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5 Mar ’12
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OK, so I researched pole mounts and each would be $1k plus conduit, wiring, etc. I would need 2 pole mounts plus the cost of building the smaller shed to hold my equipment.
I am tempted just to mount the panels on the roof I have but after consulted with my wife she still didn't like that idea. She suggested I build an almost "A" frame like shed but with only one slant roof. I could mount all of the panels on this roof and put all of my equipment in the space below. It involves building another structure which I am not excited about but it would save me ~$2k in pole mounting costs.
Like this...
Or a smaller version of this without the small "wall" at the bottom...
Or like this but without the funky wall portion on the backside...
And one more picture, I like the short wall but my wife would want this shed to be basically invisible behind the panels... so no short wall...
So who wants to come out and lend a hand to build this thing? Beer and splinters are promised!
15 Feb ’12
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if you were closer I would!
Actually as we grow in membership and size, I should make regional sub forums for stuff like this for people to connect locally. I can think of at least 4 members in the michigan area right now
5 Mar ’12
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That would be a good addition. I am re-thinking this idea. The amount of work it would take to build a new structure, the money to mount the panels on it, and the effort of moving the existing shed is very daunting.
I mean, I have the shed already there, facing solar south, with all of my equipment in it. Maybe I just need to suck it up and figure out a way to mount the panels on the roof.
P.S. Your sandwich thread is amazing. I am going to have your wife make me those for my birthday.
21 Feb ’12
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lol!
3 Jun ’12
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i really like the lean-to look. BUT its alot of hassle when you already have the building right where you need it. I would also advise against having them about flush with the ground, for alot of reasons, but mainly because of snow buildup that would become another daily chore during snow season.... I lived in a well designed off grid ranger station for about a year. almost everything was well thought out... except the angle of the solar panels (they werent too close to thhe ground, but flush on roofs that didn't really have enough pitch to shed all the snow on their own- not a problem for a steel roof, but a real hassle for rangermountainmedic). asthetics won out over practicality and I spen about 45 minutes a crack, sometimes several times a day, sweeping & clearing all the panels. just an FYI.
So, what is the problem with mounting them on the barn?
5 Mar ’12
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Yeah, I would build the roof, if I even did this, so that the panels would be a few feet off of the ground. I am starting to realize I really can't build this shed.
Mathematically it to create a 20-ish foot slanted roof at ~65 or ~70 degrees would make a ridiculously tall structure. It would look absurd out there and still not give me the true angle I am going for -- 80+ degrees in the winter. I think I need to suck it up and figure out the tilting ounts.
I am not a solar professional or anything and figuring out how to mount these, securely, has been hard. I tried constructing something myself from angle iron but my wife REALLY didn't like the design or the idea of me doing it myself. Unirac makes what I need but when you price all of the aluminum channel, bolts, and hinges it gets stupid expensive. Like $700 to $1,000 to mount 6 panels. The price is all in proprietary hinges. I've tried talking to local metal guys and welders but they aren't familiar enough with my needs. I could cobble something together with Unistrut parts from a catalog but the price is almost the same as going with a dedicated solar mount. All of the little necessary propietary parts just add up so quickly.
If anyone has experience with this I would love to hear about it.
15 Feb ’12
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I don't know if something like this would work for you pork
http://www.northernt.....MgodmEsAzw
when we mounted the panels for my dads cabin, we just used 1/2 pvc connecters, washers and screws
3 Jun ’12
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Before even reading what you wrote, my first thought was angle iron. easy enough to cut & bolt together. I'd bet that if you hit it all up with black stove paint when you were done it would look pretty good & pro. No different than mounting a basketball hoop, right????:)
How heavy are those panels? Do they have any sort of "starter" brackets built in (attachment points) that you could build off of? I am 100% positive you can come up with something that looke good, is structurally sound, and doesn't piss off MrsChops.
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