I wasn’t sure about it when I first decided to go with it, but it was easier to install than I expected and I’ve had 60mph winds without even the slightest issue.
I finally installed my ready rack yesterday. Due to some issues getting things aligned it took longer, but I will be mounting panels tomorrow. Also, that pro tip you gave is what I learned yesterday via some trial and error.
I used ready rack for my 12kw system after seeing your original video on it. Overall I'm pretty happy with it. It's survived our Oklahoma wind and snow for a year now with no issues. I will say, you have some really REALLY soft dirt there. Getting my screws in the ground was a total nightmare due to the clay we have about 18 inches down here. I had to get grade 8 bolts for my screws because the original hardware would snap off rather easily. I got to dig up 2 different screw heads because of this 😢 Also, my 35hp tractor would not screw in these screws all the way. Also, there was no way I was going to be lining up the bolt holes by hand. Luckily I rented a skid steer with a reversible head that made lining up the bolt holes easy. Overall I would definitely recommend the system but place a big BIG emphasis on getting the right screws for your ground type.
Thanks for posting your real world use case! This is great information for people to consider. For clay type soils, I think time of year can also play a big part. I made a point to install my screws in late fall or early spring when the ground is soft from rain fall. In mid summer, it becomes very hard, almost like concrete. I was worried about breaking bolts, but had no issues with that, sounds like my fears were not unfounded.
@@ProjectsWithDave very good point about time of year. I installed mine during Christmas break of 2021. It wasn't freezing weather but that still may have not been the best time.
12:43 Pro tip: we build brackets from home depot in a double L and 4 in total , 2 for the current panel and 2 for the next. The upper L will be put onto the lower horizontal bar or profil and the lower L mounted so to say upside down faces up that you can lay the panel onto them and adjust them easily without someone always having to hold that panel. You then have a master piece for the distance of the lower end of the panel to that profile where you mount the panels cause I bet the horizontal profiles and bars were perfectly aligned, and the the panels are a lot easier to align them perfectly this way. You can adjust the home depot plates , I mean 2 of these L each 40 cm long with holes in a pattern drilled already from the factory can also adjust close to the perfect position. The last mm can be adjusted by a rod of wood and you have the perfect line. If you have screwed the middle connector you pick up the 2 bracket assmeblies ( built out of for L) and move them forward to the next spot. If you have additional pieces you can build a U shape at the lower end which prevents those brackets from falling of if you push the panels in place. Hard to describe but if you think about very valueable especially on the roof or if you have to work on your own and not further helping hand is available. Cheap (20€ or 20$ for 4 of them) and easy to build cause you simply need 8 L pieces and some screws to mount the upper L with the back on the lower L and adjust it the distances. You can also bend an U at the lower end with the U pillars in a distance of the height of the panel, mostly 3 or 4 cm. Helps an awfull lot and can be reused later. And makes the aligning a lot easier cause your horizontal profiles are easier to align first and then you should get automatically the right alignment of the panels if they lay in these brackets. Attention: You might have to shorten the upper L to release it once the panel has been fixed. If the shorter leg is too long there is not enough space to the back of the panel, so 1,5 cm should be enough to held the panel in space but also short enough to release or recover the L from the holding position once the panel has been fixed. Hard to describe especially in a foreign language but it is a very usefull geometrical alignment tool only for that particular use case and of cause on a roof too.
I'm not sure this racking system is quite as HD as some of the others out there (although likely cheaper and easier to install), but it looks like a good option for those folks that don't live is areas prone to extreme wind conditions. BTW, I checked my location in CT and solar south was within 0.05° of due south... close enough for me!
DANG man!!..... I thought I had a great DIY ground mount...... YOURS makes MINE look like a kindergartener made it!!! GREAT JOB!!!! I don't even think a hurricane will pull THAT outta the ground!!!!
Learn more about solar power and home backup on my website ProjectsWithDave.com Leave comments and questions below, I answer as many as possible. Thanks!
Hello I am doing solar system accessories, your installation video is very comprehensive, let me learn a lot. Hope to have more videos in the future, thank you
Your video helped a lot in my decision of what rack to get. I'm really impressed with the kit and almost have it completed. I watched this vid several times as I was building which really helped in the assembly.
really awesome. dont know how expensive is it in compare to other racks, but looks really good. Many people do a rack without diagonal stabilizers, that is actually wrong. Just I would make them tighter, than one can do with bare hands and own weight.
