Just two of us built a Massive Ground Mount Solar System in a week!

[@paulutd69]

That is awesome...very well done. Been watching quite a few van life vids and the off grid homesteaders. I'm in AZ and have looked at sites in the north of AZ. Thanks for the videos. Hope all goes well for you!!!

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

It’s funny you should say that. We are doing another build that will probably get posted soon as well…

[@paulutd69]

@@leeslivingoutofthenorm Very Good 👍... I subscribed to your channel and hope to one day spend about four months of the year exploring this beautiful country!

[@hippiewithacowboyhat]

I really like the spaces between the panels. Kinda gives it a design element in the look of it. Were going to do a 8.8kw using the same IronRidge method for our one in Puerto Rico next year, but we only need 900kw a month. Super nice job. Hope it serves you well !

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

8.8 is a lot. If your company will let you sell back electricity would be awesome. Are you going to do batteries as well?

[@hippiewithacowboyhat]

@@leeslivingoutofthenorm - Will be completely off grid. Puerto Rico electric is crap, tired of dealing with them in any manner. And yes, 28kWh of batteries.

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

@@hippiewithacowboyhatI have a buddy in PR and he says the same. Sounds like you got things rolling.

[@brentjohnson6654]

Good job! I have a couple of designs in the IronRidge planning site. The sizing of how much solar is in question to me. It was recommended we go with 24 400+W panels would work. I am calculating more need (I really don’t want to go back and add to the ground mount for 5 years so I want to plan for 32 panels. 24 might cover daily needs but not enough autonomy for days without solar. I plan on renting a mini skid steer to put in 2’ holes in our Texas dirt for the ground mount. Another ground mount I have considered is Pelican (I think) which you drive on he pipe into the ground and can adjust the angle for seasonal sun. In Texas we don’t have to adjust the angle as much as the northern states so I have thought of over paneling with a fixed mount. I have looked at Santan Solar but the cost of shipping almost makes me think I would rather get a pallet from near by Signature Solar here in Texas. Sorry for such a long winded comment. We haven’t even begun to talk about battery storage or inverters yet. Haha. Thanks again for your video. Great job! All the best!

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Thanks for the comment! One thing to think about is that the amount of solar panels is that won’t help as much as having more batteries when it comes to rainy/cloudy days. I guessed on how much battery but designed it to be able to add more cells if needed. Hopefully you don’t have as many rocks as we did. Sorry for the scattered response but look at it this way, 24*400=9600watts. You can run an rv fridge, microwave, and AC at the same time off of a 4500w generator. Hope that makes sense.

[@VinceBadovinatz88]

Hahaha I read the whole comment good luck on your project again

[@brentjohnson6654]

@@leeslivingoutofthenorm well based on my usage without changing any components I currently need between 60kW/day - 100kW/day based on my average usage. So for full coverage that comes to about 12-13kW panels (based on 6 hours solar which then calculated to around 31 panels at 400W. I am not saying I have to have complete off grid but I would like to calculate for full coverage. Like you say I can add batteries after the fact. My plans were 6 5.2kWh server rack batteries for around 30kWh of storage. Of course I could go with a critical loads panel to manage my off grid (grid down) requirements. Sorry for such a long comment again. Thanks again for this dialogue. It is so helpful when channels respond to our pedestrian thinking. Haha. All the best!

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

That is a crazy amount of storage and panels. I did leave myself some room on the battery and on the charge controller side. Sounds like you are going to get the power company a run for their money!!

[@STxFisherman]

Great video and good job on the solar array. Thanks for sharing.

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Thank you for watching!! Our progress is a bit slow but we will put more videos in the near future!

[@williamhaynes5271]

This is a very well done video and I think you did a great job with your build! Thanks so much for posting it and looking forward to your video on the electronics setup. We have 50 acres offgrid in Northern Maine, so we're working through a lot of the same needs!

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Oh I bet it is amazing in Maine!!! I will try to post the next one soon. Thanks!

[@StewskisWyo]

Great work- nicely documented - looking forward to the next one!

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Many thanks!

[@jaysonstebbins2539]

That gapping will help with heat dispersion and wind. Great job!

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Thank you for your comment. Good to hear that. We didn’t like the idea of having the gap but for weight distribution purposes, it was necessary. ( If those pipes were 20ft like they were supposed to then we didn’t have that gap.) I’m glad it worked all out!

[@brianreynolds4627]

Thoroughly enjoyed that…great job btw…have liked and subscribed…watching in the U.K….Brian.

