NWGEAR Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 Today's challenge is to secure a couple of solar panels to the top of a shipping container. Just to be interesting you're not allowed to weld or puncture the container with fixings. Assume high wind conditions but panels may be mounted flat on top. Bodge ideas expected! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 Bolt some unistrut to the top and build a frame from that, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonshine Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 (edited) 22 minutes ago, ProDave said: Bolt some unistrut to the top and build a frame from that, wouldn't this need to puncture the container. How about unistrut bolted to breeze blocks at certain intervals (to make a rectangle frame, then ratchet strap the unistrut to the for corners of the container. Fix panels to strapped down unistrut. Edited March 12, 2020 by Moonshine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joth Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 Do something with the corner castings? No idea what, but my starting point is to design a grid/platform that bolts to all four corners and install on that, then see how to simplify that idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottishjohn Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 clean surfaceof container --make up something to attach panels to -then stick that to container with tiger seal If everything clean it will never come away other way is to weight your PV frame down with bags of ballast or big lumps of concrete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfb Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 why can't you weld them to the container? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam2 Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 On my camper van I used one of the Sikaflex products (may have been 512) for the large roof solar panels - 3 years not moved a bit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandybay Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 Buy yourself a large amount of marine silicone, wait for a dry sunny day, job done? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamieled Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 We used a couple of pallets, with a bit of 4 by inch to join them. They are the heavy type pallets. Tied to the edges of the container (the lifting holes) with some blue rope. Haven't moved an inch in the last year or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottishjohn Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 2 hours ago, Adam2 said: On my camper van I used one of the Sikaflex products (may have been 512) for the large roof solar panels - 3 years not moved a bit tiger seal is same ,just dif make Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 31 minutes ago, scottishjohn said: tiger seal is same ,just dif make It is indeed. I compared Tigerseal to Sikaflex side by side on my old boat, no difference at all between them as far as I could see (other than Tigerseal being a lot cheaper at the time). Both are PU sealants/adhesives with, as far as I could tell, a near-identical formulation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell griffiths Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 Don’t they do a plastic box thing that is angled, so you mount the panel on the angled bit and put either concrete blocks or gravel on the flat bit to anchor it down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 47 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said: Don’t they do a plastic box thing that is angled, so you mount the panel on the angled bit and put either concrete blocks or gravel on the flat bit to anchor it down. Yes, like these (they are filled with ballast to hold them in place): Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWGEAR Posted March 12, 2020 Author Share Posted March 12, 2020 Thanks all. Will try the adhesive option then ballast if they end up in the next field @jfb no welding gear nor the experience and wouldn't want to wreck the water tightness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottishjohn Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 to secure my 2 x30 tube solar thermal array on my garage roof i used 8" wide 1/2" plate and bolted them to that -makers required 100kgs to hold them down in storms --and these sat at 50degrees --so were much taller than your PV will be I just made sure I sat them on DPC--just as well cos when iremocved them 16years later they were stuck to it -- but came off with no damage to flat roof felt-the DPC became part of the roof Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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