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Ground-Mounted Solar Panels: Powerful Choice for Smart Homeowners
The ground-mounted solar market is expected to reach $9.65 billion by 2027. From 2022 to 2027, the ground solar system market grew at a 9.56% CAGR, making it quite popular.
If your roof isn’t suitable for solar panels or you prefer not to have them installed there, ground-mounted solar panels are the perfect solution. The ground-based solar panels are fixed tilt systems that you can readily install in your vacant big yard or large field.
Ground-mounted solar panels more efficiently produce energy than rooftop solar systems due to the increased airflow and cooler ground temperature. Moreover, this system’s orientation flexibility makes it more effective than others.
In this article, we’ll discuss the nuts and bolts of mounting solar panels on the ground, guiding a successful investment in solar energy. So, keep reading!
Understanding Ground-Mounted Solar Systems
The term ground-mounted solar systems reflects its definition. In-ground solar systems, you mount the solar panel on your property’s ground instead of on your house roof. It will have a vertical post in the ground.
Based on your rack system choice, the solar panel is positioned above the ground by a few inches to several feet. The racking structure is mounted on top of that post.
Multiple posts with a racking structure can be mounted between the solar panels on the ground. On those, you can lay the solar panels at about 30 a 30-degree angle or a pretty good angle to collect a lot of sunlight.
Types of Ground-Mounted Solar Systems
There are two main types of ground solar systems. Those are:
- Standard Ground Mount: Standard or traditional ground mounts support solar panels and racking tables using multiple small anchors. Different anchors can be used in standard ground mounts, such as driven piers, concrete piers, concrete ballasts, helical piles, etc..
- Pole Mount Options: To build a pole-mount solar system, you must dig a single deep hole on your property. The deep hole will hold a large pole to mount your solar panels and connect your rails. However, the pole-mount system helps avoid ground obstructions or foliage.
Benefits of Ground-Mounted Solar Panels
The advantages of ground solar panels are:
1. Better Cooling
The additional air cooling and better air flow enable the ground mount to stay cooler. Moreover, the heat radiating from the ground is less than the heat picked up by the shingles in the attic space. Attics get a lot hotter than yards.
2. Easier Cleaning
To clean the ground solar array, you don’t need to climb on a roof; cleaning is much easier on the ground. Moreover, you can safely swap an optimizer on the ground-mounted panel.
The ground mounts are easier to clean and accessible to inspect periodically, so you can ensure that all mods are healthy.
3. Perfect Angle Optimization
You can seasonally modify your ground-mounted solar panel orientation through adjustable brackets. Location flexibility and positioning of these systems will result in greater energy output and enhanced efficiency.
4. Maximize Energy Production
A 1 MWP ground-mounted solar panel system per year can generate approximately 1,000,000 kWh of clean energy on one hectare of property. This amount corresponds to the average annual energy consumption of 235 households.
Ground-based solar panels can capture more solar energy than solar panels on your roof. However, their energy capture capacity depends on where and how they are mounted.
5. Greater Flexibility
Ground-mounted solar systems eliminate worries about roof shape, size, or shading from nearby large trees. These systems offer greater flexibility in solar panel placement and system design.
Moreover, solar panels in the field reduce the necessity of roof drilling, which can cause structural damage and leaks in your roof.
6. Easier to Expand
If you have enough space, you can easily expand ground solar panels for your home. In this case, you don’t need to worry about placing solar panels on a small area.
Moreover, the ground area is free from obstructions, leading to more efficient use. Ground-mounted solar trackers can generate 10% to 45% more electricity than fixed-tilt panels.
Ground Mounted Solar System Cost and Incentives
Did you decide to go for a ground-mounted solar panel system? Are you curious to know how much the installation initially cost? We’ll explain in detail:
Factors Affecting the Cost
The cost of ground-mounted solar system installation can vary based on numerous factors. So, first, check out what those factors are:
- Solar Size and Capacity: The installation cost depends on your ground-mount solar panel size, interconnection, location, grid compatibility, output-producing capacity, and other factors.
- Installation Cost: As solar power capacity increases, the installation cost can rise. However, it can be reduced with minimum labour costs and logistics efficiencies.
- Economy of Scale: As your ground-mount solar panel system size increases, the installation cost per watt will decrease. However, some fixed costs are associated with solar system permitting, designing, and installing.
- Inverter Size: If you install larger solar panel systems, you will require higher-capacity inverters, which are more expensive.
Ground-Mounted Solar Installation Costs
Different installation companies can quote various solar ground array installation costs. Let’s examine the costs in detail.
