WO2016049416A2

WO2016049416A2 - System and method for installation of arrays and support racks

Info

Publication number: WO2016049416A2
Application number: PCT/US2015/052145
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mark PELLETIER; James E. Mandry; Raymond Matthew BOURQUE
Original assignee: Anar Solar LLC.
Priority date: 2014-09-26
Filing date: 2015-09-25
Publication date: 2016-03-31
Also published as: WO2016049416A3

Abstract

A method of installing a modular ballast system (110) and racking system (10) for supporting objects for use on, for example, a sloped and capped former landfill uses tubing such as pipes (112) of appropriate size for the required ballast. Once in place, the empty pipes (112) are filled with a slurry of sand, silt, gravel, soil, cement or other generally available material to generate a majority of the ballast weight. A clamping mechanism (116) provides fixed placement attachment points suitable for attachment by supported structures (118). The clamping mechanism (116) supports and disperses the anticipated weight of the objects with minimal impact on the surface beneath it. The upper piece (124) of the clamping mechanism mates to the lower clamping piece (120) and completes a full 360 degree collar around the ballast tubing (112) to create a durable clamping mechanism. A racking system (10) for holding solar panels (12) and other similar panels in a fixed position and that can easily adjust to terrains which are not level and adapt to variations in solar panel size without different hardware and without significant manual effort is disclosed. Adjustable channels (14) hold the panels (12) in place and the entire assembly process can be completed without the need for bolts, screws, washers, and nuts.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INSTALLATION OF ARRAYS AND SUPPORT

RACKS

TECHNICAL FIELD

[ 0001 ] The present invention relates to systems and methods for supporting devices such as racks used in solar electrical generating systems or windmills used to generate electricity and more particularly, relates to systems and a method for installing noninvasive surface ballast and racking systems in areas such as sloped former landfills.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

[ 0002 ] Large installations containing racks rrays of products such as solar cells used to generate electricity are becoming more and more common and desirable. Very often these arrays are located in large, open exposed areas such as fields, former landfills and rooftop settings. These large arrays are rather heavy and must be supported on the ground or other surface on which they rest and in addition, the supporting elements must safeguard against the array moving, shifting or even being toppled from natural elements such as the wind and snow.

[ 0003 ] Many local governments are looking for ways to turn dormant landfill sites back into productive land that benefits the taxpayer and the community at large. Similarly, many utilities, solar power developers and real estate companies are looking for new and innovative ways to generate green renewable energy as a way to lower costs for their consumers and to relieve the strain on the grid system or to generate revenue. Closed and capped landfills provide an ideal, large, expansive and often perfectly sloped open area on which to mount solar arrays.

[ 0004 ] Unfortunately, however, closed landfills are generally capped with a rubber or other similar impervious membrane and/or a vegetative membrane which cannot be penetrated by auger screws and large machinery cannot be moved onto the capped landfill for fear of damaging the cap. Therefore while solar or wind farms appear to be the perfect solution for these spaces, the current accepted approaches and practices to installing these electrical energy

generating farms leave a lot to be desired.

[ 0005 ] In the prior art, such arrays are either

permanently or semi-permanently attached to the ground or other surface supporting the structure utilizing steel beams or large concrete blocks. Prior art systems for affixing solar panels and wind turbines are commercially available in numerous forms. These systems generally fall into 2 categories .

[ 0006 ] The first category of systems requires significant site work and uses either poured cement footings or objects (such as auger screws) driven into the ground or rooftops to act as anchors for applications such as a solar panel mounting system. The conventional method of anchoring solar arrays using a "driven pile or "earth-screw" mounting are unacceptable for landfills due to the fact that these practices can cause damage to the landfill vegetative or rubber cap.