Prices have gone up over the last few years due to the price of steel, but I expect that's the same for all systems. When I did my original analysis to other systems the pricing was similar, but I didn't have to spend any labor or money on concrete so I came out way ahead with this method.
Okay....Several things come to mind. First, my Ironridge ground mount didn't require 2' holes 7 feet deep. Granted I'm not in a hurricane area, but my rack is rated for 120mph. The 'rack' sure looks like Unistrut. The small cables seem to be more show and tell than anything else. I can't see how 1/8" cable is going to add much in the way of support. And lastly, how in the hell do you screw in the earth screws if you don't happen to have a tractor with a post hole digger attachment? Renting a bobcat would certainly put the screws to building a inexpensive solar mount.
The only support that the cable provides is connecting the long posts to the others. Should the rack deflect a bit in the wind, they'll transfer some of the deflection to the next post and that post to the next post, so the only way if fails is if a force is applied to that's strong enough to break the cable or bend the whole rack. Commonly available 1/8" steel cable is rated for 400lbs tension and has a breaking strength around 2000lbs, so they'll do a lot more than nothing. How did you dig the holes for your concrete footings? The drawings in the video show the helix on the bottom of the posts are 6" wide, which I'm guessing is more narrow than the holes you had to dig. Anything that can remove earth with a larger radius than that should have enough power to drive these down. My point being that if you don't have something to do this you're probably renting something anyway.
It's three weeks later. Yeah seven feet deep is stretch, a back hoe, 36-40" and a sonotube. Just like a deck. I am not a fan of steel direct in soil where in can rust away, prefer it on concrete with anchors..
Good simple instructions and good what and why explanations, well done and you have another subscription. Keep safe and good luck with your installs (from AF in the UK).
I just talked to this company today and got a quote and the price is ridiculously expensive! I cannot see paying more for the racking than I pay for the solar panels themselves.
Yeah, that's why they don't publish their prices on their website. They want to talk you on the phone and try and convince you why you need their product. If the price isn't display clearly, I walk away. They can keep it.
@@majorhavoc9693 You're right about that. They're hiding something when they don't post the price. Yup, they need to give you their sales pitch. I'm moving to a new development. I'm going to see if I can get the builder to bury some metal posts for me for not too much money while they're building the house and then I can attach some racking to the posts myself after I move in.
Building your own racking can be much cheaper. However, if you have to get it inspected you will need an engineering certification making DIY much more difficult.
@@ProjectsWithDave I'm planning on living out the middle of nowhere so I don't expect there to be any such requirement from the township but I better ask ahead of time. I think the AC side (grid tie) will be the only part that needs inspection and I would call in an electrician to do that part anyway. But if worse comes to worse, I'll end up caving and buying this racking system.
Try to get some WD40 Dry Lubricant it will 1) dry and collect no dust. 2) seal the nuts 🔩 from moisture, 3) makings it easily to remove if needed 4) removing moisture from electrical. I even used it underneath my car and lawnmower etc. thumbs up 👍
Please setup the new panels virgin. No optimizers and no microinverters. Use this as control set. Compare the different systems. Thank you for the great videos
You dont have enough space for all the solar panels? LOL you have an entire field. Im so so Sorry I could not hold that back hope you have a sense of humour.🤣 Still deserves a LIKE and best of luck.
Hi Dave, very informative video. Could you provide a little more detail on the adapter to drive in the screws. Also how do you determine the soil type in a given are? Thanks for all your help
I just measured the diameter and bolt pitch on my auger and had a friend machine an adaptor for me. Typically there are county maps with soil type for your area. Or you could dig a hole.
Why not build a standard concrete column and mount 6x6 and build an angled deck surface without decking just joists. I plan on building 8’ from to 12’ back. With 2x6 on outside all the way around lag bolted to posts. Posts are 12’ on center. And 2x6” joist every 4’ with solar k2 tracks mounted to these joists. The reason mine is so high is I have a walkout basement the lower side southern face of my hose. Roof panel would have rarely hit above 50%. The added benefit is that above solar array is a 3 story solid wall of hardie which will add to reflection downward.
Thanks for the video. Curious if the auger poles would work in the blue rock (old lava) that the minority of us here on the big island of Hawaii have on our property under the 3-4” of top soil?