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Thank you Brian! We are honored that you watching from UK! We hope we put more entertaining video for you!

[@VinceBadovinatz88]

I know what a job. Not easy but they got it done

[@JUNIOR-es3zx]

Nice build thanks for sharing

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Thank you! Thank you for watching!

[@BigRigRich]

Great video sir. I’m working on a similar system at my place in west Texas. The iron ridge and footprint site you mentioned will be a lot of help.

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Even if you dont plan on getting 100% from them it gives you a nice printout so you have everything you need to put it in the ground.

[@marknichols7861]

Where about are you located? I live just south of Sierra Vista, AZ. I have 24, 450 watt bifacial that I have to mount. I like what you’ve done and your reasoning.

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Thanks for the comment. We are East of you. I plan to do a follow up video with a price breakdown. It will have part numbers. Go to ironridge and play with their calculator tool as well.

[@VinceBadovinatz88]

Good luck getting your panels up😊

[@tinyhomeincred-i-box]

Yes, wanna see the inverter wiring setups

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Thank you for your comment! We seem to have gotten more questions than we thought. We will make a video on this to give a better breakdown.

[@VinceBadovinatz88]

Me too

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

I also need to go back in and replace the breaker that I used as they have better ones on the market now. Thanks for the comment.

[@evil17]

Looks good guys, look forward to some more vids on the rest of ur system. Cheers

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Thanks! Video editing is new to us so please be patient with us!

[@texassolarenergy]

excellent work!

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Thank you!

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

Tks for sharing

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Thank you for watching!

[@electricandlspower]

Look forward to more videos on the solar system. Looks great.

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Thank you very much! Building something ground up and making videos on top of that is often overwhelming but it is definitely rewarding when someone actually waiting!!

[@daddio7249]

I am also putting up 24 panels but I am using mostly wood. I have a back deck that has been in place for 35 years and the 4x4 posts are still sound. North Florida, the ground is too wet for them. I have a small tractor with a three point post hole auger, yesterday I dug my first hole. We have soft sandy soil so with my tractor just idling sinking a 3 ft hole was very easy. Record heat so I do what I can in the mornings and then work on the inside wiring in the afternoons. I have two EG4 6500 watt inverters and the AC electrical panel mounted and the battery rack with four batteries wired. I am 71 and retired, my wife is taking care of her dad in our home and our 7 year old granddaughter 3 or 4 days a week so I am getting little help from her. I am running two 42 ft strings only 4 ft at the back so the panels can be mounted standing on the ground.

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Thank you for finding our video and commenting! We are glad to hear that wood works great in your area as building materials. And your soil is easy to dig. We wish our place is like yours! The heat is not definitely a friend of us working outside right now. Please take good care of yourself and enjoy the precious time with your grand kids! :-) Erik is currently away with military training and he hasn’t looked at your comment but I’m sure he enjoys when he does. Have a great weekend!!

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

That is awesome! Your on your way to a perfect setup! I’m jealous that you can use wood.

[@slcoareschannel1943]

Nice job!

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Thank you thank you!

[@bigblockcutlass123]

I want to know what the bills were on that mount system. One bill from Iron ridge and the other bill from the steel company

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Thank you for your comment. We are gathering all the information to make another video. Stay tuned!

[@regenerativelifewayne]

Awesome solar build

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

@@regenerativelifewayne thank you!

[@josephjohnson6626]

I would like to hear about the electronics and the problems you are having with them.

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Absolutely! We have a few parts on deck to put in to see if it fixes it. I am trying to avoid putting out the problems unless I know the fix. But we will be putting a video together about it

[@BornFreeFilms]

Subbed, liked. Liked your set up. Did I miss the price? It would be nice to have a cost for each item so we could have an idea of what would be a good deal. Thanks.

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Thanks for the sub! This video I think has it. I am going to put us in the poor house because of this solar mount! kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmO3aWttpdCDeas

[@OWK000]

Normally, digging holes like that, you would dig a little bit of the hole and then pour water in and let it soak before digging more. Out in Arizona though, water is not as easy to come by. And then there are the rocks: water won't help that.

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Those rocks hurt my feelings!

[@nitinchauhan9917]

This is awesome! It was very easy to follow through the video. I am also considering doing the same. I would love to connect to consult more on this. Is there a way to connect with you?

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Sorry for the late reply, and thanks so much for your kind comment! We’re not experts-just DIY enthusiasts-so we’re not sure how much help we can offer. But if you have any specific questions, feel free to ask, and I’ll do my best to troubleshoot with you. Good luck with your project!