[ 0007 ] The second category of systems uses ballast

(weight) to hold down parts of the application mounting system. The ballast used in present systems generally consists of singularly large or multiple cement blocks for each ballast site. For typical solar field applications, these ballast blocks can weigh as much as 8 tons. The traditional "ballasted" approach using precast concrete blocks is generally not acceptable for former landfills because this process requires heavy, earthmoving equipment to move the concrete blocks into position on the field of construction and poses a real threat to the integrity of the landfill. In addition, the intense weight of a ballast block on such a small footprint increases the possibility of permanent settlement beneath the protective cap and does not allow for the landfill contents to naturally settle over time. Moreover, their weight prevents them from being used on a slope surface of no more than 5° slope due to the effects of gravity.

[ 0008 ] While this approach seems to impact the terrain at or on which the weight is mounted minimally, the peripheral damage done to the terrain in moving the ballast weights into position can be significant. This occurs because in many cases, utilizing the prior art array mounting system

necessitates the use of large machinery which can permanently damage the ground or in some instances, cannot even be brought to the installation site; require permanent or semipermanent installation elements such as steel beams attached to a roof structure; or otherwise necessitate significant disturbance to the area at which the array is to be mounted such as the use of large auger screws inserted in the ground.

[ 0009 ] A problem with present systems is that they require significant site work and/or greatly disturb the terrain when equipment is run over the terrain. In many potential sites for solar or wind turbine applications, it is not possible or desirable to have such extensive site work done. Further, more site work will be needed when the solar or wind turbine application is eventually removed. The current method of ground mounted solar installations typically requires that the site be somewhat level to use concrete blocks to hold down the racking system. Solid fill material is shipped to the site, dumped and distributed throughout the location of construction to create a relatively flat and smooth surface. The extra time required for the ground preparation along with the added cost of solid fill materials and machine

hours/labor add significantly to the overall costs and completion time of the Project. Current ballast systems available for assembly and installation cannot accommodate side sloped installations. Moreover, site preparation and traditional installation not only takes considerable time and effort to complete, but scars the local terrain, tends to disrupt local wildlife habitat and requires a considerable consumption of fossil fuels to power the heavy earth-moving equipment generally required.

[ 0010 ] Therefore, it is important and indeed a requirement that in order to place a structure on certain areas, such as on top of capped and sloped landfills or roofs for example, the installation must not puncture or otherwise damage the ground or structure on which the array is going to be placed.

[ 0011 J An additional concern is that in present systems for solar or wind turbine applications, significant site work is required to manage the electrical wiring. For example, in open space applications in the United States, either 18 inch deep trenches for wiring conduit or 6 inch deep trenches with wiring conduit covered by at least 3 inches of concrete must be created to bury a majority of the wiring for such

electricity generating systems.

[ 0012 ] Accordingly, a system and method is needed which provides a mounting system or ballast to support a large array, such as a solar array, which will not itself damage any underlying structure while still adequately supporting the array, and which can be easily installed and, if

ultimately needed to be uninstalled, utilizing equipment, if required, that will not damage the underlying structure and/or surface on which the array is mounted. Moreover, a system is also needed to provide wire management such that a safe enclosure of high voltage AC or DC wires is provided without the need for digging either shallow trenches with concrete above or deep trenches without concrete.

[ 0013 ] Racking systems for holding exterior panels such as solar panels are commercially available in numerous forms. Most common commercial systems hold 20 solar panels in arrays of solar panels that are typically 5 X 4, 4 X 5, 10 X 2 , or 14 X 2 foot configurations.

[ 0014 ] Present systems generally fall into 2 categories for holding each solar panel in place. The first wherein the solar panels sit on top of structures and are attached to the structures using holes in the bottom of the solar panel frame mated to holes in the solar panel racking structure ( s ) .

Between 4 to 12 sets of fasteners (such as bolts, nuts, and washers} are used per panel to affix the solar panel to the racking structure. In the second category, solar panel frames along the edge of the solar panel are clamped between the top and bottom edges in a racking structure in 2 to 8 places on the solar panel. 1 or 2 sets of fasteners per clamp tighten both the solar panel and the racking structure adjacent to the solar panel.

[ 0015 ] The problem with present systems is that they require a tremendous amount of fasteners in the form of bolts, U-bolts, screws, washers, and nuts required to both assemble the racking structure and to hold the solar panels in place. A great deal of time is required in the assembly of each racking system and the affixing of solar panels to the racking system. Getting each system ^square' to accept the solar panels {which are manufactured "square") has been shown to take many man-hours for some systems and

installations .

