Ground Mounted Solar Panels

Ground Mounted Solar Panels

You may associate ground-mounted solar with a solar farm as this is generally where you would have seen them. When you think of domestic home solar you would picture a roof-mounted solar system. However, ground-mounted solar systems can be found in back gardens and on land owned by businesses.

Ground-mounted solar could be installed if your home or business doesn’t have a south-facing roof pitch but has perfect south-facing land. The roof type your property has could be unsuitable for solar such as a thatch roof. Or your roof may always be in the shadow of an over looking building which results in poor solar generation.

What are Ground-Mounted Solar Panels?

As you would expect unlike traditional solar panels that are mounted to rooftops, ground-mounted solar panels are fixed to the floor. There are a few types of ground-mounted solar panels:

• Standard ground mounts use a metal A-frame fixed to a concrete base or pole which is driven into the ground.
• Solar tracking system, this moves the solar panels over the day to follow the sunlight.
• Ballasted plastic tube which sits directly on the land, this is the same type used for flat roofs.
• Wooden frame structures are bespoke and can double up as other structures.

Why Ground Mounted Solar Panels

Ground-mounted solar panels could be perfect for your home or business if roof-mounted isn’t an option. Roof-mounted solar might not be suitable if, the roof is unable to support solar panels, the roof is too small or there is too much shadowing from the surrounding property.

Ground mounted solar and roof-mounted solar generally cost the same when it comes to cost per watt. However ground-mounted solar could be more cost-effective in the long run, as they aren’t restricted by roof angles or orientations. Ground mounted solar allows you to choose the location within your ground giving you the best location possible.

If your property is a high consumer of electricity your roof may not be big enough to house enough panels for your energy consumption. Ground mounted solar could be an excellent solution if you’re a high consumer as you will not be restricted by roof space.