Transporting Panels

shastaron

I am going to be transporting 24-190 watt evergreen panels without factory packaging. We purchased a 1 year old system and need to move them 90 miles after we tear it down.

Would it be best to load them on edge or flat?
How heavy of protection do I need (cardboard, moving pads, 1X4's, etc.)?

Later I will post everything we got and be asking for a few recommendations. Thanks for the help.

Ron

mike95490

Re: Transporting Panels

Suggestion withdrawn

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Talk to a window glass company. They have the racks on their trucks. They transport sheets of glass on edge, with supports so they don't bend. Maybe you can "rent a truck/driver" on an off day.

Solar Guppy

Re: Transporting Panels

Stack them face up and use racketing tie-down straps to keep the pile tight together. I would also use some plywood on all 6 sides to keep the stack straight ( and also strapped ) and top and bottom to protect from intrusion damage

I would NOT stack on the edge as you then exposing the frame/glass to stress, very easy to damage that way

heynow999

Re: Transporting Panels

I just bought a bunch of Evergreens and they came with little plastic pieces for the corners that allowed them to stack up. The suppliers said he didn't want them back, he had a ton of them. Maybe you can find some from a local supplier.

rplarry

Re: Transporting Panels

I transported 6 of the evergreen 190's 400 miles into Baja Mex, flat as Solar guppy suggested and no problems. Just secure them well (don't let them slide around) and you should be fine.
Larry

mike95490

Re: Transporting Panels

When the sheet of glass is just supported at the edges, and is horizontal, I would think that would be a vulnerable orientation, like if you hit a bump, and the glass flexes and breaks under it's own weight. Do you use wads of newspaper or something, in the middle to keep the flexing down ?

westbranch

Re: Transporting Panels

FWIW I happened to pull up beside a "glass installers truck" yesterday and he had the panels of glass in a near vertical orientation on both sides of his pickup truck in a custom made transporting frame. To stop the flexing he had adjustable 'stops' that made firm contact with the sheets of glass and there was a similar 'stop' on the other sife of the glass.

Also, I just transported several sealed units out to our cabin over some serious backwoods trails. the glass shops recommendation ... transport on edge. glass is the strongest in that position. flat can work BUT each sheet must be supported to stop flex...;)

Cheers
Eric