[ 0016 ] Adjustability in these systems usually is in the form of multiple alignment holes but moving from one set of alignment holes to another on a heavy frame is practically impossible and so is not usually done in the field

particularly once the solar panel is affixed to the racking system; and therefore proper squaring and height adjustment for alignment between adjacent racks is almost never done. Small variations in the size of the solar panel itself and mounting hole positions in the solar panel frame can also require significant time to recover from the variations .

[ 0017 ] Accordingly, what is also needed is a racking system for holding solar panels and other similar panels in a fixed position and that can easily adjust to terrains which are not level and adapt to variations in solar panel size without different hardware and without significant effort. Adjustable channels should hold the solar panels in place and the entire assembly process should be completed without the need for traditional fasteners such as bolts, screws, washers, and nuts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[ 0018 ] The present invention features, in one embodiment, a method for installing a modular ballast system and

adjustable racking system on a slopped surface, such as a capped landfill. The method comprises the acts of providing a conveyor system configured for being installed on a sloped surface, the conveyor system including an object conveyor portion and a ballast material conveyor portion, the ballast material comprising a slurry material. Utilizing the object conveyor portion of the conveyor system, the method moves at least modular ballast system components from a first end of the conveyor system to a delivery point on the conveyor system proximate at least a first installation location of the modular ballast system components.

[ 0019 ] The method includes assembling at least a portion of the modular ballast system components at the at least a first installation location and the utilizes the slurry material conveyor portion of the conveyor system to move the slurry material from the first end of the conveyor system to the first installation location of the assembled modular ballast system components and at least partially filling at least first and second ballast devices with the slurry material .

[ 0020 ] Utilizing the object conveyor portion of the conveyor system, the method moves at least adjustable racking racking system components from the first end of the conveyor system to the delivery point on the conveyor system proximate the at least a first installation location of the modular ballast system components and adjustable racking racking system components. Lastly the method includes assembling the adjustable racking racking system components onto the slurry filled at least first and second ballast devices.

[ 0021 ] According to the invention, the slurry material conveyor portion comprises a trough, configured for receiving bulk slurry material; a motor, fluidly coupled to the trough and configured for pumping the bulk slurry material; a length of pipe, coupled to the trough and motor, and configured for allowing the bulk slurry material to move through the pipe and along a length of the slurry material conveyor portion; and one or more delivery valves, coupled to the pipe, and configured for receiving and coupling with a slurry material conveyor hose and for allowing the bulk slurry material moving through the pipe to enter into and flow through the slurry material conveyor hose, for

delivering the slurry material to the at least a first installation location of the modular ballast system

components .

[ 0022 ] The method also utilizes the slurry material conveyor portion of the conveyor system to move slurry material from the first end of the conveyor system to the first installation location of the assembled modular ballast system components and at least partially filling at least first and second ballast devices with the slurry material includes the act of filling the ballast system components with slurry material from an uphill end of the ballast components .

[ 0023 ] The present invention also features an innovative ballast system for affixing solar panels and other objects needing a fixed placement (such as windmills for example) and the like to nearly any location on the ground or rooftop or the like.

[ 0024 ] The ballast itself is accomplished using tubes or tubing of a size appropriate for the ballast required. The tubes used for these purposes is preferably tubing that can be commonly found in the construction industry and known as plastic corrugated drainage pipe and as such is readily available and also has available pipe couplers and pipe ends and other fittings which might be necessary. Such tubing is readily available and relatively inexpensive. Any practical length of ballast tubing can be created by cutting or coupling these drainage pipes to form the ballast tubes . [0025J Once filters are affixed to the ends of the pipes that allow only water to pass through, the pipes can be filled with a low cost, on-site readily available chemical- free watery mix of sand, silt, gravel, or other available soils to generate a majority of the ballast weight. The somewhat rigid but plastic nature of the drainage pipe allows the filled drainage pipe to follow the major contour of the terrain on which the ballast tubing is placed. Once the water escapes from the ends of the tubing, all that is left is the solid sand, silt, gravel or other available soil.

