When it comes to installing solar in open, rural, or agricultural land—smart design is everything. From maximizing solar output to ensuring long-term stability and ease of installation, high-capacity ground-mounted systems require more than just panels and racking—they demand strategic engineering rooted in experience and site-specific insight.
At One Place Solar, our team has designed and supported solar farms, farm-based arrays, and utility-scale ground-mount projects with precision-engineered permit designs, preliminary layouts, and engineered plan sets with PE stamps across the U.S.
Whether you’re in solar sales, construction, or development, here’s what you need to know about designing smarter ground-mount systems.
1. Start with a Strong Solar Prelim Design
Before breaking ground, a solar preliminary design (or “prelim”) provides a conceptual layout that helps stakeholders visualize:
- Panel placement across available land
- Row spacing, tilt angles, and azimuth orientation
- Equipment zones (inverters, combiners, trench paths)
- Shadow analysis and production estimates
At One Place Solar, our solar sales proposal packages come with these detailed pre-calculations to support sales teams and developers with data-driven decisions early in the cycle.
2. Optimize Array Spacing and Tilt for Efficiency
Key Spacing Guidelines:
- Row-to-row pitch: Depends on tilt and latitude, but a safe starting point is 1.2–1.5x the module height to reduce inter-row shading.
- Edge clearance: Maintain buffer space to prevent washout, allow for maintenance vehicles, and meet setback requirements.
Optimal Tilt:
In the U.S. Midwest and most temperate zones, a 25–30° tilt works best for fixed-tilt systems, balancing annual output and structural simplicity.
Azimuth Direction:
Due south (180°) is ideal. However, some eastern or western deviation is acceptable depending on use-case (e.g., maxing AM or PM production for specific loads).
3. Choose the Right Racking for Ground Conditions
Not all land is created equal. Soil, frost line, slope, and wind exposure all impact the racking strategy.
Common Options:
- Pile-driven steel (C-piles): Best for soft or moderately compacted soil.
- Ballasted systems: Ideal for rocky or protected sites with excavation limits.
- Helical piles or ground screws: Used in rocky or mountainous terrain.
We often recommend Unirac GFT or IronRidge ground-mount systems, based on wind zone, snow load, and soil type—all integrated into our solar permit design sets and stamped for your AHJ.
4. Plan Interconnection & PTO Early
High-capacity ground-mounted systems require precise electrical planning—especially when using:
- Line-side taps
- 400A+ load centers
- Utility meters + ATS setups
We include detailed single-line diagrams, voltage drop calculations, and interconnection schematics in every design set, and we offer PTO (Permission to Operate) support to fast-track approvals from utilities.
5. Don’t Skip the Engineering Stamp (PE Stamp)
For all commercial, utility, and AHJ jurisdictions, a structural and electrical engineer’s stamp is mandatory for approval.
We provide state-specific PE stamping across 40+ U.S. states, covering:
- Ground-mount racking certification
- Wind/snow load analysis
- NEC-compliant electrical layouts
- Conduit/trench routing
This is included with all final solar permit design packages from One Place Solar.
Bonus: We Also Support EV Charging & Telecom Site Designs
As part of our engineering services, we now offer:
- EV charging station design (Level 2 & DC fast chargers)
- Telecommunication tower structural analysis & site layout
- Full interconnection documentation with utilities
Whether you’re expanding your solar scope or diversifying your portfolio—we have the licensed experts to help you scale.
✅ Conclusion: Design Smarter. Build Better.
In rural and agricultural settings, designing smart means designing for scale, code, and reliability.
With our end-to-end services—from solar sales proposals, preliminary layouts, and permit plan sets, to PTO submission and PE stamps—One Place Solar is your full-stack partner for smooth, compliant, and efficient solar projects.
🔗 Looking to streamline your next ground-mount project?
Contact Us to request a sample design