put a midnight solar SPD ($90) for added safety. There is an ampacity chart online for your anticipated voltage drop on the PV line NOT knowing the exact length of your run. Also, in COLD weather those panels WILL produce about 8-10% more voltage once you get below 32F / 0C so you just have to know that for MPPT voltage limits which in winter may offset any voltage drop. My experience with Seraphim is don't over pay but they will produce about 72% under load of their stated output. I applaud the re-use of materials including the panels as I do the same thing for ground mount off grid stuff and hope to install resistors to heat an ICB tote for a small green house using more panels. Take care and include more solar too. Gary from SE Michigan
Your set up is even cheaper than mine. I used a big metal post I bought from a metal junk yard and struts from Home Depot. I ran my 6 gauge wire through conduit. You don’t want critters chewing through wire. I have about the same amount of power as you, but mine powers my Mega Tiny house which is under 600 sq ft.
I’d post a picture of my homemade mount, but can’t figure out how. Anyway, mine had to be high due to trees and hills.
I like your cheaper set up, too. Keep the diy idea’s flowing. I love reuse-recycle.
So glad we're both figuring out how to build in the ways we can!
Another way to keep a nut from backing out (but it makes it stick out more) is to put a second nut; tighten the first one, then hold the first one still with one wrench while tightening the second nut against it so they jam together.
I’m no expert, but I think you would want a ground on your positive line. Depth and spread of the grounding will also play a factor. Looks like the setup is a ways from the house, but you did say a wire would be running into your house.
I will explore that. Certainly will have a fuse coming out of the positive line before it runs down the cable and a circuit breaker in the house as on/off but also as backup
I'll say it again. You are an expert at cobbling things together, and tapping into waste streams to get your materials in the first place. Way to go. Inspiring! I'm wondering about the Chevy Volt. I've heard that the electric cars struggle in very cold and very warm temperatures. Do you know anything about that? I'm a complete novice.
It'll be a Chevy Bolt, 2020. 100% electric. I think it will be limited by deep cold and maybe by heat, but we don't have high demands on what it can do. We'll share notes as it unfolds. Thanks for the kind words!
Hi Sean great ideas to mount solar panels! Charging a car is a bit tricky because most dc to ac inverters have a floating ground and EVSE needs to have a bonded ground in order to charge. Bonded ground means the neutral and ground wire are connected for safety reasons.
I need to look into this, I appreciate the heads up. Any chance you'd be willing to email me so I can pick your brain just a little? I'd be happy to compensate or trade with answering any garden questions I can... sean @ edibleacres.org
Any details you can share on this idea via email I'd appreciate as I hone in on proper wiring and safety...
Yes. Great content about solar.
Glad you think so!
solar goes so well with permaculture. More solar please.
Can do, thanks Bryan and thanks for directly supporting our work, much appreciated!
Electrician in Geneva who??? I live 10 mins from Geneva and would love to get some solar deals!! Haha that is a well built frame!!
M & M Electric
I made my entire house off grid, with 20x of those same exact panels, from the same place in Geneva. Let me know if you want to see a whole house system sometime. I’m not far from you. Met you a few times already actually
I have 2x Eg4 6500w inverters to make split phase
Hey neat to hear from you! I'm sean @ edibleacres.org shoot me an email and lets chat!
That will last a long time and the price is Right 👍
I really hope so!
great video.
I used to drive a Volt (or did you say Bolt?). This refers to the Volt. I couldn't manage it when I moved to Vermont. I tried to drive up a hill with 6 - 8" of snow on it; I had a lot of trouble. There is a baffle or something, flexible, than hangs very low in the front - I think about 3" off the ground. It was just impractical in VT. Just FYI!
It's a bolt and yeah, I'm not expecting it to be a super beast in deep deep winter snow. We have had less and less of that lately and I'm OK having us be home bound a few days a winter if/when we get a blizzard...
Solar working well.
Cool channel about experimenting with solar is Sergiy Yurko. Solar is overrated - neither efficient nor clean - but it's getting better.
put a very very good ground at the array
Wow! Great project!
Will you be changing the angle seasonally? 45° is near optimum for winter at your latitude, but you'll get drastically more year-round power at a shallower angle. The online solar angle calculator I just used said 32.6° is optimum for Ithaca.
It is worth doing only if you have pricier panels and they are not pricey anymore (in general). And similarly with trackers, they are so pricey that it is cheaper to buy additional panels and double wattage then install a tracker... adding anything mechanical, even drilling holes for seasonal adjustment is not worth money anymore.
@@IvanNedostal, yes, changing the angle adds a lot of complexity and hassle, so mounting at a shallower angle will get much more power over the full year. Leaving it at 45° is great if the goal is to maximize the power output in winter at the expense of the rest of the year. Changing it to 32.6° will maximize the total power given across a full year.
@@joelwegman2683 If loads are space heaters or LEDs to start plants then winter angle is better, you get more energy at time of need. snow sliding down increases your production.
DOI:10.1155/2020/2412780 Table 8: Relative systemic loss of energy compared to the optimal orientation
I think 55deg is optimal for the winter in this area. I made a graph for each different angle using PVWatts, and beyond 55deg the gain in winter is minimal
PVwatts online calculator is very helpful. If people havnt heard of it, you should check it out
There is something to be said about combining solar panels and agriculture .
At the end of the video when you were showing a closeup of the nut/bolt ... was that denting process locking the nut/bolt from moving?
Have you considered a greenhouse heated by photovoltaics for the winter?
this is probably very minor I am not sure but does copper ( washers )and steel/iron/ metal have some type of reaction when they are together? I many be wrong. Perhaps others know more than I do on this subject
I'd be curious how charging the Bolt works out for you. I have driven one in much warmer conditions (Western CO) that you deal with for several years now. I average about 3.8miles/kWh overall, about 4.2 in the summer and 3.6 in the winter.
Given that, if you even figure 4 miles/kWh average, that array will only be giving you something like 6.8 miles per hour of charging under assumed PERFECT 1700watt conditions. In reality, you will probably average closer to 1kW, so in winter when you are probably averaging 3.5 m/kWh or worse, you might only be getting 15 miles of charge/day, 20 if you are lucky.... and that's not accounting for system losses.
Great considerations here. Still learning as I go so hopefully we cam check in in a year or so!
Interested to see the electrical calculations on this. Why in series ?. What are the battery voltages ?. Correct me if I'm wrong but wired in series gives you 5x panel voltage. I'm clearly missing something
the theory behind panels in series is that you get higher dc voltage so then you have less of a volt drop on the run to the voltage regulator that charges your battery. EG. 240v x 10a = 2400w means a 14awg...12v x 200a = 2400w means 3/0awg. A 100 ft of 3/0 is really pricey because of the copper needed.
@@jesshorn257Thanks for the reply and that makes sense. Cheers
@@pandar2205the nicer charge controllers take higher voltages, even for 12v or 48v batteries. My 48v all-in-one inverter can take up to 500v in solar.
Why would you impose on your neighbor to mount your panels on his property? The gall to contemplate such an idea in the first place. 😢😢😢
Ew. A lot of negative assumptions about character, action and intent without interest in understanding context and relationship. You could do well to keep this kind of judgement to yourself, or maybe ask more questions about how we are where we are in this process before you let yourself be nasty to a stranger.