How to Build the Ultimate DIY Solar Panel Ground Mount

[@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving]

🔥 *WATCH OUR OFF GRID CABIN BUILD FROM THE BEGINNING* kzbin.info/www/bejne/g3jJppqcqt95gM0

[@hankun5484]

Umm sarah dady, why you not speak indonesia to?

[@hankun5484]

I think it will be interesting if there are outsiders who use 2 languages, so that they can attract Indonesian and your country's audience

[@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving]

Yes. Checkout my Indonesian channel Pak Martin.

[@pshvffa]

Notification Squad 🇺🇸🇮🇩💞✨

[@blackshuck615]

Whenever I welded Zinc plating & inhaled the fumes, I would go down with "Weld Fever". Was on car body for 10 years. No doctors knew what it was & it took another 12 years to discover the phenomenon. Good thing you were outdoors welding that frame. I just built my rig out of timber with a hybrid inverter, next step batteries. Love the vids, thanks for sharing!

[@greggardiner8779]

That was short and to the point. It sure looks functional and sturdy for solar panel use. Stay Safe and Stay Free

[@chiponvali5887]

Man you are very inventive. You have provided me with a solution of great value. Thank you!

[@macclark4112]

Just ordered my welder, I know how to weld but haven’t needed to weld till now. I had two professional welders living near by but they both passed on in the last 6 weeks. Meanwhile I am going to start putting up my Solar Array in the spring. So I am getting everything I need together now.

[@นายเสือเด็กวัด]

Thank you very much (I am from Thailand )

[@shandor2522]

Great way to get adjustable tilt, and I love the tall mounts! But I have much better results hammering hinges in a vise, and prefer fasteners to welding.

[@careyjohnson1784]

I love that idea the way mount the solar panels. I was going to mount mine on my roof I like yours better so think you for the video

[@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving]

I’m glad it was helpful.

[@lurkerrrrr]

Late to the Party, loved the Vid! At 12:00 flip the "adjuster bar" around so the bolt goes through the pre-drilled hole in the track/bar. This will keep it from falling off completely yet still allow it to move. ;)

[@singhA1968]

your mechanize system is very logical

[@TheMajictech]

And make sure when using a grinder to cut metal, the sparks should be going away from you and no guard. That way if the blade binds it pushes the cut off wheel directly towards you. Lessons learned the hard way are ones you don’t soon forget.

[@kbwfgg6400]

I like your ingenuity of your mounting system. However, I am skeptical of how it will stand up during a severe storm with high winds?

[@jeffshannon7282]

I really like your idea. The storms here in Arkansas get pretty bad so I'am going to put three hinges and three vertical bars on the frame instead of two.

[@dunexapa1016]

Thanks. Good plan. Like the idea of hooking those hinges.

[@harleypiper]

Martin ,I sure could use your help in WV. I'm all by myself trying at 61 to do this stuff alone out here.

[@PaullaWells]

It is really thoughtful of you to do videos like these sharing knowledge with others. Great job!

[@ko2890]

Auhhh. Great system. Same idea as what in developing only mine will have a motor that rotates the panel from and east angle, to a flat position, and then a west angle all controlled with the flip of a switch. The next 5 panels I will use your idea of unistruts rather than modifying the framing I got from signature solar.

[@allthingselderly]

Hey Martin. Thank you for this valuable video. Keep up the great work. Instructional Prepper videos living off grid are truly needed more from the community. Thank You! I am prepping in Boston. Keep prepping supplies guys and stockpile what you can afford.

[@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving]

We are. Nice to meet you.

[@allthingselderly]

@@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving Nice to meet you.

[@solnaplaca]

I really like your videos. I'm from Brazil

[@RaoulPop]

Bam, bam, bam-wham-a-lam, BAM! 😄 Nice design!

[@charlesgoodsell737]

Why wouldnt you introduce a small gap between the panels so the holes can be used without drilling and weakening the strut?

[@tiffany1690]

Y’all are doing a fantastic job, keep pressing forward! Homesteading is hard, but worth it.

