Iron Pipe for Solar Ground Mount Arrives

The array ground mount system purchased from IronRidge uses 3 inch schedule 40 iron pipe. Unlike the challenges I’ve had with other service providers, Cavco was much more responsive. They accurately turned the pipe order around within a few days and the delivery guys did all the heavy lifting and were very professional and polite. But getting an excavator out to dig the holes is proving to be a reinforcement of how things work (or don’t) in contractor land.

The mount install directions actually calls for 1 foot diameter drilled holes. A neighbor offered to do it with his tractor auger, but drilling into slate rock proved to be an impossible task. Contacting a few different heavy equipment rental companies wasn’t fruitful. All said that their augers would not drill through slate rock. I finally contacted a company that could do the work, but they wanted a minimum of $8,000! Luckily, their sales rep was an engineer. He suggested having the holes dug with a track hoe. The holes wouldn’t have to be as deep, but would have to be at least 2’x2′ and reinforced with rebar. Sounds like a good (and cheap) plan. If I could only get someone to show up to do it!