Budget-Friendly DIY Solar Ground Mount: EG4 BrightMount & Eco-Wothy Combiner Box *Unsponsored*

[@jackehli621]

I just got the exact same equipment. Same panels, same mount. I can't wait to assemble it. I'm doing a manual tracker with beefy wheels and a cement pivot that consists of a large axle and bearings. I've made 3 small trackers that work excellently but now I'm stepping it up a notch. I can swing them with one finger. I got the idea from yours and other KZbin videos.

[@JohnDoe95876]

What width of the panels? 44" exactly, or 44.7"? And if the latter, did 4 panels fit easily?

[@claytonyoung1351]

They have an extender for the kit. 44 is the max, so you're going to need an extender for anything higher. ​@@JohnDoe95876

[@SalProcopio]

Masonry block holes should face up. Blocks strength is weaker otherwise.

[@UPdan]

I want to thank you for saving me over $700 in 10 months on my electric bill. In two years I will completely pay for my two solar power stations and extra battery.

[@ReeWrayOutdoors]

Awesome!

[@evertking1]

Bifacial panels pushed up close to that white building. Im going to do what you did here but im going to pour white gravel under the rack. Nice build, gonna use it

[@happyhamster1411]

they still say the higher off the ground the better

[@jasonbroom7147]

Solar panels, under the worst conditions, are basically "sails". The amount of lift they can create is substantial. At your local home improvement box store you will find ground anchors that have an i-bolt on top and a helix, mounted on an incline plane, at the bottom. (TBBT reference there). It's a large metal screw with a loop on top. Run them down in the ground and then you can secure the 4x6 bases you made using cable or something like it. They are easily removed later, if you need to reposition the array.

[@ReeWrayOutdoors]

Thanks for the suggestion, Jason. Sounds like an easy implementation. I will say though that the final assembly is HEAVY (~400lbs). I suspect it'd take tornado-class winds to move it - especially given their orientation and with the barn structure at the back. I'll probably put some reference marks on the cinder blocks so I can monitor for any movement after high winds and then do additional anchoring if necessary. Time will tell! As I mentioned in the video, the currently location is only 'semi-permanent' since I'm looking to put a large ~16KW array in that spot sometime in the next year. At that point, I'll be moving this smaller array to a different location and use it primarily for EV charging. We'll see how it all goes. :P

[@jasonbroom7147]

@@ReeWrayOutdoors - They are really easy to install or remove with a drill. (in excess of) 400lbs of lift doesn't take as much wind as you might think, although being close to the barn behind it would likely preclude that volume of wind from hitting the panels. It's really more of a "best practice" kind of deal.

[@junkerzn7312]

One thing I will note on arrays like this... when there is a modest air gap between the panels it usually relieves a large portion of the wind pressure. I recommend rejiggering one row of the panels a little to add some vertical separation in addition to the horizontal separation you already have.

[@TK-123]

⁠@@ReeWrayOutdoors400 lbs is nothing compared to the lifting force of the sail you just created with the panels..

[@Moes_Prep_and_Tech]

@@ReeWrayOutdoors the year i've had mine it never flew. I've had really bad thunderstorms and tornadoes in my area where trees come down in my area and my array still stood in place

[@richpate9436]

Complete newbie here planing my first solar array installation. Great video. Would appreciate more info on even the simple things, like testing your installation when done. Looking forward to more videos.

[@markronck3415]

Many folks go through SS out of Sulphur Springs, TX. I like that I can drive up and pick up and take them home.

[@ReeWrayOutdoors]

I'm jealous! They have a ton of great stuff at great pricing and the people are excellent to work with!

[@retnav92]

👍Shared the link to this with a family member who is planning a backyard solar panel setup.

[@stalwart56k]

So great to see this array with bi-facial!! I'll be recommending these to my clients!

[@bobcole3852]

Nice install! I'm doing the same thing, built the racks and waiting for warmer weather to pour concrete. I have regular high wind and thought about a 4x6 base like yours but am hesitant. My disappointment is that SS doesn't sell rail extensions to allow 5 panels on each rack but their minimum order is 10 panels. Reminds me of hot dogs/buns packages..... I know you got 10 panels, do you intend to address that? How?