Removal of the pipes can be accomplished very simply by providing water to the interior of the pipe which in turn mixes with the sand, silt, gravel or other previously inserted soil and once this mixture is watery enough, 10 more end caps can be removed and the watered-down mixture simply runs out of the pipe onto the ground or other structure on which the ballast had previously been mounted, all without damaging the surface or needing to be treated as hazardous or dangerous waste material.

[0026] In one embodiment, a two (2) piece 'clamshell' clamping or coupling mechanism has been developed as part of the invention to create fixed placement attachment points suitable for attachment by structures supporting solar panels and other objects needing a fixed placement. The lower piece of the clamping mechanism sits under the ballast tubing and is designed to both support and disperse the anticipated weight of the objects being affixed with minimal impact on the surface beneath it. If necessary and permitted, optional short or long points can be affixed to the bottom of the lower clamping mechanism to dig into the surface beneath the lower clamping mechanism to further reduce possible lateral travel, especially on terrain with larger (i.e. steeper) slopes .

[ 0027 ] In the preferred embodiment, the upper piece of the clamping mechanism mates to the lower clamping piece and completes a full 360 degree collar around the ballast tubing to create a durable clamping mechanism that both captures the weight and position of the ballast tubing and prevent the ballast tubing from shifting. Together, both clamping pieces handle vertical forces (weight down and lift up from possible wind forces} as well as lateral forces from the affixed structures. In certain applications, the lower portion of the clamping mechanism may be used without the upper portion of the clamping mechanism. Clamping mechanisms may be placed at appropriate intervals along the length of the ballast tubes based upon the specific application. In other

embodiments, the clamping or coupling mechanism may be a two piece mechanism that is not hinged but rather, the pieces may be held together using cam rods, nuts and bolts, etc. or any other device to hold the two piece clamping or coupling mechanism together.

[ 0028 ] In most situations, the ballast system of the present invention will include multiple ballast tubes and clamping mechanisms used in parallel pairs separated by a fixed distance so as to accept, for example, four legs of a solar panel mounting system. Adjustable length spacer rods may be affixed between parallel clamping mechanisms to set and maintain the proper distance between the parallel pairs and to keep related clamping mechanisms square to each other. By using the length adjusters on the spacer rods, the lengths of the rods can be increased as needed to compensate for terrain slopes where the distance between vertical legs of a solar panel mounting system sitting on top of the clamping mechanism must be maintained but the distance between parallel clamping mechanisms needs to be increased to compensate for the terrain slope angle. Similarly, the distance between adjacent clamping mechanisms on the same ballast tubes can be increased by simply placing or sliding the clamping mechanisms further apart from each other to compensate for a terrain slope in the direction of the ballast tubes. When the proper distance between adjacent clamping mechanisms has been set, the clamping mechanisms can be fixed at the position on the ballast tube by, for example, driving self-tapping screws into the ballast tubes through pre-drilled holes in the clamping mechanism. For

unprecedented ease of setup, physical *tic' marks and/or color coding marks can be used to indicate proper spacer rod and clamping mechanism spacing settings if the terrain slope is known ahead of time.

[ 0029 ] A special ball joint has been designed to attach to the application mounting point on the clamping mechanism for use when the ballast system will be installed where the terrain is not level. This ball joint will, if utilized, allow for legs of a mounting application to be mounted with an angle of up to about 20 degrees off perpendicular from the clamping mechanism mount point and this angle can be achieved for any orientation (360 degrees) of the leg. Combined with the ability to space the clamping mechanisms to compensate for terrain slopes, the ball joint allows for mounting the legs of an applications perfectly vertical despite any slope at any orientation of up to 20 degrees.

[ 0030 ] Commercial applications of these ballast systems for large solar panel arrays in fields and other non-flat areas will likely require 2 ballast tubes captured by each clamping mechanism to offer enough ballast against wind forces and to minimize lateral movement on sloped terrains. Thus, a typical solar panel racking system will require a total of 4 ballast tubes (2 in front, 2 in back} .

