How To Build A Solar Panel Rack

The u brackets attached the solar panel frame to the rack.

How to build a solar panel rack. Instead of buying an expensive roof rack system i commissioned a simple steel rack at the slo makerspace and then installed it on the fiberglass camper shell using stainless steel hardware diy neoprene gaskets and a lot of silicone sealant. Put the mount together and place it on top of your solar panel to check the. Cut pvc to length. It normally costs over 500 but i figured out a way to easily put one together f.

Building your own have questions. If you re building your own frame and have questions about how to build our projects team is here to help. After soldering cut the tab wire test out the panel and secure everything together. What you need step 1.

In this project the panels were attached with simple u brackets. All you need are solar cells gauge wire test lead clips bus wire plastic film diodes and a few other tools like scissors and wire cutters. Low shipping costs everything in our kit fits in an 18 x 12 x 3 box. I wanted to add solar panels to my travel truck which meant installing a sturdy rack to mount the panels on.

Assemble and test fit the pieces. Pvc cuts pretty easily but you ll want to make sure your cuts are straight. Lowest cost all steel solar ground mounting system total investment for mounting a 6 panel array is less than 450. In order to fit thicker 3 8 bolts into the 1 4 holes on the hightec solar panel we drilled out the hole with a 3 8 bit.

This solar panel stand easily holds up to five or six 100 watt solar panels. On all bolts we used blue loctite. Divide 216 inches which is the top to bottom length of the roof minus the 12 inch border on each side by the long edge of each panel and you get 3 3 panels obviously you cannot cut a panel so you can get three rows on your roof. Disassemble and reassemble this time.

Costing less than 30 to build this is a great basic solution for power needs on the go.