[@joetripp123]

I have the same rack, its very nice. I actually bought extra end clamps and didn't tie the two halves together due to my situation (two 2 panel racks). Makes them easier to move for now as well. 11:35 you can add some insurance with bolts in the horizontal holes (p6 of manual). I believe that's what they are for. Your top rail is upside down, the L bracket should face the same way as the bottom one. I don't believe it will make much of a difference , it just moves the horizontal support down a few inches.

[@ReeWrayOutdoors]

Cool idea! I can see where doing 2 separate smaller racks might be super handy. You're right about that top rail...I didn't realize it until later, but yeah, it's completely fine that way it seems.

[@meganote]

Thanks. I'm looking at building a similar 1200w ground based array in my back yard. Not ready to put panels on the roof.

[@chadrogers3161]

Gonna check out this rack system next! Just spent yesterday building larger version 2 of my ground rack again out of wood. Wish I saw this video before and would have convinced me to splurge on this vs wood. 😤

[@WiSeNhEiMeR-1369]

Thanks R-W-O, ... I have a 36 panel, Ground Mount - configured in a: 6S / 6P configuration ... Your GROUNDING Solution appears to be MUCH More modern " MC4 " Connectors ... and my six (6) GROUND MOUNT Arrays were constructed with 4" X 4" & 2" X 6" Wood - requiring each panel to be abraded with a high speed grinder ... to remove, your mentioned, ANODIZATION & an individual Grounding LUG to be bolted to each of my 36 panels ... then a 6 - AWG Bare Copper wire was woven from PANEL to PANEL and then attached to an 8' long Copper-Coated STEEL Ground ROD, by my arrays ... I too started with an ECO-WORTHY Combiner-Box - originally a FOUR (4) string unit - but - eventually expanded to an ECO-Worthy SIX (6) String Combiner-Box ... I the ECO-WORTHY Construction & their included SURGE-PROTECTION & separate internal Grounding LUG ... Thanks for SHARING your SYSTEM & SOLUTIONS COOP the WiSeNhEiMeR from Richmond, INDIANA ...

[@marcobonafe3038]

nice video! I have 4x450w panels, just want to check if those will fit in that stand? thank you so much.

[@chadrogers3161]

Any concern of the array just tipping forward from maybe a gust of wind?? And or are you already using sand bags or blocks on top of the cut 4X6s?? Remember to check torque on lag bolts as wood dries.

[@tomcoryell]

Hey thanks for this! I have 12 of the same Hyundai bifacial panels as well as 3 of the Brightmounts to build. I also plan to use 4x6 Timbers. I am in a windy area, so I am going to bolt through the Timbers and also use auger type ground anchors. I’m shadowed from the prevailing wind by my house, but you never know what that rogue gust is going to do! Man, unloading the vertically packed panels from the pallet was scary even with two fairly strong guys.

[@DYT-jx4jp]

Nice setup! Thanks for sharing/video!

[@JohnDoe95876]

So Question. The EG4 Ground mount that your using, specifies a maximum width of 44" for each solar panel. The 395 watt bi-facial panels I'm looking at now, and I'm assuming yours as well, show a width of 44.7". Times 4 panels, and we're over the maximum width of the mount by 2.8" It looks like there's spare room on the rails on either side in your video. Does the extra 2.8" matter?

[@johnspohr]

I have those same panels in my cart to purchase at signature solar. It would be great to see your next video soon about how well they produce and what the efficiency is and if you like them or not.

[@jsdiecast]

How do you have your Combiner box mounted

[@ausnorman8050]

Just had a video idea maybe? If you have an AllPower R2500 on the way to review, it does state 1000W max solar input or 150v/20amp. 3 of those new panels being 48.8v and 10.12amp or a string of three = 146.4V/10.12amp and 1185W of power. Knowing that panels never give 100% of rated power, would it be safe to use that 3 panel setup and as they say 'over panel' the MPPT on the R2500 so its always near max input?

[@ausnorman8050]

Looking at ground setup instead of mounting on my shed (easy of install maybe haha) Cheers for the video and should be a good watch as always!

[@jsdiecast]

What is the length of your 2 pieces of 4x6?