[@rickharold7884]

Looks cool!

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Thank you Rick! A lot more to do to establish our dream off grid homestead but this is definitely a great start!

[@chrisobergin3955]

Great looking install. Any chance you could post a general cost breakdown for those of us who are just starting to embark on designing our systems. Thanks.

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

@@chrisobergin3955 Thank you for your comment! We will make an another video about cost break down. 😊

[@VinceBadovinatz88]

Wow that's awesome‼️ congratulations. I subscribe so I'll be watching your videos.

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Thank you! We are excited about our adventure! We hope you enjoy watching our journey to off grid homesteading!

[@VinceBadovinatz88]

@@leeslivingoutofthenorm yes I will

[@simgolf503]

Good video. How far are the panels from the house and what gauge wire did you use to minimize the voltage drop?

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Hello, thank you for finding our video and commenting. We are curious about that, too. But we don’t have a house build yet so we don’t have the answer. Hopefully soon we get to that! Have a great day!

[@grampsradio]

That was a lot of work but when it was all done I'm sure you felt the PRIDE of accomplishment in a job well done! Tell me the truth, how long did you stand there after it was finished and just stare at it, and.... did you have a cold one in your hand at the time? :)

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

3 days! Middle of the night it was cold but I couldn’t stop looking hehe

[@VinceBadovinatz88]

Longtime I bet hahaha

[@davewhalen2735]

Hi you two, I am up in eastern Canada - quite close to your State of Maine. Am wondering if you are not on your new site much of the time, is there any concern about things going missing in the night? As I understand it, this is located in a quite isolated area of Arizona.

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Hi thank you for finding our video and commenting! Yes we are in remote area but we have a camera to watch our property and monitor remotely. It is amazing how good the night vision cameras are now these days. 😊

[@davewhalen2735]

Glad to learn you have taken a number of steps to protect what you own in Arizona. Hopefully there might be neighbours near your property to keep some friendly eyes on your "stuff" as well. Best of luck in all of your projects!

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

@@davewhalen2735 Yes, luckily we have good neighbors and friends that check our place time to time😊Have a great day!!

[@davewhalen2735]

Good neighboiurs are priceless - no matter where you live !!@@leeslivingoutofthenorm

[@dantondurand9403]

Nice!

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Thank you! It is working great!!

[@jonathanlyerly8501]

What did the whole thing cost you? Great job!

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Thank you for watching our video. It costed over 12k. It wasn’t cheap but we are happy with our system. Here is a video about cost break down. Have a great day! kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmO3aWttpdCDeassi=d8S7VMfPCvYDJdZ3

[@charlessailer4580]

Did you weld the two 21' horizontal pipes together? Or is laying them on the post good enough for stability?

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

We end up not welding those two pipes. That’s what I wanted Erik to do just for the looks though. Stability wise there is no issue at all. None of the panels are sitting on two different pipes. 12 panels are sitting on a mount and other 12 on the other. Thank you for watching and taking your time to comment!

[@plant2win]

What aluminum cross bracing did you use to fasten solar panels to? Thanks in advance.

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

We used Ironridge mounting system. It’s not the cheapest but very convenient and reliable. Thank you for finding our video and commenting!

[@roncollins644]

Did you connect the two horizontals where they meet in the middle?

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Hi, thank you for watching our video! No, not yet but we are planning to. Have a good weekend!

[@Electronzap]

Nice.

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Thanks! We think so, too!

[@russellzimmerman6342]

That's cool.

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Thank you 😊

[@leafnutz2341]

Are those LV6548's? MPP? EG4? Sungold?

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

MPP LV6548. Thank you for watching!

[@terrya6486]

How do you keep the area secure when you're not there?

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Thanks for the comment. We have a ring camera setup out there and a buddy that lives around the corner if we need to call.

[@brentmcgillis]

Wow, you could land a 747 on that structure. Nicely done, a high plains twister could hit that thing and not harm those pipes. Thanks for sharing your approach to off-Grid. I will stay tuned for future developments.

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Thank you for your comment! We are excited about our new adventure!

[@carlosreyes6448]

How many kw?

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

9.7kw. 😎Thank you for watching our video!

[@grahamkearnon6682]

My very first thought was the panels look mighty shiny for the local scumbag to come take a look and ?

[@leeslivingoutofthenorm]

Thanks for the comment. We had the same concern. We put up a camera. Right now that’s all we can do. Neighbor keeps an eye out as well