I don't know the answer to that, I would contact the company and see if they have experience with that situation. They do have a ballast system that does not require any ground penetration, that may be a consideration for you. Ballast spec sheet: uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5e4bf6aabc92428ec6194695/634ea02dcb50d20a20dac2ce_APA_SPEC_SHEETS_V01.4_GEOBALLAST.pdf
Would be cool to see a version of this for quick antenna mast installs. Sometimes you just need to be able to have a decent base for a mast that is not going very high. Would be cool to see a short one designed to attach to an auger just screw into the ground and bam you have a mounting point to install a metal pole off of. You could even use 5 of the things so you could get a really solid base for a taller mast.
Thank you for the content. I am in analysis paralysis. Need to get something built. you are 2ns or 3rd person i have seen planned and built a solar array, both roof and ground, then wanted it larger with more panels. I think my goal is to overbuild a ground array rack system and then I have extra capacity for future expansion. Which is the best panel mounting orientation? Portrait or landscape? Seems like the size of newer model panels are growing also? does that factor into the rack mounting?
I can relate to "analysis paralysis." 😀 I don't regret making room to expand, but at some point you just have to make a choice and go with it. You can see my logic for sizing my original system in this video on sizing grid tie solar systems: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rbFnZqA0GCI.html I targeted never overproducing, in retrospect I think overproducing a couple of months would have been a better balance for me. I prefer portrait orientation, but it is going to be dependent on your racking system. You will want to choose your panel first, then spec the racking to match. I would quote multiple racking systems and choose the one that best fits your needs.
@@ProjectsWithDave Thank you for the content. I’m off grid for now. Also plan is for a lithium ion phosphate cell and natural gas generator tie in. Why? The only electric provider in northern New Mexico doesn’t have any equipment I’m told supply chain shortages and hurricane Ian last year. So they are not running new customer lines until 2024. A year ago I was told by 2023. I got a quote from your favorite rack company but shipping is very expensive from OH to NM and I didn’t see any discounts. Do you have a code?
Great video, thanks for this one and all the other diy ones you've shared related to solar. Im considering buying the ready rack as well. Did you end up buying the hex driver bit for the screws/helicals ready rack sells or end up doing something else?
wouldn't poles have to be cut to a more precise length, when cable is infinitely adjustable at the point of installation? Cables only work in tension of course, but that's why the "X". I've done similar instals with both poles and cables and the cables were much easier DIY.
Try this in Santa Barbara County where the local jurisdiction thinks that they are smarter than everyone else and will require you to get wet stamped structural engineering on the plans which will cost you thousands of dollars and probably take about six months at a minimum to get done. I had a perfectly successful install business and I threw it all out the window in frustration with pulling permits and dealing with electrical utility interconnection agreements.
Great vid thanks. Im a huge fan of helical piles. My house is on them. I looked at their website though and there is no pricing which makes me think Im not going to be able to afford the system. Bummer. Question-what is your east west span between the piles? How many feet between each one? Thanks
Question for ground rod location? Should my 10’ rods be driven in by the pole with the conductors going underground to my solar shed or at another pole of the array about 12’ away from the conductor run pole? Fantastic videos across the board Dave. I’ve learned a ton.
Generally speaking, you have one ground point for your house and everything goes back to that. Usually two rods at least 6' apart. However, I'm not an electrician. I suggest you ask your local inspector for their input.
For people without skid steers, what alternatives are there? I know I could rent one but if possible I'd like to buy something so I can use it over and over again. It's not clear to me that if I bought a post hole auger (the kind you can hold with your hands) that I'd be able to use it for this application. Thanks!
If you have soft ground and make an adaptor for a two person post hole auger you might be able to do it. Where I live the ground is clay and very hard in the summer, but in the spring it's very soft. If you try it, or if someone else has tried it, let me know how it goes.
I know this is an old video, but hopefully you still monitor the post. Do you have a link to the ground screw driver for the tractor? I looks like a post hole sher adapted to accept the screws. Any information you share will be helpful.
Is this Raking system going to be good for heavy snowfall(may be at least 36 inches) that happens in upstate new york? Does this system pass the standard construction codes?
You get better performance on the ground. You can see the performance difference with a shed application here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mzqjCsZKUYQ.html
If you have a finance constraint, I would not use batteries. I would just have a grid tie system. Here are some details on how it works: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-IwUK1dNJ3n8.html
I’m also trying to compare the Everest rack system. I think it is best to prepare the rack site and over build by a few panels for future expansion. Everyone I have asked wishes they had built a larger array.
