Solar ground mount systems are solar arrays that are fixed to the ground. But for different ground terrain, you may need a different ground mounted solar energy system. The choice of foundation is critical to the cost effective installation of a PV solar panel support structure. Lack of proper investigation of subsurface conditions can lead to the selection of the wrong type of foundation and can result in costly change orders and delays in project completion dates. So, do you know how to choose a foundation type?

The selection of foundation mainly considers the following aspects:

1. Geotechnical and topographic conditions. Need to choose the appropriate foundation according to the geotechnical and topographic conditions of the project.

2. Slope. The slope has a certain influence on the choice of foundation , and a suitable foundation should be selected according to the actual situation.

3. Factors such as groundwater and corrosion. These factors will affect the stability and service life of the foundation, should consider the choice of corrosion-resistant materials and structural forms.

4. Economic. Mainly on the basis of ensuring the overall safety of the photovoltaic support, you can try to choose the foundation with low cost.

The types of foundations:

Common foundations are driven piles, ground screws, concrete footings, concrete ballast or a mixture of these components.

1. Driven pile foundations are commonly used in large projects. Piles are made up of galvanized steel I-beams, channel steel or columns. Piling must have the proper soil conditions. These conditions include good soil cohesion.

2. Ground screws, as the name implies, are large galvanized steel posts with welded or machined threads. Ground screws are an ideal choice when soil/ground conditions are heavily rocky, ledge and/or water repellent. This is because it can be easily installed with an auger attachmenton Bobcats or other like machinery to drive the ground screw into the ground.

3.Pouring concrete foundations is very common, especially in small ground installations. It takes a lot of labor to dig the holes, align the columns and handle the concrete.

4.Ballasted foundations are those where pre-cast or poured-in-place concrete ballasts are utilized to support the racking structure.The foundations are a good choice when there is a large amount of rejection or when soil conditions exhibit poor lateral and vertical strength, such as capped landfills or other brownfields. 

5. Hybrid Ground Solar Racking System. Hybrid systems are used to address the specific needs of installations with multiple types of terrain.

The choice of foundation needs to be evaluated by specialized personnel.POWERACK provides ground screw, and if you interested, you can contact us.