[0031] The present invention also features a wire

management system in the form of a conduit suspended in the center of one of the ballast tubes. The conduit suspended in the center of one of the ballast tubes provides a safe enclosure for high voltage AC or DC wires without the need for digging either shallow trenches with concrete above or deep trenches without concrete. The filled ballast tube material surrounding the electrical conduit provides a safe enclosure of the conduit. By matching the length of the conduit to the length of the drainage pipe being used, both the conduit and the drainage pipe can be easily coupled together to create a seamless and modular enclosure system for the electrical wiring. At specific intervals, 'T's will be added to the enclosed suspended conduit with a short perpendicular conduit pipe protruding through a cutout hole in the drainage pipe to accommodate electrical wires entering or leaving the conduit system.

[0032] In stark contrast to existing ballast systems that typically use preformed concrete blocks, the ballast system according to the present invention uses eco-friendly, readily available and generally low cost ballast materials that are, in one embodiment, initially dissolved in water and pumped into the ballast tubing. The labor and impact on the environment for machinery {such as traditional concrete pumping machinery and vehicles) to move (pump) the ballast material is minimized with this new innovative system whereas, for example, rubber roofs on buildings and fields have been severely damaged in large commercial solar

installations from equipment moving large concrete blocks for existing ballast systems. Depending on the terrain, it may be possible to fill the ballast tubes without having any machinery at all in the ballast array area by filling the connected ballast tubes from one side (end) only.

[ 0033 ] Similarly, when eventual removal of the system is necessary, the environmental impact is minimized with this new innovative system by simply vacuuming the ballast material from the ballast tubes without damaging the terrain. The integrated wire management system further reduces terrain impact on installation and removal.

[ 0034 ] The present invention also features an adjustable racking system which comprises a plurality of support legs, each of the plurality of support legs include a bottom region, configured for engaging with a ground contacting or ballast structure, and a top region configured for receiving a height adjustable top member. Each of the height

adjustable top members are configured for receiving an east- west oriented structure support member. Each of the east- west oriented structure support members are configured for slidably receiving an east-west oriented support structure.

[ 0035 ] The adjustable racking system further comprises a plurality of north-south oriented support structures, each of the plurality of north-south oriented support structures are configured for slidably receiving one edge of one or more of the plurality of panels, and for slidably receiving one end of one or more divider members, and for slidably

interconnecting with one or more north-south oriented structure interconnecting members.

[ 0036 ] A plurality of east-west oriented support

structures are also provided. Each of the plurality of east- west oriented support structures are configured for slidably interconnecting with one or more east-west oriented structure support member mounted on a support leg.

[ 0037 ] A plurality of north-south oriented structure support members are provided and are configured for slidably interconnecting with one of the plurality of east-west oriented support structures . A plurality of north-south oriented structure interconnecting members are provided and configured for pivotably interconnecting with one of the north-south oriented structure support members and for slidably interconnecting with a north-south oriented support structure, for supporting a north-south oriented support structure. A plurality of divider members are provided and configured for being disposed between first and second adjacent north-south oriented support structures, for creating a support frame for supporting one or more panels.

[ 0038 ] The east-west oriented support structures are preferably configured as an H" beam having a top generally planer member and a bottom generally planer member coupled by an interconnecting member disposed perpendicular to the top and bottom generally planer members, and wherein the east- west oriented structure support members are configured for slidably interconnecting with the bottom generally planer member of the "H" shaped east-west oriented support

structure, and wherein the plurality of north-south oriented structure support members are configured for slidably interconnecting with the top generally planer member of the "H" shaped east-west oriented support structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[ 0039 ] These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description, taken together with the drawings wherein:

[ 0040 ] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a portion of the ballast system according to one feature of the present invention;

[ 0041 ] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a clamshell mechanism in accordance with one feature of the present invention;

[ 0042 ] FIG. 3 is a schematic end view of a conduit support structure according to one feature of the present invention;

[ 0043 ] FIG. 4 is a frontal view of an assembled 5 X 4 panel racking system according to the present invention populated with 20 panels;

