Solar Panel Rock jack?

Hey folks

I am needing to install two 340w panels where it is only rock. Our other panels up there are rocktite'd into the rock bluff.  We used a rock drill that the installer had.

I do not have a rock drill( i could probably acquire one)


However I was wondering if i could make a rock jack and use that to keep the panels in place. I assume there would be several hundred pounds keeping the panels on the ground. Anyone think this might work?

Picture a kids swing set with an additional post in the middle with a platform on the bottom about 10 inches off the ground. Filled with lots of rocks because I have lots of crumbly rocks. Easy to break apart. Not very sturdy rocks.

When I read this, I immediately thought that I might try more of a gabion approach with the post coming out of a gabion. Are you planning to mount it on a single post, or a group of posts? When I picture the rock jacks at Wheaton Labs, I picture fairly large rocks sitting on a platform. Since you identify your rocks as crumbly, I started thinking a "box" on the jack would hold smaller rocks, which made me think of trying more of a gabion.


You rocks may not be roundish river rocks, but it's the idea I'm suggesting!

I think it would work as long as the carpentry/welding of the "jack" part of the rock jack is good.  Make sure the feet aren't gonna slide around and put lots of rock on it and it should hold up.  Preferably the panels wouldn't be really high so they don't have leverage to tip it over.

I like the gabion idea..

I've got 4 300w panels on a cedar rack that is bolted to maybe 1800lbs of scrap steel that used to be part of a semi trailer... probably more sheltered than you, but it's sure never budged, just sitting on the ground.

Finally got around to doing this. The 120w of solar I had near my tiny house wasn't bringing anything in.

I will say that this took quite a while to build. I did not need to buy anything. However I have quite a bit of supplies in stock on the homestead. So there is that. Most of the wood is less than ideal stuff from my work(sawmill). I put a big space in between the panels so they would be less of a sail in the wind. It has been fairly windy here and it is still there :D I will put more rocks on it over time. I also have some more ideas to beef up the supports.

Its all up on rocks. Its supported by rocks.

I still haven't quite figured out how to secure the gabion to a post in the middle. I imagine it would be quite floppy. I still like the idea tho.

If you didn't need to cover it all in rocks, the back side would have made a nice picnic table with a sun-shade! Nice job - I find things always take me 5 x longer than I think they should. That just seems to be life!