DIY Solar Tilting Rack

[@noname-vu5gq]

I like how your PV mount is adjustable for the seasons and it acts like a lean-to. A good spot for firewood or to park a trailer. You have created a usable shelter for whatever. Well done. I might have to copy you. Nice Job.

[@earthenergyhex]

I like how you braced against the existing shed.

[@PatriotPark]

Great job! I really like this. Thank you for taking the time to video and share it with us.

[@budslife]

Thanks, I had a really fun time doing this project. And thanks for watching!

[@tonybraun5118]

Nice job, well thought out!

[@budslife]

Thanks!

[@colormaker5070]

I like that you added bushings it should last a long time.

[@budslife]

Thanks, this rack has been up now for 4 years and is still working great. Thanks for watching!

[@neomatrix2722]

Great job I love this video and design I think I'll probably do the same thank you for sharing

[@budslife]

I'm glad you liked it, 👍 thanks for watching!

[@hardtruth2039]

Nice job. I am in the planning stages for our array to power our 25.2kwh EcoFlow Delta Pro power system.

[@budslife]

Thanks, that sounds like a pretty big project that you're working on. Hopefully, you'll be able to do a video on it. I'm sure lots of people would like to see it. Thanks for watching!

[@Scat.original]

Could you list and link the final parts you used?

[@brentjohnson6654]

New subscriber here. I am considering a tilting diy solar ground mount and found your channel. Looks good. I am wondering if wood or metal would be my choice. Wood used to be expensive. I like that you used bushings. I would do that for sure. Looking forward to hearing any results in the follow up video. All the best from north Texas.

[@kirkellis4329]

I've been considering doing almost exactly this to double as a shade structure for a pool. Except I was thinking of making it tracking through the day so it would tilt East to get the morning sun, then through flat at noon and West for afternoon. Yours seems pretty beefy compared to commercial racks and even 2-axis tracking racks. I was honestly thinking a 20x36 structure from 2" square galvanized steel tube would be strong enough and pivot points only at the two ends. That seems laughably flimsy now that I see what you decided was needed. Panels are so cheap now per watt, do you think all this effort and cost to tilt for seasons or track TOD is worth it compared to just an extra $1k in panels on fixed angle ?

[@bjwwag]

Hi how is this holding up still. Any other changes you would add? I plan on copying this design and was wondering you would do this over again?

[@budslife]

It's holding up great no issues at all. I can't think of anything I would change. I will do an update video on my solar system to let everyone know how it's working. Thanks for watching!

[@MSDTech]

​@@budslife please make an update. I would love to learn how you did this. Now is the season for it!!

[@budslife]

@MSD Tech Hey, thanks for watching. I am planning on doing an update video on the 10kw solar system in a couple of weeks. I also plan on installing another 10kw this summer and hopefully be able to do a video on that. Anyway, stay safe.

[@roberttorres5427]

What brackets did you use to bolt the panels to the unistruts?

[@budslife]

@@roberttorres5427 I just used a unistrut spring nut and a 1/4-in stainless steel bolt (2 3/4" long) and I made some washers out of some 3/16 x 1 3/4" aluminum flat bar.

[@carlthetruthwilliams9447]

Hi, great setup. Can you tell me where you got those flanged bushings from? Are they glued in or pressed in? I'm doing the same set up as you. Thanks for the vid. subbed.

[@budslife]

@@carlthetruthwilliams9447 you should be able to get them at any tractor supply place. I got mine at my local John Deere dealer. They're just bushings for a category 2 to category 1 hitch. Thanks for watching. Thanks for subscribing. I appreciate it.

[@carlthetruthwilliams9447]

@@budslife Thanks for your prompt reply and info. Great system you have.

[@satekeeper]

question: could you do all this with just wood and without unistrut at all? Where I live, unistrut/superstrut has gotten much more expensive.

[@budslife]

@satekeeper Yes, you are correct. The metal strut has gone up quite a bit when I bought it. This stuff was around $2 a foot, and now I believe it's about $4 to $4.50 a foot, more than double the price. The only thing I would do if I was using wood. Which I did on a rack I built this summer is. I would recommend putting some type of waterproofing on it or a stain. That would waterproof it because you know untreated would will expand and contract, especially if it gets wet. Buy treating it with a stain or some type of waterproof ing. This will help with the expansion and contraction of the woods some.

[@russellhalbert3672]

Your video shows you tilting the rack, with no panels on it. I'm wondering how easy it tilts after the panels were added?

[@budslife]

Because the pivot points are in the center. It makes it very easy to tilt one way or the other.

