Mounting Questions

[lesjones]

Complete newbie here. I just bought 10 panels and am trying to figure out a mounting solution. I have a perfectly sized steel frame made out of 1.5" angle iron for 4 panels to start with.

Here are my questions:

How much should I be concerned about the expansion difference between the aluminum panel frames and the steel rack? Is the solution as simple as not tightening the bolts/clips very tight?

What's the best way to ground the panels & rack?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

 

[HRTKD]

While my panels aren't rack mounted, I haven't heard of any expansion issues. When I do go with a rack mount, those panels are going to get tightened down to whatever torque is specified.

There's a good grounding write-up in the Resources section of the forum.

Grounding Made simpler - Part 2: Stationary Systems

To get the paper, click on the orange button at the top of the screen. The subject of grounding is a complex, multifaceted subject, that is often treated as an after-thought but needs to be considered from the beginning of the design and build...

diysolarforum.com

 

[lesjones]

While my panels aren't rack mounted, I haven't heard of any expansion issues. When I do go with a rack mount, those panels are going to get tightened down to whatever torque is specified.

There's a good grounding write-up in the Resources section of the forum.

Grounding Made simpler - Part 2: Stationary Systems

To get the paper, click on the orange button at the top of the screen. The subject of grounding is a complex, multifaceted subject, that is often treated as an after-thought but needs to be considered from the beginning of the design and build...

diysolarforum.com

Thanks for the reply and the link to the grounding article. Unfortunately, since the rack is homemade, there are no torque specs to follow.

On the grounding issue, I should have been more specific. I'm installing the panels directly to a dilapidated asphalt tennis court on the property that we moved onto. My specific question is whether I need to do further grounding.

 

[TomC4306]

I am assuming you will use a nut bolt combination sort of thing to hold the panel to this angle iron frame you made. Beneath that contact patch goes a grounding washer that will penetrate the anodized layer of the aluminum frame. That makes the frame to rack grounding contact. Ground the frame with a wire to a piece of rebar hammered into the ground. The only purpose of this setup is lightning protection. Period.

 

[lesjones]

I am assuming you will use a nut bolt combination sort of thing to hold the panel to this angle iron frame you made. Beneath that contact patch goes a grounding washer that will penetrate the anodized layer of the aluminum frame. That makes the frame to rack grounding contact. Ground the frame with a wire to a piece of rebar hammered into the ground. The only purpose of this setup is lightning protection. Period.

This is exactly what I was planning to do. I see no reason to take it all the way back to the main ground in the breaker box as some have suggested.