[@Moes_Prep_and_Tech]

I have this same ground mount but I can't seem to line up the 2 halfs of it for the life of me. One side of it always seems uneven no matter how level the ground is. The model I got isn't adjustable like yours though. They quickly changed that right after I bought mine, lucky me. I have mine on a concrete parking bumper. (it was a pain to drill into and move)

[@4g63attack]

I bought the same mount when signature solar had their free shipping last month… I still have yet bought panels or mount them. Still trying to figure where on my property to place them since I live in a city…

[@NYCamper62]

At about 11:28 I'm wondering if 40 degrees is the steepest preset angle this mount can deal with (stock)? Without fabrication. 🤔

[@hughhodges5924]

What are the dimensions of the 4 x 6s you secured to and how did you determine those dimensions ? Excellent set up ! Also if you must move this Brightmount array how will you accomplish the relocation? Will you just disassemble it ? Thanks!

[@kuntazulu]

Three 4 x 6 x 8 => 1st 2, cut in half (4 x 6 x 4 each) and the third, cut in four (4 x 6 x 2) each

[@cmbakerxx]

Is your output wire from the combiner box large enough? 4 of those panels in parallel is max 40amps, which requires at least an 8awg wire. The rack looks nice and Im considering something similar to feed my Ecoflow

[@ReeWrayOutdoors]

I'm actually using a 2S2P configuration so my max current is 20A. I'm using 10awg cable so should be fine. :)

[@happyhamster1411]

why is it so important to level it? And what's the maximum amount of 40" wide panels it will hold?

[@rickyellis242]

Thanks, very helpful video. Will be installing my EG4 solar mount in a few days.

[@phknutson]

Do you think it would be possible to mount that on 4 or more large caster(?) wheels to role in and out of a garage? I have a small lot in town. I bought that same mount with 4 400 watt panels.

[@ReeWrayOutdoors]

Yeah I think so. You would want to build a bottom frame that ties together the 4 legs so that you don't have too much flex across the rails when you're moving it which could put a fair amount of strain on the solar panels.

[@Step-n-Wolf]

Just bought the cheaper Eco-Worthy solar rack for $118 ea at AZ. Haven't arrived yet.

[@grindychum]

What will you be charging with this new array? I assume your 800w array is not grounded? Which is fine for charging Sogens.

[@ReeWrayOutdoors]

I'll be charging a variety of things, actually - but mostly larger battery banks and backup power systems...

[@seanbrown7954]

How much does a complete system like the 2.0 cost?

[@hardtruth2039]

How long are the rails that the panels attach to? I want to put 6 100w panels on one. As well how far apart are the mounting rails my panels are 41” tall.

[@ReeWrayOutdoors]

the rails are ~14 feet long and approx 46.25 inches apart if you mount the top rail upside down like I did...it would a couple inches further if you mounted per the manual. I hope that helps.

[@markrumrey790]

Nice setup and I'm assuming that you don't have any wind issues, which would find these in the next county where we live.

[@ReeWrayOutdoors]

We actually do get some pretty gusty winds from time to time (including this past few weeks). So far, the rack has been extremely stable (though I'm watching it closely for any signs of movement. Yeah, it's a lot of surface area, but I think people underestimate how heavy this entire assembly actually is...

[@junkerzn7312]

Only issue that I see is that for the combiner box you actually have to put in fuses sized for the panels. There will be a maximum series fuse specification on the label on the solar panel... the fuse cannot be larger than that specification. That particular combiner box looks like it is designed for a higher-current array so the fuses that come pre-installed might be too big to actually be able to protect the panels. -Matt

[@fauxque5057]

Fuses protect the wiring from the combiner box to the charge controller. They don't protect the panels. Backflow diodes would be to protect the panels but that combiner box doesn't have any backflow diodes.

[@BeeneEnergy]

@@fauxque5057 That's not how I understand it. A solar panel is rated for X amount of current (max series fuse rating). If something shorts in that panel there needs to be a fuse preventing X+Y current flowing into said shorted panel burning up things and catching fire. With a fuse or breaker at the combining point it prevents a failure in one panel from overrunning the limits of said panel.