[@cherylbethcartercarter4266]

Dude, You ROCK!

[@LesleyRancourt]

Marty, thanks to you, I was able to install an of grid DIY solar system to my tiny house. I am so happy with it, there have been many times that I dance around at night and say, "Nany Nany Boo Hoo" to the local electric company. The only problem I am having issues with is my tankless hot water, I have a Stiebel Eltron Mini 3-1 and a 3-2 which are in the tech specs of the the tested both and they both trip my 48 volt Aimes Inverter charger, Renolgoly Charge Converter, 2 710 solar panels, 30 amp breaker to the heater on its own 10 gauge wire. Any help would be appreciated.....

[@alimoazami2770]

Hello my friend. I have been working on the solar panel and designing and installing it for about 9 years. I am happy to work together to develop our activities.

[@solidsnake4022]

As soon as welding was involved I am taking plan B.

[@Aelanna]

I was wondering if they could be bolted together instead of welded. I have no welding equipment.

[@danb2160]

Welding !?! Might as well saying, Let’s build a Rocket ship , Jeff Bezos

[@WSMITHify]

@@Aelanna mechanical fittings (bolts) will always be stronger than welding, welding is pretty easy with a bit of practice

[@sixpath]

@@danb2160 anyone can do this. Be a man.

[@Falseprophetinvasion]

You should use strut nuts and bolts

[@vet137]

Solar is awesome, neat thing is yon tilt them down to wash them or if the snow covered them up too much it would be easy to clean that off. We had 6 inches one day and even with tilt my panels were not happy nor was I as they are on the roof. I am talking them down and going to do a ground mount now.

[@eddiet3026]

Great video and clever design. A couple questions: could the frame be bolted together instead of welded? And do you have a parts list available? I love the adjustability!

[@bartmcdonald1251]

I would bolt it using spring nuts, faster and no welding

[@johnpauljonesgrouptv]

I agree Spring nuts way faster and unistrut makes every bracket you can think of including module mounts. Although that will add cost.

[@pharveyrice]

Of course, you could just bolt the cross peices onto the frame if you have no welder, drill and bolt the hinges to the U channel too.

[@tonylarson1960able]

Nice design I went with the solar tracker I love it gives us about 1- 1 1/2 hour of sunlight! Thanks for sharing! God bless! Tony n Lee Ann

[@macclark4112]

I just question your spot welding of the hinges. I think I will weld the full length of the hinge to the unistrut.

[@PCHSwS]

Nice construction! 👍 But you should get some welding gear. At least some leather gloves and an old leather jacket. Those sparks can cause some nasty burns.

[@estellaknox4488]

Very nicely put together

[@PuraMukura]

Thankyou..very helpful and informative..i have watched few of your series already..Will carry out this kind of solar project in country..Regards from Papua New Guinea

[@shawncooney7458]

AWESOME design n I will be using this...Thanks

[@FREEDOMREDBIRD]

Came over from mountain beaches! Y’all have a beautiful place!

[@MountainBeaches]

Thanks for giving them a look Brenda. You're going to love them.

[@joshblick]

The holes DO line up. You need to move it over a half inch and then you'll have a tiny piece sticking over that you can cut off if you like. You'll have about an inch in between the two panels.

[@suryadisurya9953]

Kreatif.....efisien...terukur....hebat.......

[@kcimages5157]

Great ideas for mine , thnx !

[@sangrilasangrila400]

Pak martin sangat hebat sekali😊

[@charlesshannon1138]

Another great video. Thank you and God bless

[@ahmaaaaad27]

inspiring ... thanks the vid Mr. Martin regards from Indonesia ☺

[@bobjoncas2814]

...lookin' good, nice job...keep safe..

[@MyOldBook123]

Greate job Martin.

[@fuzzlit6418]

Instead of welding could use Zeb's and bolts?

