Building Solar Panel Rack

Sure you could just lay the panels on the ground but they will last longer and absorb more heat when mounted on a triangular rack built at an angle to the sun.

Building solar panel rack.

Years of building solar racks has shown that welded steel construction holds up the best whether it s wear and tear from years of wind exposure extreme temperature variation or sever weather events. Assemble and test fit the pieces. Building codes ibc fire codes ifc and structural engineering codes asce also come into play when adding solar to an existing structure. Pole mounts allow you to adjust the tilt angle to maximize your power output throughout the seasons.

If you re building your own frame and have questions about how to build our projects team is here to help. I started by visiting http solarelectricityhandbook. Major rack components are of welded steel construction. In this project the panels were attached with simple u brackets.

Building your own have questions. Do not hesitate to contact us directly. With proper installation a sturdy mount secures your panels in harsh weather and protects your investment. Steel components give our racks an edge on strength and long term durability.

The rack is very useful in a solar pool heater application. In this episode i show the adjustable ground mount solar panel rack that i built to support three 315 watt solar panels that will be used to heat water. In order to fit thicker 3 8 bolts into the 1 4 holes on the hightec solar panel we drilled out the hole with a 3 8 bit. Mounts are used to attach solar panels to the roof ground or another surface on your property.

Working in the solar industry necessitates understanding more than one type of code unlike for example an electrician who may just need to know the national electrical code nec. Ground mounts allow you to pick the optimal tilt angle in a south facing direction. Cut pvc to length. In this episode i show the ground mounted solar rack that i built for my twelve 255 watt solar panels.

Pvc cuts pretty easily but you ll want to make sure your cuts are straight. Ground mount solar racking system. What you need step 1. Building a solar panel rack.

Put the mount together and place it on top of your solar panel to check the. Disassemble and reassemble this time. Mounting panels on a roof may be too much vertical lift for smaller aboveground pool pumps. On all bolts we used blue loctite.

The u brackets attached the solar panel frame to the rack.