[ 0044 ] FIG. 5 is an exploded frontal view of a 5 x 4 panel racking system not populated with panels;

[ 0045 ] FIG. 6 is an exploded side view of a 5 X 4 panel racking system according to the present invention; and

[ 0046 ] FIG. 7 is a schematic view of an installation of a solar array on a sloped and capped landfill illustrating a conveyor system and slurry hose run

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[ 0047 ] According to one aspect of the present invention, the invention features a ballast system 110, FIG. 1, for a structure designed to be supported (for example a solar electricity generating panel or windmill - not shown) on a surface such as on the earth or a rooftop and which can easily be installed without the necessity of utilizing large machinery and without damaging the surface supporting the structure or the underlying material under the surface. [ 0048 ] The present invention features an innovative ballast system for affixing solar panels and other objects needing a fixed placement (such a windmills or

boardwalks/walkways for example) and the like to nearly any location on the ground or rooftop or the like without causing damage and minimizing pressure to the underlying ground or roof .

[ 0049 ] The ballast itself is accomplished using tubing 112 of size appropriate for the ballast required. The tubing 112 used for these purposes is preferably tubing that can be commonly found and utilized in the construction industry and generally known as plastic corrugated drainage pipes although this is not a limitation of the present invention as the ballast tubing could be any type of "tube", tubing or pipe or other similar generally hallow structure made out of steel, aluminum, cement, plastic or the like that can be at least partially filled with ballast material. Another feature of such common corrugated drainage pipes to be used as ballast tubes is that there are available pipe couplers and pipe ends and other fittings which might be necessary. Such tubing is readily available and relatively inexpensive. Any practical length of ballast tubing can be created by cutting or coupling these drainage pipes. In addition, any practical diameter of the tubing may be used based on the amount of ballast required for the device to be supported. It is contemplated that at least a 6 inch tube or pipe would be utilized although such tubes are readily available in diameters from 6 inches to 24 inches.

[ 0050 ] Once filters are affixed to the ends of the pipes that allow only water to pass through, the pipes can be filled with a low cost, on-site readily available chemical- free watery mix of sand, silt, gravel, or other available soils 114 to generate a majority of the ballast weight. The somewhat rigid but plastic nature of the drainage pipe allows the filled drainage pipe to bend and flex to follow the major contour (s) of the terrain on which the ballast tubing is placed. Once the water escapes from the ends of the tubing, all that is left is the solid sand, silt, gravel or other available soil.

[0051] Removal of the pipes can be accomplished very simply by providing water to the interior of the pipe which in turn mixes with the sand, silt, gravel or other previously inserted soil and once this mixture is watery enough, more end caps can be removed and the watered-down mixture simply runs out of the pipe onto the ground or other structure on which the ballast had previously been mounted, all without damaging the surface or needing to be treated as hazardous or dangerous waste material.

[0052] In the preferred embodiment, a two (2) piece

^clamshell' clamping mechanism 116, FIG. 2 is provided to create fixed placement attachment points 118 suitable for attachment by structures supporting solar panels and other objects needing a fixed placement. The lower piece 120 of the clamping mechanism 116 sits under the ballast tubing 112 and is designed to both support and disperse the anticipated weight of the objects being affixed with minimal impact on the surface beneath it. If necessary and permitted, optional short or long points 122 can be affixed to the bottom of the lower clamping mechanism 120 to dig into the surface beneath the lower clamping mechanism to further reduce possible lateral travel, especially on terrain with larger (i.e.

steeper) slopes.

[0053] The lower clamping mechanism 120 typically includes a short plate section 126 and one or more vertical supports 128 which serve to support the weight of any structure to which the invention is providing ballast. The spacing or distance between the two ballast tubes 112 as well as the size and placement of the several support structures 128 is all dependent upon the size of the ballast system and the weight which is to be supported. All of this is considered to be within the scope of someone skilled in the art of structural supports.

