Installing our IronRidge Solar Panel Mounting System

Finally! We are installing the IronRidge mounting system for all of the Solar Panels to go on the off-grid building roof.
In this video see the system we used and how easy it was to install, also updates on the deck, the solar cabinet and some amazing wildlife and creek videos! Thanks for watching.
#ironridge

[@susanculbertson-robinson4809]

Great job Scott and Michelle!! Looks beautiful.

[@SeamrógCreek]

Thank you! Its coming along nicely!

[@timhaisch5275]

I’m really enjoying the content Scott. I’d love to come help with the electrical (I just retired as a electrical contractor after 33 years) but I’m busy building a cabin a Snoqualmie Summit. On grid but planning to have a propane backup generator. Found your channel after searching Star Link and outdoor POE PTZ cameras. Getting ready to set that up this next week to monitor the lumber package. Keep up the great informative videos.

[@SeamrógCreek]

Thanks for the comment Tim! Wow I bet that location is amazing up in that area, off-grid or not, its all about a great place to get away and enjoy something that's not a city full of people! Well if I run into any obstacles on electrical now I know who to shout out to! I've done quite a bit of electrical over my years but never been a licensed electrician. Hoping to get panels up this weekend, and then move all the solar equipment from the location in the storage container over to the new cabinet over fourth of july and have it all run right after that. Fingers crossed the timing works out! I do need to do a follow up on that Starlink/Solar camera setup, one of these videos. Once the bigger solar is up, I will be doing more camera's in the area as I can get WiFi up and the Starlink can stay up 24x7. Thanks for watching and commenting, I do appreciate the feedback! If you ever do a video on your project or place drop me a link would love to see it!

[@marshgreen101]

You are supposed to extend the top of the flashing up under the 3rd course by minimum 3/4". This happens naturally if you keep the bottom of the flashing at or above the butt edge of the 1st course. Installing as you have can create leaks where the flashed mount occurs at the joint between shingles (or at a keyway on 3 tab shingles) because water can pass between the shingles and get under the flashing and directly to the penetration. It is possible that that does not happen on your roof but the odds are high that it does. If you can identify any locations where the mount and shingle joints overlap you can retrofit a solution by taking some card stock and sliding it up under the shingles to supplement/extend the flashing up under the 3rd course (headlap) without having to remove the existing mounts. Add 2 quarter sized dabs of roofing sealant or mastic to hold the card stock in place (no nails) I think it is worth checking because the leaking will likely be slow and you might only be able to identify it from below after damage has occurred. I think this is pretty well explained in the IronRidge instructions and IronRidge has a terrific tech support crew that will help at 1-800-227-9523 ext 1, or email tech support at the contact us page www.ironridge.com/company/contact_us/

[@SeamrógCreek]

Thanks for sharing this information! Sorry I didn't realize google had your comment in "Hold" status I just saw it. I'll take a look at the one row I think where this might have happened and see if it needs an update. Neat trick on the card stock. Thanks for watching!

[@mercorey3258]

That very 1st one he did looked like he didnt hit the joist. The drill bit just went through the plywood/osb

[@muskegonhunterscamp]

No apologies needed on the content cadence, you do a great job. Nice grid system for the panels, looks so easy and straight forward ( for the lazy me ). Is the expectation for a long snow brush in the winter? I need to make a decision soon, roof or ground mount. Clearing snow in the UP of Michigan is a concern.

[@SeamrógCreek]

It really did work out well. We just got the panels installed this weekend (way easier then I thought it was going to be, they are heavy) and the mounting system made it so doable for just the two of us to do. Video coming soon. We get very little snow at that property, but it is the NW so you never know! I'd say total snow on the ground (sticking) per year is 2-3 days maybe? So I'm not sure what the impact will be, but that was my thinking too, up on a ladder with a long broom or brush. Hopefully not having to get on that roof in the snow. For me, if we did get a lot of snow as I imagine you do, I might have opted to do a ground installation just for keeping that easier and safer for snow cleaning. If you have the space to do it, it might be easier. Ironridge has a cool ground mount system, it uses may of the same parts we used. Not sure what it costs. I'm also not pushing them for any reason other than our experience with the roof system. Might be worth checking out! Thanks for watching and the feedback! Let us know what you end up doing, would love to hear about it

[@joelvandeberg6442]

TTA!

