Concrete foundations for solar panels are a common type of solar system support structure used in solar installations, with a variety of design and construction methods for different site conditions and project needs.
Foundation Type:
Cast-in-place concrete foundation: constructed by drilling holes, placing reinforcing cages and pouring concrete at the project site. This type of foundation is suitable for soft or unstable soils and can resist uplift forces caused by wind or seismic loads, but requires special equipment and skilled labor to construct.
Precast Concrete Foundations: Concrete is poured and cured in a factory environment and then transported to the jobsite for installation. Suitable for flat roofs, low-slope roofs, or ground-mounted systems, precast foundations are simple and fast to construct, especially in wetland areas or landfills where drilling is difficult.
Application Scenarios:
Rooftop installations: can be used for rooftop solar system installations to provide a stable support structure. For example, when installing solar panels on a concrete flat roof, precast concrete blocks or direct poured foundation blocks can be used.
Ground Mount: When installing solar panels on the ground, concrete foundations are often used to ensure structural stability and durability. For example, concrete foundations can be used to secure solar racking and prevent it from tipping over due to wind or other external forces.
Design and Construction Requirements:
Material Selection: Concrete foundations are usually constructed using C30 grade concrete and cured as specified to ensure strength and durability.
Construction process: This includes steps such as construction alignment, mechanical drilling, reinforcement cage placement, formwork installation, concrete pouring, placement of pre-buried parts, formwork removal and concrete maintenance.
Environmental impact: the construction of concrete foundations may have some impact on the environment, such as temporary pollution of groundwater. Therefore, appropriate environmental protection measures need to be taken during the construction process.
Durability and Maintenance:
Durability issues: In some areas, such as the Northwest, concrete foundations can be challenged by sulfate attack and chloride erosion, and measures need to be taken to improve their durability.
Maintenance Costs: Cast-in-place concrete foundations are expensive to repair at a later stage due to their non-adjustable nature. Therefore, flexibility and maintainability need to be considered in the design.
Sustainability:
Alternative materials: some projects have experimented with the use of secondary materials (e.g., Solarbase) as a base layer for solar panels to reduce reliance on natural resources and increase sustainability.