As a solar installer; I can tell you these screws only work if you've got good clean dirt.. if you have lots of rocks or god forbid you live on shelf rock, then these screws will not work. We use a very similar screw system (sunmodo) at my workplace and I hate it.. the crews who drive the screws have to auger rock out and set them in concrete half the time, anyway! XD
@@milkhbox gotcha. Thanks for the quick response. Yeah I'm having to find a rack with 125 mph wind rating to get permitted I'm noticing a lot of the cheaper ones are in the 115 Max wind and I'm assuming this rack is probably around the 7 or 8k range as far as price goes. Probably way out of my budget. I'm seeing a lot of great racks being built out of timber. Then you got to get engineered and probably won't look as good in 5 or 10 years .
An admirable system but, having eliminated the concrete, why did you need to put down all that stone? Wouldn't sheep manage the grass and avoid ground maintenance?
Any company make a fence post that can be installed on either of those ground anchors you show? I thinking about a vertical solar panel fence reason I am asking.
@@ProjectsWithDave How deep did you go with the screw or auger style tip? What is your frost depth code? My project’s frost depth is 24” and the county construction code requires every thing to be buried 12 or more inches below the frost depth. Everyone I asked said the local contractors bury everything 48”. Would Fence post tips need such a depth?
I don't have many rocks in my soil so I can't speak with direct experience. The longer narrow pitch screw I show in the beginning of the video is supposed to be for rocky soil. I'm sure rocky soil is more challenging.
Just to be clear, I did not get paid to sponsor them, nor do I get revenue if you purchase their products. I just try and make sure any possible conflict of interest is understood by the viewer. As for this racking system, I purchased the racking for my original install at full price, because it was the best option for me. Thanks!
DIY is all I see! Clearly there are no commercial vendors for these systems because everyone is having to build them themselves. You'd think where there's a market, there's an industry to fulfill that need, but I guess not. Not everyone is a "do-it-yourself" capable person, we'll just have to keep buying electricity from the city.
There are installers, I found one through Energy Sage before I decided to go DIY. It's a free service to help you get competing bids. Here's my affiliate link: www.energysage.com/p/everydaydave/
Thanks for the info! We actually tried them but they have a catalogue of preliminary questions that is thicker than the US tax code! We gave up. @@ProjectsWithDave
0:29 - Concrete is cheaper 0:57 : Readyrack .. blablabla .. those screw are a pretty old system, and we use them for houses for decades : This is clearly an advertisment for Readybolocks
12:02 - big mistake and also dangerous cause a plastic zip tie will rod away and then the cable end will get loose maybe even under tension and might hit the white foil and damage that. And then you are screwed cause you will not recognice what is happening cause moisture will get in directly condens under the electric surfaces and cause what ? corrosion which grows over time and equals what ? additional resistance and therefore less power from that particular panel which also kills the string, I mean decreases the production of the whole string. Get metal cable ties VA2 or so cheap from china and everything should be fine even though I suggest to cut the rest off that it never could hit the white foil. Best and easiest way. The current long cable will not make you happy or help you but can cause big damage. Those cable ties rot away in about 5 years , most likely lot earlier in your region with the snowy winter and a lot additional reflection of UV light that kills the plastic. Here plastic zip ties are forbidden for electric installations at all due to these reasons.
Energy pal is a waste of time don’t bother. You should warn your subscribers that the energy pal website is not sophisticated enough and limited to grid tie systems and they can’t help you if you have new development plans and there is no current ability to tie into the existing coop. So they will not help with any off grid systems. Also they stated they don’t have any subcontractors that can work with the newest 2023 equipment such as the hoymiles 4-1 micro inverter as an example.
Nothing pisses me off more and makes me unsub quicker than when someone says "I'll put the link in the description, then doesn't bother doing so, but instead fills that area up with a bunch of affiliate links or other revenue streams. The description area is for info on the video, not an advertising space... I'll go find the solar noon link myself... I'd paste it here for others but RU-vid deletes comments if you include links....don't say you're including a link if you're not and instead going to just puke affiliate links.
@@AdministrativeReload I already pay for RU-vid Premium to not have ads, RU-vid IS my cable...if you want to turn your video into an infomercial that's your choice, just don't tell people you're including something of actual value to the topic then not do it... you sure didn't forget all the affiliate crap.
