5K ground install kit.....

[Alan Waterman]

Eyeing this kit. I have lots of spare ground space not too far from my house. Really like the idea of micro inverters given that the solar path with result in 1 or 2 panels being slightly blocked for a few hours each day during the winter (not an issue in the summer). Other things I like: 1) if one micro inverter fails, my whole system won't go down. 2) Easier to clean and maintain or repair being on the ground. 3) Less chance of having a roof leak. 4) Easier to install myself(I already have a post hole digger, concrete mixer, and an 18" trencher).

http://www.gogreensolar.com/products/5000-watt-5kw-solar-ground-mount-kit-w-microinverters

Can anyone recommend an alternative or competing system to this one?

[foo1bar]

I went with a solaredge system.
1> was cheaper than enphase
2> works well with shade and multiple angles

It does give a single point of failure - but my guess is you'll still have about the same lost production over 20 years with solaredge.
(Certainly it's just a guess - and maybe I'm wrong. In any case I think 1 week of lost production every ~10 years is something you can deal with)


I hope your post-hole digger is powered auger, not just a hand-powered one.

FWIW I went with Renvu and looked at soligent

[Alan Waterman]

I went with a solaredge system.
1> was cheaper than enphase
2> works well with shade and multiple angles

It does give a single point of failure - but my guess is you'll still have about the same lost production over 20 years with solaredge.
(Certainly it's just a guess - and maybe I'm wrong. In any case I think 1 week of lost production every ~10 years is something you can deal with)


I hope your post-hole digger is powered auger, not just a hand-powered one.

FWIW I went with Renvu and looked at soligent

I actually have a powered auger too but the Fiskars all metal post hole digger in combination with a spud bar works far better in my rocky clay soil. I've dug over 80 3 foot deep holes for 600 feet of fencing in the last few years all by hand. That along with a 6 cubic foot electric concrete mixer has come in very handy.

[SunEagle]

Looks interesting and is cheaper then the Solar Pod 1kw or 2kw packages.

I am confused as to why it states you get 24 micro inverters when you only get 20 panels and use one inverter for 2 panels. Must be a typo.

[Plut]

I defiantly hear you on the Post hole digger and spud bar combo. I needed to to put 6 holes 5 feet deep. I rented a 1 man auger and spent a 8 full hours getting them dug less then half way. The next day I went out there with a regular old post hold digger and a spud bar and had them all to 5 feet in about an hour. Auger was fine in the soft dirt but as soon as I hit the hard clay it stopped digging and just spun like a top.

Anyway I did a 24 panel+micro DIY ground mount like your looking at, Shopped every site in the internet and ended up buying my system from Renvu.

[Alan Waterman]

Looks interesting and is cheaper then the Solar Pod 1kw or 2kw packages.

I am confused as to why it states you get 24 micro inverters when you only get 20 panels and use one inverter for 2 panels. Must be a typo.

It's a typo. You get 10 dual microinverters for the 20 panel system.

[ButchDeal]

it makes it look like you get all the racking but it would seem strange and costly to get the schedule 40 pipe shipped.

[Alan Waterman]

it makes it look like you get all the racking but it would seem strange and costly to get the schedule 40 pipe shipped.

Just racking. No piping, wire, conduit, junction, disconnects, or subpanels.

[foo1bar]

At $10k for 5kw you can undoubtably find a better deal.

[foo1bar]

Auger was fine in the soft dirt but as soon as I hit the hard clay it stopped digging and just spun like a top.

2-person auger would have probably done better - or better yet, an auger attachment on some equipment (tractor, bobcat/skid-steer, etc)

As Tim Taylor would say "More power <grunt> <grunt>"

I'm not a fan of digging holes with a manual post-hole digger - done it a few times. I would pay $500 to rent a machine rather than dig 20+ of them by hand.

[Alan Waterman]

2-person auger would have probably done better - or better yet, an auger attachment on some equipment (tractor, bobcat/skid-steer, etc)

As Tim Taylor would say "More power <grunt> <grunt>"

I'm not a fan of digging holes with a manual post-hole digger - done it a few times. I would pay $500 to rent a machine rather than dig 20+ of them by hand.

The auger I have is a two person auger and believe it or not, it's just easier in rocky clay to use the manual post hole digger and spud bar. If I had to dig a hundred holes all at once then I'd use a skid loader with with auger attachment which is exactly what I did when I planted my 70 redwood trees, that made a mess of the holes. the walls were all cobbled up from all the stones that were in the ground. Also, even with an auger on a skid loader, rocky clay makes it impossible to keep the hole centered where you want. With a sharp all metal post hole digger and spud bar, the hole walls are smooth and the hole goes exactly where you want it to. Not so important when planting trees but much more so when you're installing a ground rack system for PVs.