Five questions you should ask before installing ground solar

If you already know that the government is encouraging the use of solar energy, you might believe that solar energy is a great investment. But once you decide to buy a solar system, that's where the real problem begins.

If you are a homeowner with a certain amount of open space, ground-mounted solar panels may be a great choice for you. Depending on your budget, space, and energy needs, ground-mounted systems have many advantages.

For starters, the system is simpler and doesn't interact with the roof-this means you don't have to worry about damaging roofing materials, leaking water into your home or moving panels with roof replacement.

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Before doing so, consider the following five questions:

Question # 1: "What are the different types of ground-mounted solar systems, and how do I know which system is best for my needs?"

Standard floor installation

When most people think of ground-mounted solar panels, they think of the image on the left. This is what is called a standard floor mount-placing several utility poles on the ground and a rack system on top to hold the solar panels.

The process of setting up such a system is similar to assembling a fence. You first need to dig holes several feet deep, then insert the utility poles and fill them with concrete. This structure will lay the foundation for fixing solar panels.

A significant feature of standard floor mounting is that the panel is "fixed"-which means that the angle and direction of the tilt are permanent. Although the main benefits of this are cost-effective and easy to install, the downside is that there is little or no adjustability, and it is not ideal for areas with heavy snow.

Although concrete pier is always the most practical and cost-effective foundation for standard ground installation, there are other options, including ballast pier, driving pier and screw pile. They are mainly used in large commercial or public facilities and are often used when the soil is too hard or rocky to drill.

For a solar system with a ballast, it is basically a standard floor installation with additional features-a concrete foundation above the ground. The pier into the pier looks like a huge pole. As the name suggests, it uses special equipment to drive the pile into the ground.

A spiral pile, also known as a ground screw, looks like a huge screw. They also need to install special equipment, similar to driven docks. In addition, all three alternative basic options need to work with a professional engineer (PE).

Solar panel

In addition to the standard floor mount, you can also consider solar panels mounted on a pole. The pole stand provides some interesting solutions that may be suitable for unique situations.

For beginners, pole-mounted solar panels are built in a similar way as standard ground-mounted systems, but instead of digging a few holes, you will dig a large hole and set a huge pole into it. Then, mount the solar panel on top with the built-in tilt and rotate function, which allows you to manually adjust the solar panel or set up an automatic tracker to increase solar output.

Although this sounds appealing, what really reduces to cost per watt.

"In residential systems, the way to add more arrays (solar panels) is cheaper and equally effective than the ability to adjust smaller arrays."

However, in addition to the energy output, there are many benefits to the pole-mounted system-the adjustable feature also allows you to lift the array above the ground to remove leaves, snow and other obstacles. The combination of height and adjustability makes the pole stand perfect for those who live in snowy weather. On the downside, solar panels mounted on poles are much more expensive, require larger concrete footings, and it is difficult to use large-sized pipes.

Question 2: "Does the ground solar have to be off-grid?"

Both grid-connected and off-grid customers can use ground-mounted solar panels. The decision to use ground-mounted solar rather than roof-mounted solar is often a matter of space. For customers with some room, using ground-mounted solar is a good option – but if you live on a smaller land or want a faster return on investment, you may need to save space and use real estate in your On the roof. Ground-mounted solar systems tend to be more expensive and labor-intensive, but may be more effective at capturing energy and can save you more in the long run.

Question 3: "What should I consider before installing ground-mounted solar energy?"

Before buying a ground-mounted solar system, consider the fact that the installation process is usually more complicated than placing a solar panel on a roof. When you installed the roof, you were half finished. All you need is a rack and solar panels. However, for a ground-mounted system, you actually have to build the structure of the roof from scratch, so there is still something for solar panels.

Depending on your residence, this may be an essential step. Some cities, especially those with certain soil types, strict building codes, and high earthquake risk, will require you to inspect and approve the soil before designing the ground installation. In this case, the soil engineer will look at the soil to determine its type and adjust the foundation size and design requirements.

So, what is the best soil type for a ground-mounted system?

"Basically, anything that doesn't have a lot of large stones and is not a hard pot-type material will work very well. The ground installation will work very well on almost all other types of soil-if you get into large rocks on the ground, It's just a problem. That's the root of the problem-but there are other solutions ... more expensive, but if that's what you have, there are many options. "

Some of these options may be more complex foundations mentioned above, such as ballast, driven piers or spiral piles.

Question 4: "Do I have to inspect the property line before installing ground-mounted solar?"

One of the smartest things you can do before installing a ground-mounted solar cell array is to investigate a property line.

"It's important to understand the shrinking requirements of the property line through this process, because if you install without permission and place the [system] too close to the property line, then if you are selling a house or getting permission on your property Do other work. In the future, this could be a big problem. "

Question 5: "Is it safe and legal to install solar panels on the ground nearby?"

As long as you install a solar system after obtaining a building permit and purchasing compliant materials, it is completely safe and legal. Photovoltaic solar panels are compatible with most land-use types, and licensing is usually done locally.

When you install a solar cell array on the ground, there are less concerns about fire than when you install it on a roof

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