Has anyone built a Solar Panel Ground Mount in the UK?

[RichardG]

I'm looking at various options of installing Solar Panels. Unfortunately none of our roofs face South and the only usable one due to shading etc. is on the workshop which is West facing and not too large, looks like we can get 10 panels on easily or perhaps 12 panels at a squeeze. However, we have 2 acres to play with so a potential solution is a ground mount which could be installed with all the optimum angles to maximise output plus it would also allow for easy cleaning and maintenance.

Commercial offerings for 16 panels are £1500+ and you still need to lay the foundations and then assemble and install. It looks like a straight forward job to build one from scratch either in wood or using scaffolding but I think it will need planning permission, not sure about building control? There's also the matter of snow and wind loading so may need structural engineering sign off?

Just wondered if anyone had been down this route and can share their experience?

Thanks

Richard

 

[MARK.B.]

If you do go down that route you might want to consider some extra panels over and above your needs, sell the excess back to the grid. The extra work involved would be minimal and the profits could help offset the installation costs over time

 

[Spectric]

What triggered the requirement for solar panels, the feed in tarriff has gone and only shorter term contracts with the energy suppliers. But with 2 Acres you could get enough panels to power your entire house, I think it is around the thirty panel mark depending on several factors to achieve close to 100%.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

Why not build a roof to put them on? Get them up and out of the way, and give you more storage/parking/stables etc. You don't have to build any walls, unless you want to - or they could come later.

I take it you will want batteries and an inverter to go with the installation - these things also take up room...

 

[Inspector]

I have a neighbour that recently added a second set to his place. It is along the north boundary and guessing it is about 12' high and 40' long. Second set installed last fall is about the same in area. First set was on a frame steel criss crossing everywhere, maybe seasonally adjustable. The second array is on a single row of metal posts along the middle. They may be seasonably adjustable. With our net metering once you produce more than you consume you don't get paid for the excess power you generate. Stupid practice when we have over 300 days of sun a year but that's the way it is. When it takes 15 plus years to pay back the profits are too small to be much of an incentive here. I have 9 acres and could easily cover a couple acres with solar panels to have lots of extra to sell.

Neighbour next to the first had a wind generator of perhaps 20' diameter. A year and a half ago it threw the blades and it doesn't look like they will bother fixing it.

Pete

 

[RichardG]

Why not build a roof to put them on? Get them up and out of the way, and give you more storage/parking/stables etc. You don't have to build any walls, unless you want to - or they could come later.

I take it you will want batteries and an inverter to go with the installation - these things also take up room...

The land is agricultural use so no way would you get planning permission for a building, perhaps a small stable if it was converted to equestrian use. However, the planners have already given permission for agricultural to solar farms in the area so a precedence has been set. I don’t want to make a feature of them just hide 16 or so panels up the corner out of the way.

 

[MARK.B.]

Now if you had a nice big barn and stick an old tractor in it would that make it agricultural , the solar panels just mean you care about the planet

 

[gmgmgm]

I have panels on the ground - went with Renusol mounts for ease. If you can, mount on a building. Panels on the ground are very fragile, and always seem to be in the way. Put them on a roof, and you can forget about them.