Building Solar Panel Rack

Building a solar panel rack.

Building solar panel rack.

Assemble and test fit the pieces. 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. Mounts are used to attach solar panels to the roof ground or another surface on your property. On all bolts we used blue loctite.

Cut pvc to length. Mounting panels on a roof may be too much vertical lift for smaller aboveground pool pumps. Building codes ibc fire codes ifc and structural engineering codes asce also come into play when adding solar to an existing structure. In this episode i show the ground mounted solar rack that i built for my twelve 255 watt solar panels.

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. The rack is very useful in a solar pool heater application. To secure the solar panels to the unistrut crossbars we used 3 8 bolts external tooth lock washers and nylon unistrut cone nuts. Disassemble and reassemble this time.

Pvc cuts pretty easily but you ll want to make sure your cuts are straight. 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. What you need step 1. Major rack components are of welded steel construction.

Put the mount together and place it on top of your solar panel to check the. Ground mount solar racking system. 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. In this project the panels were attached with simple u brackets.

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. I started by visiting http solarelectricityhandbook. A standard ground mount is built on a structure of steel pipe and concrete at a fixed tilt angle. Wattsun only recommended for large scale commercial installs a solar panel mount or solar racking system is the foundation that holds your solar array in place.

Do not hesitate to contact us directly. Steel components give our racks an edge on strength and long term durability. Ground mounts allow you to pick the optimal tilt angle in a south facing direction. With proper installation a sturdy mount secures your panels in harsh weather and protects your investment.

If you re building your own frame and have questions about how to build our projects team is here to help.