New array

[TomW]

I wanted to say "Nice Rack!" in the subject but it seemed vaguely inappropriate.

Just lost a nice long post due to a file size error.

Anyway, we got this array installed over 2 days between rain days.

The hardware has been on a pallet in the driveway a few weeks awaiting good weather, permits and available labor happening in the right order and timing.

[TomW]

BTW, this array is 24 310 watt Trina modules and 7,740 nameplate watts. 38.5 feet wide and 12 foot high at the rear, 35 degrees fixed.

[TomW]

....

[Westbranch]

Tom are 1 and 3 the same pic?


NICE RACK!

[TomW]

Tom are 1 and 3 the same pic?

just different ends of the rack (no neighbors house in third photo. Was too close to get it all in one frame.

[ClassicCrazy]

what kind of racking did you use ?  Looks like Ironridge ? Did you assemble the frame ( without the rails ) and then pour the concrete ? That is how various people have told me to do it .

Are those big trees shading your panels early morning ?
Larry

[CDN-VT]

Ya the forum software BITES !
Post all type first & then attach .
So how do you guys see the pictures , I can't scroll & see the entire shot .
When I get off on WINdoze , I'll resize & re-post them .

VT

[TomW]

The rack is a Unirac ULA [Unirac Large Array] system.

We bored the holes 24" wide by 48" deep, assembled the rack in place using 3 rails to stabilize it and legs driven into the ground enough to hold them plumb. Used a transit to level the leg tops per specification on height.

The legs are common 2" galvanized schedule 40 pipe, in this case 9 21 foot sticks, 5 for legs and 4 for the horizontal pipes the rails attach to.

We installed the modules one at a time rather than attach modules to rails in columns and place them on the rack as some folks do. We did not have enough help to hoist an assembled colum into place. 

Rear legs are 88" above grade, front are 37" above grade.

This pcture  shows what was done when they delivered the concrete to the slip n slide approach to the rack:

[TomW]

Sorry, wrong picture. I can't find the one I was looking for.

Yep, there is some shade early and late and in winter from some leafless tree branches.

Plan got modified after equipment was purchased due to the city giving me inaccurate info on setbacks which put the array 20 feet further south and 10 feet further West  than the Solar Pathfinder showed as my best location.

This is the pile of pipe we used..

[ClassicCrazy]

I like that idea of pounding the pipes in to stabilize them.  But when I mentioned this to one of the racking vendors at the energy fair he said that doing that could cause the pipe to start rotting out at the bottom in the soil and move up through the concrete. I am not sure if I buy into that  though . 

I know in ham radio installing Rohn towers I believe you are supposed to leave the bottom of the pipes open in sand so that condensate forming in the pipes can drain off. I have seen towers that I believe were split open on the bottom from contained water that froze in winter.

Even if that schedule 40 pipe was going to rot out probably would be in a long long time that someone in the future could curse you out for not doing it right - ha ha .

I grew up with solar in the old days when we just had a few smaller panels - no big deal putting them up on anything. Then I finally realized my dream and got a whole truck full of panels and realized " What am I going to put these up on !"   The answer for me was some old cattle feeders tipped sideways - not ideal but they have not fallen over yet . My next rack will be more professional like yours though .

Larry

[ClassicCrazy]

What are your plans for heavy snows ? I guess I would put my panels steeper at 45 degrees  just so the snow can slide off easier. Though I guess if a person is around a soft broom with a long pole can help out in the worst snow cases. And gives a guy something to do .

Larry

[TomW]

Some points:

If frost drives 4 feet deep here it will be extremely unusual. Up north I always went a minimum of 4 feet on posts, footings, etc and 6+ feet for water lines.

The layer where the pipes end up at 4 feet is sand under clay / loam so drainage should be fairly good.

At 62, I won't be above ground when those pipe rot off unless I get past 100? Plus, you know manufacturers tend to give CYA Cover Your Arse engineering advice so I would not expect them to do otherwise.

I have done stuff in the past on installs that I would never consider now. And nobody to answer to like here with codes and  neighbors bitching about having to look at the thing rather than my back yard.

Got a good soft broom and a length of PVC pipe to extend the handle for snow removal.

Again, the climate difference from "up north" to here should mean a LOT less of the white stuff. I think, I hope. We were at at 43.3° N there and at 41.7°  here or 150 miles as the drone flies.

Being retired, I am usually here.

Now on to dealing with the city's idea of what we can do to grid tie. Being first it means they really are clueless so far other than boiler plate stuff they got online it seems. No resistance just confusion on how to go about it. At least now they are talking bi directional meter rather than 2 that looked like I would buy my own power before it actually got to the grid.


This project has kept me from getting bored.

Tom


Everything in life seems to be a compromise.

[russ_drinkwater]

Hi, gal piping driven into the ground will rot/rust at a disturbing rate!
All piping needs to enclosed by concrete as this reduces oxygen contacts with the steel.
If it is hot dipped gal it is slower, but "duragal" which is a lighter plating process is, well, rubbish!
I have broken up concrete here at home that my dad had set black steel bolts in under shelter to attach wall framing to
and these were over 40 years old. Still like new under the concrete!
On the other hand I have concreted duragal posts in the ground and they have rusted off after 10 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Soil acidity has a big effect as well.
Errr, exceptional nice rack, I must say! 

[CDN-VT]

Errr, exceptional nice rack, I must say! 

Exceptional nice rack's come in a few different values : them that are bolstered internally & over sold ,Cost value over time & the maintenance later ..
them that are using external bolstering just to look tougher, and those that are real HOT dipped GAL 's them are the ones , but the Nuts required to hold them in together is worth a good torque stick .

Nice work !
VT

[TomW]

Err...

I have created a monster