PV Racks

Vic · November 2010

In years gone by, have used Two Seas (now, Iron Ridge) GR-04A racks to mount 3 ea Shell/ SolarWorld SQ/SW-175 panels in Landscape orientation. Now, I cannot even get Iron Ridge to respond to an RFQ for this rack size -- the largest one available has 90-inch rails -- about 10-12 inches too short. And, cannot seem to find any ready made ground/roof racks which can do the job in an angle-adjustable Landscape Roof Rack.

Would also llike to mount some recently acquired SW-245s, Landscape, three per rack. This requires just over 10 feet of rack rail ... probably about 126-128 inches.

1. Does anyone know of a source for roof racks for these Landscape appllications ?

2. Guess that one may have to build these racks from (Uni)Strut type material, or perhaps from alunimum channel. Finding the strut material in 20-foot lengths, or splices to join two sections of strut has been difficult, to date.

These panels used in strings of three, and the existing install on a roof lays out perfectly as three per rack, and the roof space is at a permium.

Advice appreciated. Thanks Vic

HuckMeat · November 2010

Re: PV Racks

Look at PowerFab - I just installed 3 of their 225 square foot racks, and I think they are great...

You'll probably have to have a distributor order them.

Vic · November 2010

Re: PV Racks

Hi Huck,

Thanks for the reply ... Well was really looking for universal roof Racks for Landscape orientation. The DPW look fine as ground/pipe mounts, tho ... had looked at them a long time ago.

Guess that the bulk of the market is Grie Tie, with its fixed tilt angle, and folks who have huge flatish roofs, which can tolerate Portrait orientation.

Looks like Zome does a roof rack for 3ea SW-175s, but they are limited to 120 inch rails, so 3ea SW 245s will not quite fit. Will need to build my own from locally available material.

Thanks again. Vic

Windsun · November 2010

Re: PV Racks

You might be better off just using rail mounts for that kind of length, or use a 2x and a 2x rack in "series", side by side.

But why landscape? There is no inherent advantage to it, unless it is just a fitting or space problem.

Vic · December 2010

Re: PV Racks

Hi WindSun,

Re Landscape: Do not have a lotta roof space, and would, now, like to add three additional racks of 3ea SQ - 175s to an existing install. And, while have never adjusted the angle, it would be nice to have that option. Have always left the angle set to Winter, but in the Summer, much of the charging happens an low currents, due to the oblique angle of the sun vs the panels, and there is always the desire to run A/C. Did find that Zome has a rack for 3 -175s which appears to have the right stuff, altho it is 2X the cost that we used to pay (you guys) for the Two Seas GR-04As.

Am not quite sure what you are saying about, "2x and a 2x rack in "series", side by side" . Is this portrait ? Trying to adjust the tilt of four panels by onesself might be a handful !

It is possible that running three SW-245s (a new installation) in LS might just be too much panel area for a moderately windy location ... Dunno.

Thanks, Vic

PV Racks

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