Solar PV System Description
| KW DC | 22.00 KW-DC |
| Inverters | (11) Hoymiles HM – 1500 NT (240) V |
| Solar Panels | (44) VSUN VSUN500 – 132BMH |
| Azimuth(S) | 180 |
| Tilt(S) | 30 |
Solar PV System Cost & Incentives
| Solar PV System Cost | $57,200 |
| Estimated SRECs | -$19,419 |
| Federal Tax Credit | -$17,160 |
| Net Solar PV System Cost | $20,621 |
However, the estimated incentives are subject to funding availability and eligibility.
How Many Solar Panels Will You Need for Your Ground-Mounted System?
The average household’s requirement for ground-mounted solar panels is 16 – 25 panels. However, knowing how many solar panels you need is essential for calculating your total solar array costs.
How do you calculate the number of solar panels you need?
The easy calculation rule is:
(Annual household kWh consumption x 1,000) / (Average peak sunlight hours x 1,000) ÷ (Each solar panel’s Wattage) = How many solar panels you require
Consider the following example to calculate your required number of solar panels:
- Household’s average annual energy needs: 10,632 KWH
- Daily average peak sunlight hours: 4 hours
- Solar panel wattage on average: 350 W
Now you can easily calculate it as: (10,632 x 1,000) / (4 x 1,000) ÷ 350 = 7.59 or 8
The average home requires about 19 solar ground-mounted panels. However, the essential factors that influence your solar panel needs are:
- Energy consumption
- Panel shading, angle, and orientation
- Solar array and roof size
- Production ratio
- Solar panel wattage
- Peak sunlight hours
- Personal energy goals and requirements
DIY Installation of Ground-Mounted Solar Panels
To some customers, solar companies seem very costly. According to a 2021 study by the US Department of National Renewable Energy Laboratory, labor costs account for 10% of total solar panel installation costs.
So, the homeowners hesitated to seek professional help and tried to follow the DIY installation method, which reduced these costs by 10% or more.
Tips for A Successful DIY Installation
For a successful DIY installation of your ground-based solar panels, follow the easy tips below:
- Plan perfectly and prepare everything for your DIY installation work. Get a permit, check for the local state’s requirements, and learn about the safety and landscape.
- A 7″ long solar panel can weigh 75 pounds. So, select the right solar panel size, as you need to move and lift the panels high to install them perfectly.
- You should use a pre-designed solar panel mounting structure. It can be a complete rack system, pole mount, or hardware with galvanized steel pipes.
- Tilt the solar panel wisely at 30 degrees in the southern US and 40 degrees in the northern states. The first row of solar panels’ lower end should be above the ground by at least 18″. Solar installation becomes easier with a racking system tilted at a 15-degree angle.
- Before installing ground-mounted solar panel arrays on a hillside, you should know the relevant hazards.
- Long conduit runs in a ground-mount panel system. Thus, plan carefully and manage your conduit to make wire pulling easier.
Overcoming Common Challenges with Ground-Mounted Panels
Mounting solar panels on the ground offers many advantages. However, ground-mounted installation on your property can present some common challenges. Those are:
- Panel Sizes and Form Factor Variations: The main obstacle to ground-based solar panel interoperability is panel size and form factor disparity. You can offset this difficulty by defining your solar panel’s standardized dimensions.
- Specifications of Electrical Characteristics: Incompatibilities in electrical parameters like current, voltage, wattage, power output, etc., can cause issues during solar system integration. This can cause your ground-mount solar system to fail or perform subpar. You must match components like inverters by carefully analysing electrical ratings to overcome this.
- Economic Viability: Ground-mounted solar panel integration and compatibility issues can affect your solar project’s financial viability. Mismatched panels reduce energy production and diminish overall efficiency. Solve your solar panel’s compatibility issues to create long-lasting and effective systems.
- Environmental Impact and Mitigation Strategies: There are some concerns about ground-mounted solar and their environmental impact in some instances. Large systems can mean removing vegetation and overhanging trees or crops to install solar.
Conclusion
Throughout the above article, we have explained all the ins and outs of ground-mounted solar panels. So, ground-mounted solar panel systems contribute significantly to the energy transition by producing renewable energy efficiently.
Installing solar panels on the ground can ensure the perfect use of your vacant property. This solar system’s service life is around 30 years.
Do you have an unused property or vacant plot in your home and want to use it to produce renewable energy? Then, contact us for a consultation on mounting solar panels on the ground.