[@briha3142]

When that bar slid off the loose bracket, visions of Moe, Larry and Curly popped into my head! Funny stuff you do sometimes, brother! Nice! Keep it coming! During your build, I was thinking that you were building a Solar Tracker setup, (so your panels would swivel on their axis to capture more sun). I was disappointed, somewhat, when that wasn’t the plan after all! I’m learning from you, nonetheless! Thanks!

[@jethrohull3539]

Was it safe to be welding with panels circuits soo close to panels electrical circuits if the ground ever decides to carry over to the panels framing...

[@johnarmlovesguam]

Good job.

[@ezerikdaswahreleben2715]

Really really nice work man

[@Mackster30]

Bro I just got quote for 10 panel pole mount from MT for $4.2K!! Didn't think this was that expensive. I'm going to attempt your setup rather than get my pockets raided! Dark days ahead, they mean to collapse petro dollar.

[@andrepeixoto23]

Thanks for sharing

[@lhffan]

Nice setup :)

[@andyrudd2168]

i am curious why you welded the pieces together instead of using the channel nuts and bolts. so it can be reshaped later or changed easily

[@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving]

I’m not planing on changing them and I like welding.

[@vet137]

@@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving 😄

[@barsoom43]

Maybe connect those two angle adjustment bars with a crossbar to prevent any asymmetric pressure on the panels and frames as you adjust the tilt..

[@WSMITHify]

Note to all Americans use mms it’s far easier than inches, in the UK we use both and we mostly choose to use mms

[@randybobandy9828]

Nah.. mm is only easier when working with measurements that are small like 6in or smaller.

[@td389]

❤you home security in the description. What is the hardware you used on the structure to adjust the angle? 11:56

[@dosyyomulya1116]

Jangan lupa istirahat, ngopi sambil makan pisang goreng ya Mr martin

[@juliocruz5656]

Thank you for the video. God blessings to you and the family keep it up

[@mikemjm748]

Portable band saw would be the best way to cut the strut

[@DIYSolarandWind]

Thank you, I need to build a solar array

[@loamy]

Good welding video

[@FrankSiler]

This is great! Just one thing- pretty sure Unistrut is galvanized. Not good to weld. Grind to clear metal or you run the risk of "fume fever".

[@vet137]

I agree to be safe and paint with zinc paint after that maybe?

[@ducmagic]

Why weld went you can put a scews and nut on it?

[@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving]

I like welding.

[@nawerkrajan6918]

Mr.martin apa kbr ..? Slam dr Indo.. semoga keluarga sht sll. 👍👍👍good job.

[@BreakingFreeOffGrid]

Very awesome! We need to build our racks. Thanks for sharing 😀

[@earthenergyhex]

great video, Im building one similar. thx for the idea

[@bobschallalcs584]

why you didn't bolt the unistrips instead of welding them?

[@subject2change313]

Do you have the plans with the various measurements and parts list they could be made available?

[@johnmason1239]

Brilliant Martin!,wood is carbon neutral+ looks far nicer than metal poles. BUT “purepoint energy’s” solar website says the distance panels should be from trees is 2.5x’s tree height!, this seems VvV excessive!, vmany arrays including yours wouldn’t be possible if this “rule if thumb” is followed. I think 2.5x’s is ridiculous!, I hope you& others agree?. My trees are just over 50ft & I can prune any dead branches safely with a decent extendable pole on sturdy step ladder, if it was a big branch I would cover the panel with a plastic or wooden panel ........ If I was to place my solar panels 125ft from my trees I would have to cut down 1group of trees on the other side of my garden&place my panels on my neighbours land😅🤦‍♂️

[@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving]

I think it will depend on how low the sun is in the winter. Up north it is pretty low.

[@kevinobrien3530]

Nice! Glad I found your channel! Just got some panels for my off grid yurt and I think your mount design is a winner winner chicken dinner!

[@LincolnSP150]

What make. size ,weight and wattage are your panels ? Have you experienced any heavy windstorms since putting up your panels, and if so how did everything seem to handle the wind?