[@junkerzn7312]

@@BeeneEnergy I'm doing a late reply but, basically yes. The fuse is there to prevent the string from catching fire if other paralleled strings all dump their current into that string due to a short in the string. The solar cells are more vulnerable to over-current than the string cabling... the fuse is protecting the panels a lot more than it is protecting the cabling. (Most panel cabling is 10 AWG or 12 AWG and can handle far more current than the cells can handle). Protection diodes (which are different from bypass diodes) have fallen out of favor. The reason is that these diodes have a fairly large voltage drop and generate a lot of heat, don't remove the need for a fuse, and don't really protect against situations where a fuse wouldn't blow anyway. So fuses are typically used these days and protection diodes are not. The combiner box will generally have a single breaker on the egress, but not per-string breakers. The egress breaker is just used for convenient maintenance, there is no situation where it would ever actually trip on its own. The reason is that per-string breakers would have to be unpolarized and rated for 600VDC-1000VDC. That combination is a very expensive breaker. The egress breaker, on the other-hand, can be a polarized DC breaker, also rated for 600VDC-1000VDC.. but a. far less expensive breaker. Anyone with combiner boxes that use breakers for per-string protection is probably sitting on a fire waiting to happen... installers never wire those DC breakers up properly (if polarized, they have to be wired for reverse current direction which is really confusing to people)... or use the wrong kind of breaker. -Matt

[@Gaikokujin4Christ]

Great video and information. Thank You very Much !!

[@TK-123]

You had better reconsider your ground mounting technique. There is not enough weight to keep those panels from flying away in a strong thunderstorm. Add some concrete ballast on the legs of the solar panel brackets

[@jimthvac100]

These are nice mounts but thinking Unistrut is cheaper and they make some nice brackets that are made for solar panels. I have large 545 watt solar panels and I can expand a Unistrut design for a larger array easier and cheaper.

[@LarryRichelli]

I think the video where you would be testing the bifacial panels and experimenting with ground color got moved to another time.

[@ReeWrayOutdoors]

@LarryRichelli yeah for the past couple of months the sky and temperature variations made it especially difficult to undertake that comparison. I'm hoping an opportunity will present itself in the near future!

[@dragonfalcon8474]

Great video sir!

[@ToucanFlip]

How long were your 4x6s?

[@kuntazulu]

8 feet

[@StevefromOhio1972]

Hi David, Good stuff! I like both of your ground mount systems. You have double the capacity of the original mount with the new brightmount. The brightmount can hold some big panels and they do sell an extender kit if you should ever need it. Since you have those additional panels you could set up another brightmount in the future right next to this new one when the need arises for more solar capacity. Charge up your ebike batteries off of your power stations or 48v system and off you go on sun power. That's neat and environmentally friendly! I do have some questions about the new mount, if you don't mind. You know me, I always have some questions. 🤔😊 With a ground mount that big do you need any building permits? It's not really affixed or concreted into the ground so I don't know the laws around these parts. Maybe if it was concreted in the ground it would be different, I don't know. If it's off grid that might make a difference too. I need to brush up on these things. You have stated that the new mount is pretty stout and heavy but do you think there is a chance under high winds that it could shift on the concrete blocks? Could you affix a clamping system of some sort to the wood and blocks? There are holes in the blocks so you may be able to rig something if you think it may add to the over all stability of the mount. BTW...don't know when or if you will read this but we're under a tornado watch until midnight. One last question....Do you plan to bury the solar cables or run them above ground? I want to thank you again for these wonderful and informative videos. I have learned so much from you and I really enjoy your solar and ebike content. Take care, stay safe and have fun, Steve.

[@ReeWrayOutdoors]

Excellent questions, Steve. Regarding the permits, I think I'm in a bit of a gray area (purposely) on this one since it's not really permanently affixed to anything and not attached to grid at all or providing power to a living space. So for now, I'm not doing any permitting on this project. However, if/when I get to a point where I'm going to expand it move it to a more permanent location next to my garage - where I'll be using it for EV charging eventually - at that point, I'll get the electrical part permitted since it will connect to the main house. The cable I'm using is marine-rated and UV resistant and suitable for outdoor applications, so I don't 'technically' need to bury it...BUT if it seems that it's likely to remain in place for the balance of the year, I may go ahead and bury it for convenience. I'm really not expecting this rack to budge even some really heavy wind (which we also got today with that storm that blew through!). But I'm watching it closely for any signs of shifting and if I need to, I'll secure it to the cinder blocks. I'll be sure and report back in the comments if that turns out to be necessary.

[@bobcole3852]

How much wind do you see in your location?

[@ReeWrayOutdoors]

we had 30-40 mph gusts just a couple of days ago when a severe storm blew through. So far at least, it has shown no signs of budging, but I'll probably implement some addtional anchoring here soon, just to be safe.