[@daddio7249]

As I was watching the build I was thinking that was too flimsy to withstand any wind, then you got to the part where you braced it to the shed. I am adding 9 more panels to my system, I wonder if my wife will go for me attaching them to our house?

[@budslife]

Thanks for watching. This big rack is still standing in through hurricane ( Fiona ) and no problem. Here's a video link to the 2 smaller rocks. I built-in front of this bigger rack. I like these racks much better because they don't catch as much wind. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZuQpnluZpafbdksi=ATUvYzHMQyINqbvT

[@atomshalom]

Nice job and video. The posts, I presume, are pressure treated and set in concrete? How far into the ground did you put them? Is the rest of the lumber treated?

[@budslife]

Yes, the posts are pressured treated but no concrete. They're just sunk in the ground rapped in tyvek at the bottom. The frame above is not pressure treated, but I have painted it all. I didn't feel the need for pressure treated up here because it will not see very much water. And I knew I was going to be painting it at some point. This solar rack is still standing and performing very well, I've had no trouble in high winds. Thanks for watching the video stay safe.

[@brandonoh777]

What size wood are your vertical posts and what size wood are the pivot arms?

[@budslife]

The posts are 6X6, and the frame that the solar panels sit on is made out of 2X6.

[@heathmenezes9628]

Do you have a schematic with measurements you used?

[@budslife]

@heathmenezes9628 No, sorry, don't have any schematics. I just measured the panels and figured out how much room I had at the back of my shop. I figured out I could put eight panels in a row in 2 rows high. I also had to figure out my voltage end wattage. Because I couldn't go over 600V/DC also, I couldn't go over 3000 watts per string. Once I did all the math. I figured out I could put 8 panels in series on 4 strings. This worked out very well. Thanks for watching and thanks for your question.

[@Robertbush-s7t]

Good job

[@budslife]

@@Robertbush-s7t Thanks!

[@scottmcshannon6821]

was the shed bracing necessary? or would it work freestanding?

[@budslife]

Yes, the bracing would be necessary for a PV rack this size. I do have two smaller racks that I don't have braced, and they're holding up fine.

[@ellis90009]

​@@budslife first off I really appreciate that you are taking the time to answer questions. How many panels do you have on the smaller racks. I am thinking about using your design but I do not have a building to brace against. I'm looking at mounting 10 panels that are 7ft by 3.5ft. each

[@budslife]

@@ellis90009 The smaller racks have eight panels across on them. I would definitely not do a larger rack without bracing it against some sort of building, but the smaller racks seem to stand up fine to wind. I am currently building a solar PV hot water heater and I am designing the rack in a similar way to the small ones that you're referring to. Planning on doing an update video on all my solar very soon.

[@aaron647]

I hope to build this sort of design but plan on putting 6x6s in the back to brace to. Also, I would recommend concreting them all

[@philcook8339]

Are these 72 cell panels? How long are the 6 x6 posts and how deep did you set them?

[@budslife]

Yes they are 72 cell Canadian Solar 325watt panels. The posts on this rack are 12 feet long, they are in the ground 4' feet. I all so have two other racks now one is 6 feet high and the other is 5 feet high. Thanks for watching!

[@abramturley2572]

@@budslife I like your design for these racks. 4 feet down is a good ways down. Was the black coating you put on the 4x4"s a tar and does it keep the wood better? Definitely like the idea of being able to tilt panels. I have 20 panels 33lb a piece so smaller then yours. I think I might try to put 10 in a row and have them pivot.

[@budslife]

@Abram Turley The black coating was a wood Preservative it just keeps the wood from rotting out. This was a really fun project. I have additional panels set up now. I should do a new video. My total system 10.2 kilowatts now. I am planning to add 10 more kilowatts this spring, hopefully within the next month or so.

[@abramturley2572]

@@budslife That's all good to hear Bud. You most be getting good results to keep on working your solar infrastructure. I have been using a generator and some small renogy panels to use my 12 volt utilities. I think sometimes for budget builds there can be more affordable residential panels available used vs trying to buy new. It's amazing the life expectations of some of these panels. I have heard of Canadian solar a lot. I used to deliver panels to jobs we didn't use those but we would run in to them. I am not big on brands but sometimes we'll a lot of times it's good to try to get real world reviews on brands and or specific models. That's what I tried to do with my mppts. I got to Epever 40amp coming in possibly today. Not the best feedback on them but I did read that people say that the company makes some good stuff. Here's to soaking up the Sunshine 🌞 I look forward to my first decent producing arrray.

[@abramturley2572]

I got two new mpts and they seem like a very nice product.

[@johnqcitizen9177]

I don’t understand why someone would narrate a video while playing music 🤯🤯🤯