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There are essentially three locations where solar can be installed in a home:
Rooftop
Ground Mounted
Solar structure (car port/solar shade)
We'll discuss each of these.
This is by far the most common installation. In fact, if you respond to one of the lead generation ads on the web, you'll typically be contacted by someone who had never even heard of, doesn't care about, either of the other two installation types.
Just like it says, these installations are mounted directly on the ground.
There are several different ways of mounting them on the ground.
Concrete footings
Ground Screws
Ballasted
For example, the old EG4 Brighmount adjustable ground mount specifies concrete footers 24in square and 48in deep. The main reason is to resist the wind load and uplift that the structure is subjected to because once the panels are added to it, they act as a sort of sail that can create an incredible force. In some areas, they need to withstand upto a 150mph of wind load and resulting uplift. The main reason for the 48" depth is that especially in colder areas, the depth is needed to get down below the frost line. Also, unlike wooden posts (typically 4'X4'), concrete won't rot or degrade.
In more recent mounts, they are design to make use of all three methods so they are more adaptable to local conditions and therefore overall cheaper to make since the method of securing them is then independent of the actual racking system for the panels.
A great example of this approach is IntegraRack, which can use all three methods of affixing the mounts to the ground. They also have both fixed tilt and adjustable ones.
Solar Structure (EV charging or car port/solar shade)
Now that EVs are becoming more popular and selling in volume, customer's are finding a need to top off the cars in the evening, and a solar car port is the logical thing to do it with.
Even with out a battery, a car port is a way to a home owner to each into solar with out the full committment to solar on the roof of their house.
Alternatively, a shade structure is a great way to generate power.