Low cost ground mount idieas?

[LeRoy]

Thanks so much for the replies.

Do you think there would be any micro-inverter issues when using a pressure treated wood rack?

[Naptown]

Those will need to be included in the bonding.
Use all stainless hardware with isolation washers that are either non metallic or stainless.

[maple flats]

I used and like the Haticon system, for my original 1480 watts and my current expansion in the works now, moving from off grid at 1480 watts to 6.32 KW grid tied, net metered is using the Haticon.

[maple flats]

Those thinking of PT lumber for a ground mount, consider this. The PT found at Lowes or Home Depot is not even rated for ground contact. The best PT I've seen is rated 30 years. Solar panels are 50 yrs+, the first panels made in the 40's are still making power. Igf going ground mount use solar mounts unless you plan to re build the mount every 20 yrs or so.

[SolarJoe]

Phillip, you might want to start with a professional have them install, insure, maintain and monitor the system. The company that installed my system was xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mod note - last warning - forget the solar company ad.

[bonaire]

General thought. If the $1/Watt ground-mount cost add-on for the system makes it basically "too costly" for payback period, consider not doing it. What about doing an energy review and attempt to cut energy usage instead? Whether it is putting timers on devices like DVRs to cleaning refrigerator coils to using all LED lighting, etc. If you don't do cost-cutting first, no real reason to try to save money with Solar because you have to size a system larger than you really need.

Going with roof mounting instead doesn't remove $1/Watt - it has a lower cost associated but it does have cost. With roof mount, you don't lose the ground-space involved in the ground mount. Some people have to build-up their roofing lumber if the engineering says that the weight of the panels goes beyond the home's original construction specs. That adds cost as well.

I know of a guy living on a farm in Virginia who is off-grid and did ground mount decades ago and recently bought some more panels. He's a unique guy but he does, at times, lay his panels flat on the ground in the summer-time. I wonder if you could do something like a "cold frame" or basic ballasted flat-mount rather than an angled ground mount which are more expensive due to wind-load engineering?