Looking for Ground Mount Advice

photonboy
photonboy Registered Users Posts: 23 ✭✭
in PV Installers Forum - NEC, Wiring, Installation #1
I am looking for some ground mounting advice. It is for some solar thermal panels, but the mounting idea could be similar for PV. I would like to ground mount solar thermal panels, and was considering mounting on concrete piers, with a "flat top standoff" imbedded in the concrete. I would then attach strut to the standoff and mount the panels accordingly. Can anyone suggest a standoff designed to be set ditectly in concrete?


Thanks

Chris
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Comments

  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: Looking for Ground Mount Advice

    Home Depot has a bunch. The most common would probably be the "H" type, where the bottom sits in the concrete and the top sticks up with an opening wide enough for a 2by or a 4by and has holes for either nails or a big bolt.

    If you are making your own piers, then you could do whatever you wanted. I would probably set a foundation bolt (the long black ones with the little L at the end) and then drill the a hole in the rack and use double nuts to secure it.
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  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,917 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Looking for Ground Mount Advice

    Yep Home Depot! If you are trying to use up tee posts that are laying around you can set them in cement and drill them for fasteners. Use the best insulation for high temp you can afford and protect it with foil!
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

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  • solarix
    solarix Solar Expert Posts: 713 ✭✭
    #4
    Re: Looking for Ground Mount Advice

    Have you ever tried to drill T-posts? T-posts are made from scrap mystery steel and are full of hard inclusions making it a crap shoot when trying to get a drill hole through.
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  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: Looking for Ground Mount Advice

    Simpson makes all kinds of hardware to imbed in concrete, including post bases, hold downs, anchors of all kinds of description. Go on line and look here :http://www.strongtie.com/literature/c-2009.html?source=hppromo#addendum

    There are links and pages to all kinds of hardware for achoring stuff.

    Tony
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  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,917 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: Looking for Ground Mount Advice
    solarix wrote: »
    Have you ever tried to drill T-posts? T-posts are made from scrap mystery steel and are full of hard inclusions making it a crap shoot when trying to get a drill hole through.

    Never had any problem. You do have to have the correct tools! It is not stainless or inconel which would be a challenge.
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

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