[@marktheunitedstatescitezen185]

I have a good Question for someone like yourself with all you’re experience , my house is a Front to back split ranch is it possible to put like 4-6 100W panels on the roof without screwing them to the roof / using a weight under the panels to keep them on the roof in heavy winds ?

[@SeamrógCreek]

I honestly don't know if you could put enough weight on a sloped roof to hold them. Panels are like Sails in the wind, the just want to lift up in my experience. If the panels are really small (100W panels tend to be small) its probably not as bad. There are those satellite brackets that straddle the Ridge of the roofline that use heavy cinder blocks to hold them down, that might work if you had enough weight and could rig it to hold a panel. I used one of those to mount our roof cameras. There's a video called Salmon Run, New Cameras and Christmas Trees where I show the Ridge mount rig I built for the cameras. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGXPZWuLpKuqq7c&ab_channel=Seamr%C3%B3gCreek Thanks for watching!

[@GR8Tmate]

You’re a lot more handy than me, impressed with your work……that said I’m not familiar with the systems you use to build with like roof shingles etc, fascinating. Off topic I realise but may I ask, What are you doing about fire suppression? I’m Australian & we have fierce bushfires…..you have a great spot. Since your offgrid you could rely on electricity for pumping but how will you go about being prepared? Apologies if you’ve already covered this elsewhere.

[@SeamrógCreek]

Thank you! I've always been handy at stuff and have a lot of experience in many things (I hate plumbing though) electrical and construction but as I get older, it gets so much harder! I've chatted with a few others in Australia off-line about that exact topic but I've not done a video on it yet. My plan was to cover that when we start doing our Water Catchment installation for drinking water. Part of my design I did includes dumping the catchment overflow into tanks to use for fire suppression. Right now a major forest fire would be bad for us, but I do have plans to get there. We have a bunch of localized small fire suppression, I should do a video on it. Extinguishers and the like for dealing with any small fires we have an issue with. Once I start on water, I'll cover this topic pretty heavily, seems to be a LOT of interest in it. Check these out! Expensive but SO cool. We have a few of these strategically place near fire sources for small issues: elementfire.com/

[@GR8Tmate]

@@SeamrógCreek Yes, my former organisation trained with some firestrykers, great bit of kit, great for small stuff at home/in the vehicle 👍 even on the ATV etc. 🙏🏻 Yes please take great care with planning your fire suppression, most people never prepare correctly & they just flee when the flames arrive, it’s devestatingly BRUTAL. I almost died trying to evacuate folks from a firefront. Try to adopt the KISS theory when building your systems. As ugly as it might be , simple stuff like fixing sprinklers in ‘Fixed’ places so you can simply activate them and leave them to wet things while you attend to other tasks. A sprinkler on top of the cabin that only requires one connection or a lever or tap to be turned on. Having appropriate amounts of water, backup power, decent PUMP(S) & just being prepared. Once stuff is installed, periodically test it and make sure the wife knows how to activate it. I’m ex emergency services and to this date I still have a set time EVERY WEEK where I spend a couple of hours maintaining my systems. Everyone in the household needs some basic training. I was looking at your position & proximity to the tree line. The way fires move up inclines is frightening. I will shut up now but yes best to be prepared 👍

[@THENATURALIST]

Nice Job! Where did you buy your IronRidge mounting rails?

[@SeamrógCreek]

We were able to order all of ours from PLATT Electric. You can even order online to pick it up at a local shop. Nobody will ship the rails because they are so long and heavy that they need freight delivery which is way more then the rails cost. But our local PLATT had most of what i needed at a warehouse in the next town over so they just transported it to our local shop. Iron Ridge has a cool online design tool for laying everything out and then it will price it for you with a parts list and help find a local dealer.

[@THENATURALIST]

@@SeamrógCreek Thanks a lot for the info