[@jws3925]

I get a kick out of watching individuals drive an 8ft grounding rod. It is similar to watching those commercials for rototillers where a smiling operator just tills away leaving a perfect bed of earth behind. Reality in many places, like where I will put my panels, is that there seems to be more rock than earth! I really don't know how to drive something like a grounding rod into this "earth." Years ago before we hired a certified well driller we attempted to hand pound a shallow well. We completely demolished two different well points less than 3ft down. What are the recommendations for a grounding rod in these instances?

[@lukimy2704]

There are special hammers for this, those use vibration to drive the rod.

[@jimbob100-d3l]

Thought you aren't supposed to put multiple grounding rods close to each other

[@ReeWrayOutdoors]

According to code, they need to be at least 6 ft apart. In my case they are 14 ft apart.

[@mosfet500]

The set screw only keep the slope in place. Look on the side of the rail, you'll see holes. Align the hole with the hole on the inner rail and put a bolt through it. You can't sit four piers on the ground, they have to be tied to footings at least 3 feet deep, that arrangement will blow away in heavy winds. Also the combiner box fuses should be specific to the module data sheet which will tells you what size fuse to use. You don't want to use a 20A fuse on a module rated for a 10A fuse. The charge controller determines max voltage not the combiner box, the combiner box only gives you the max the combiner box voltage. Don't exceed your charge controller's input voltage or you'll blow it.

[@davidrogers-b1r]

panels on south side yard.

[@jackehli621]

BTW,,, you forgot the 'R' in worthy. You are welcome. :)

[@mannyfragoza9652]

Bifacial panels are meant to be mounted at 90 degrees vertical, so it gets the sun as it passes from one end of the sky to the other.

[@lancebenson8400]

Mike Holt on grounding here -- kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3-9dGpuZ7itd7M -- with a panel of experts asserts that putting an earth ground on your panels (even if recommended by the manufacturer) is more likely to provide a path for a lightning strike to the ground to travel through your solar wiring and on through your house wiring to exit through the house ground. He and his panel cite NEC requirements. I know this is a very contentious area with much conflicting advice, and I have no idea what best practice really is--and I'm not sure that the manufacturers do either.

[@ReeWrayOutdoors]

Yeah I've actually watched his stuff on this topic. I decided in this case to go ahead with conventional recommendation since the system is not tied to my house power at all. But yeah, there seems to be a great deal of conflicting information on this topic.

[@majorhavoc9693]

What I dont get is why are these only adjustable from 25 to 35 degrees? Oh boy, a whole 10 degrees! I need 60 degrees in the winter. I really want to like these but come on. Pointless.

[@BeKind-ve4id]

"Nice Rack" ? Kinda flat, don't you think?

[@daveyoung3825]

You didn't read the instalation instructions. Your supposed to use the 55 bolts to secure the adjustment, and only use the set screws to temporarily hold it in place while you secure with the bolt holes in the side. Really not good to be making a how to video when you don't know how to...

[@ReeWrayOutdoors]

Damn...I was hoping no one would notice that slip... and actually I didn't discover that I'd missed that until recently when I assembled a 2nd rack. It's fixed now...but surprisingly that thing didn't budge even a millimeter during the months that it sat with only the 2 set screws holding it in place! But in my defense, the video was not meant to be a step-by-step replacement for the manual...just a overview of the basic assembly experience. ;-)

[@wxfield]

The racks are kind of a waste of money. Unistrut is about as durable a material as you can get..it's priced dirt cheap. I have a 24 panel rack attached to the side of a shipping container on our farm now for over 20 years. No rust, no problems at all. And it was WAY cheaper than pre-manufactured racks.

[@rockyhighwayroad7365]

I will report this video for the vulgar title, unless you are talking about a solar panel rack and not what I was thinking before?

[@ReeWrayOutdoors]

LOL...it's referring to the solar rack...that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Although...I AM a drummer so....draw you own conclusions about my sense of humor. hahaha

[@varman001]

You should not ground the panels. the reason being is it is close to the ground and any lighting will not strike the panels. When you ground the panels it will attract the lighting and your panels are grounded it is going to be damaged when the lighting discharges through the panels to the ground. Best thing to do is make sure you have a tall lighting rod in the vicinity, in your case you have a tall building and trees around. DC electricity do not and should not be earth grounded.