IR-45 BallastRack™
Solar Module Racking System
Melana Solar
IR-45 BallastRack
- Fixed 45° Sun Angle
- Capable Of Racking Any Size Module
- 2 Minute Assembly Per Frame
- Lowest Cost Per kW
- No Concrete Footings, Post Pounding, or Earth Augers Required
- Multiple Mounting Options
- High-Strength Engineered
- Aircraft Grade Aluminum and Stainless Steel
The IR-45 is one of the most universal solar module ground mounting systems ever developed, and it was specifically designed to rack solar modules of any size, even 700 Watt jumbo size solar panels are no match for the IR-45 Racking System. With 4 innovative mounting options available to choose from, even soft sand or super rocky terrain is no problem at all for lightning-fast install times. Each IR-45 Frame can be assembled in less than 2 minutes, and with its unbelievable ability to rack modules of any size, this system is by far the most cost-effective ground mount racking system on the market today.
Unlike some ground mounting systems, the IR-45 doesn’t require any concrete footings, post pounded poles, or hand shoveling dirt into small bins. The IR-45 solar module ground mount racking system is made from 6061 T6 aircraft grade aluminum and stainless steel, so it’s much stronger, lighter weight and more compact to ship than any other racking system on the market. The fixed 45° design offers optimal year-round energy production across most of the northern United States and Canada, and with its easy to slide adjustable solar module height feature, it offers great ground clearance and a great angle for fast snow shedding.
This product conforms to UL 2703 Mechanical and Bonding requirements.
FEATURES
Lightning Fast Assembly & Install
With its simple “U” shaped tubular aluminum rack frame design, each IR-45 structural frame section can be assembled in less than 2 minutes, and the full start to finish installation time can be completed in less than 10 minutes per module section from frame assembly, to mounting or ballasting, to module installation and final slide height adjustment. This makes the IR-45 6x faster than traditional solar ground mount systems.
Universal Mounting
The IR-45 is the most technologically advanced solar racking solution in the industry. Its extremely universal rack frame design can be mounted in 4 different ways with any size solar modules. Extremely rocky or challenging soil conditions are no match for the IR-45 as it can be mounted using the available IR EarthBallast™ System, IR AnchorSpike™ System, or simply anchor bolt the base frame directly to a concrete ballast slab, patio, cargo container or rooftop steel beam. The IR-45 can even be Ballasted with concrete curb stops or flat style water tanks for permanent or temporary mounting solutions. This system also offers adjustable height for solar modules as they can be slid up and down along the flange clamps.
Lowest Cost Per kW
The IR-45 is the most cost effective solar racking system on the market with its fast, easy installation and its ability to rack solar modules of any size. It is also much more versatile than other competing ground mount systems, and ballasted ground mounting options, as it does not require hours of shoveling dirt into a small opening, making it by far the lowest installed cost per kW option on the market today. It’s multi-purpose design means that the same easy to warehouse and inexpensive to ship 10lb 5”x5”x48” boxed IR-45 racking system frame can be utilized in a multitude of solar racking solutions.
No Limitation On Solar Module Size
The IR-45 BallastRack System is the only solar module ground mount that is capable of racking solar modules of any size with no need for additional hardware. Each solar module that is racked sets the width between each frame section, and calculating space between frames is easy. Simply space the base tubes of the IR-45 Frames exactly 1 inch less than the width of your solar modules.
High-Strength Engineered & Tested For Class Leading Performance
The IR-45 has been extensively engineered and outdoor lab tested with simulated real world wind and snow load conditions. With its aircraft grade 6061 T6 tubular aluminum frame and stainless steel solar module clamps, it is capable of withstanding wind loads of up to 120 mph, and snow loads of up to 100psf (See online datasheet for more detailed specs). The IR-45’s fixed 45° angle is nearly the perfect sun angle for most all of the United States for maximizing annual energy production, and it is also an excellent angle for snow shedding.
LAYOUT
MOUNTING OPTIONS
Base Ballast Mounting
Each IR-45 can be mounted using flat water tanks or concrete curb stops for temporary or permanent mounting of solar modules.
IR EarthBallast™ Mounting System
Our IR EarthBallast™ Kit provides enough materials to install up to 12 solar modules with this mounting option, and comes with a 3′ x 50′ roll of strong geotextile material generally used for earth filling and rock wall retention systems, and one caulk gun size tube of high-strength 5 minute epoxy with two mixing nozzles to adhere the material to each frame’s base tube section. The geotextile material is rolled over the wet epoxy and stretched from frame to frame to form a large tight surface area over the top of the frame base tubes for the earth mound to be placed on. Each solar module section width requires a mound of dirt, crushed rock, or road base that is approximately 15 inches tall or 700 pounds of ballast fill material per section. A skid-steer loader, tractor, or shovel can be used to place the fill material.
Stakes not required, but recommended
IR AnchorSpike™ Mounting System
Our IR AnchorSpike™ Kit provides enough materials to install up to 10 solar modules with this mounting option, and comes with our specially designed 22.5 inch barbed aluminum spikes and a super strong two part epoxy. The IR AnchorSpikes have a hollow structure with open barbs that allow the epoxy to flow deep into the soil and create a solid anchor rated for over 600 pounds of uplift per spike. Once in place, each IR-45 frame is designed to clamp onto two AnchorSpikes when the carriage bolts at the ends are tightened, which allows for fast and easy leveling of the system. IR-AnchorSpike must be tested in soil at installation site to ensure it can withstand a minimum of 400 pounds of uplift.
Recommended Tools:
- SDS Hammer Drill
- 3/4 In. x 21 In. SDS-Max Speed-X Carbide Rotary Hammer Bit for Concrete Drilling
Concrete Slab/Footing Anchor Bolt Mounting System
Our IR Concrete Anchor Bolt Mounting Kit provides enough materials to install up to 10 solar modules with this mounting option, and comes with strong concrete anchor bolts and two concrete drill bits. Each IR-45 Frame can be direct bolted to pre-cast concrete slabs/footings or most existing concrete surfaces, such as a patio (site specific engineering required), for the strongest possible wind resistance.
IR-45 Universal Solar Ground Mount System
Part Number: IR-45RF1000
Material: 6061 T6 Tubular Aluminum
- Finish: Mill
45° Universal Ground mount frame that is designed to rack any size solar module and can be mounted almost anywhere with four available mounting options. The IR-45 System utilizes our own IR-F2 solar module bonding clamps.
Included Components:
- IR-45 Base Tube
- IR-45 Long Leg
- IR-45 Short Leg
- IR-F2 Flange Clamp Bonding Brackets
- 5/16-18 x 3.5″ Carriage Bolts
- 5/16-18″ Serrated Nuts
- 5/16-18 x 1/2″ Thread Cutting Bolts
*Multiple Patents Pending
PRODUCT RESOURCES
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Please reach out to info@melanaworldsolar.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
How many IR-45 Frames do I need per solar module?
Only one IR-45 is needed per solar module, plus one extra at the start of each row.
What is the ground clearance?
The IR-45 provides up to 3 feet of ground clearance, though this is mostly determined by the height and placement of your solar modules. For high snow areas, we recommend installing the system on 6 inches of raised dirt with a drainage ditch dug below the bottom edge of the modules.
Which mounting option offers the best wind load rating?
Our Concrete Lag Bolt Mounting Kit offers the highest wind load rating of up to 120 MPH. See our detailed Datasheet for more information.