[@MakeAnything-]

Welding zinc is no joke. Its a long story ultimately wound up with me being in the hospital.

[@2009mechanic]

I really like the adjustable strut at the bottom right where you can get to it to change the angles of the panels. I want to adapt your ideas to mount these on the South edge of the single story roof on my house and put a 3 foot length of strut on the wall with standoffs to serve as the adjustment tracks to slide it in. I think it will work just fine. I "could" add some acme threaded rods to the adjusters and move them all at the same time perhaps automatically motorized even for the elevation adjustments during the day.

[@alnewell31]

Great video thanks, I gust picked up a cheap mig and will be ordering the steel. Can you tell me what hardware you used to attach solar panels to steel frame you built , and the adjusting nuts are they the ones with the plastic ears on them ? I just watched your newer one and was glad to here they have held up well for two seasons. We are in northern Ontario so we get lots of snow. Cheers AL

[@ujfalvilajos2859]

Great job. Thanks for links! 4:05 welding near solar panels?!? Isnt it dangerous for PV?

[@wyattharmon7609]

Nice job!

[@arijunal]

Excellent video!

[@kingstoncreek]

Hi Martin. Love your fun and educational videos. Fantastic that you're family is onboard with all this. I'm still working with that. Is there any chance you could make up a bill of materials for the uni-strut used so I could get this up in short order. I'm only going to put up 4x300w panels using 3 Tamarac logs. Thanks

[@gregorywootton3870]

Pilot holes make drilling easier.

[@donavanbangs]

Cool stuff, Maybe mark on adjustment bars degrees or just summer/winter? for easy adjustment. I think you can look up ideal angles based on your location

[@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving]

I showed how to figure out the angle in a previous video. If you care to look for it.

[@wookie0dud]

Hi, how does it hold? I'm wondering do to dhe same thing but a bit higher. So it would make sth like terrace roofing with extra steps. Could you please provide some information about, how is it holr/work? What type of materials did you use? Does it rust? Does it hold during strong winds? THANKS!

[@cutweldngrind]

I use several harbor freight welders on my channel and even this one works great.

[@BULLETENVY]

Try wing nuts for quicker adjusting. Won't need a wrench. :)

[@seanthirtle3470]

What power source was the welder running off? sorry if this has already been asked/answered. Cheers

[@WhopBobbaLuBop]

What is the measurement setup for the wood frame solar panel installment? I would like to replicate it for a grid - tied system.

[@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving]

Just build it to fit your panels. They are all different sizes. That is what I did.

[@fitnessguruandypersonaltra4106]

Cheers s Martin great job 5*****

[@e.tech579]

Nice system and good work

[@loucinci3922]

looks good. nice job

[@abelabel4151]

good job Mr!

[@loudavis7108]

Great videos. Is the victron inverter much better than the aims or just more efficient and more watts.

[@estring69]

Nice. Wish someone could figure out how to make full size panels not take up a lot of space in a suburban yard. That and can't put above the fence line like this great solution. Jonesin' for a 4 panel hobby and emergency system.

[@smoochmcguire5291]

Great video thanks again I think i we’ll try on my set up

[@yasminghani2073]

Great idea thank you

[@jrodsalloftheabove8625]

COOL VIDEO BROTHER!

[@wobbleszo]

Thanks for sharing your panel mounting approach! Out of curiosity, what welder do you use?

[@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving]

Harbor freight wire welder.

[@wobbleszo]

@@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving Thank you; seems really nice for Harbor freight

[@jeffreyforth6442]

What is the distance between your 2x6 and 2x4? I want to adapt it to my smaller/shorter rack version....I know you use 4 ft. uni. Thanks.

[@rislan786channel3]

Good luck sir😁☺from indonesia

[@gregalot200]

Try a .049 cutting blade they cut metal like butter.

[@kjohnson8174]

Love this system. How would it hold up in a strong wind? 45-50 mph gusts on occasion.

[@KmanJeeper]

Martin how tall are your mounting poles and how far in the ground did you go? Did you treat them with anything?