[ 0054 ] In the preferred embodiment, the upper piece of the clamping mechanism 124 mates to the lower clamping piece at region 126 in the form of a hinge and completes a full 360 degree collar around the ballast tubing to create a durable, hingable clamping mechanism that is held in place by a nonpermanent clamping or locking mechanism 130 which allows the clamping mechanism to open or close in the direction generally indicated by arrow 132. The clamping mechanism both captures the weight and position of the ballast tubing and prevents the ballast tubing from shifting. Together, both clamping pieces 120 and 124 handle vertical forces {weight down and lift up from possible wind forces) as well as lateral forces from the affixed structures. In certain applications, the lower portion 120 of the clamping mechanism 16 may be used without the upper portion 124 of the clamping mechanism 116. Clamping mechanisms 116 may be placed at appropriate intervals along the length of the ballast tubes based upon the specific application.

[ 0055 ] In other contemplated embodiments, the clamping mechanism may not be hinged and/or may be held together by one or more various means including, but not limited to cam rods, nuts and bolts, etc. In other embodiments, the clamping mechanism top and bottom sections may not even be fastened together by any means. [ 0056 ] In most situations, ballast tubes 112 and clamping mechanisms 116 will be used in parallel pairs separated by a fixed distance so as to accept, for example, four legs of a solar panel mounting system. Adjustable length spacer rods may be affixed between parallel clamping mechanisms to set and maintain the proper distance between the parallel pairs and to keep related clamping mechanisms square to each other. By using the length adjusters on the spacer rods, the lengths of the rods can be increased as needed to compensate for terrain slopes where the distance between vertical legs of a solar panel mounting system sitting on top of the clamping mechanism 16 must be maintained but the distance between parallel clamping mechanisms 116 needs to be increased to compensate for the terrain slope angle.

[ 0057 ] Similarly, the distance between adjacent clamping mechanisms 116 on the same ballast tubes 112 can be increased by simply placing or sliding the clamping mechanisms 16 further apart from each other to compensate for a terrain slope in the direction of the ballast tubes 112. When the proper distance between adjacent clamping mechanisms has been set, the clamping mechanisms 116 can be fixed at the position on the ballast tube 112 by, for example, driving self-tapping screws 134 into the ballast tubes 112 through pre-drilled holes 132 in the clamping mechanism 116. For unprecedented ease of setup, physical 'tic' marks and/or color coding marks can be used to indicate proper spacer rod and clamping mechanism spacing settings if the terrain slope is known ahead of time.

[ 0058 ] A special ball joint 136 has been designed to attach to the application mounting point 138 on the clamping mechanism for use when the ballast system will be installed where the terrain is not level. This ball joint 136 will allow for legs of a mounting application to foe mounted with an angle of up to approximately 120 degrees off perpendicular from the clamping mechanism 116 mount point, and this angle can be achieved for any orientation (360 degrees) of the leg. Combined with the ability to space the clamping mechanisms to compensate for terrain slopes, this ball joint, if provided, allows for mounting the legs of an application perfectly vertical despite any slope at any orientation of up to 120 degrees .

[ 0059 ] Commercial applications of such ballast systems for large solar panel arrays in fields and other non-flat areas will likely require 2 ballast tubes 112 captured by each clamping mechanism 116 to offer enough ballast against wind forces and to minimize lateral movement on sloped terrains.

Thus, a typical solar panel racking system will require a total of 4 ballast tubes (2 in front and 2 in back) .

[ 0060 ] The present invention also features a wire

management system in the form of a conduit 140 suspended in the center of one of the ballast tubes 112. A conduit supporting structure 150, FIG. 3, that in one embodiment looks somewhat like a bicycle wheel suspends the conduit 140 in the center of the ballast tube 112. The conduit

supporting structure 150 includes spokes 154 like a bicycle wheel to allow the ballast material mixed with water to flow unencumbered through and around the spokes 152.

[ 0061 ] The present implementation uses a 4 inch wide flat circular ring at the outer edge of the conduit support structure that has a diameter just under the inside diameter of the ballast tube. The central region 152 of the conduit support structure includes a generally flat circular ring that has a diameter just a bit larger than the outer diameter of the conduit 140 being suspended and through which the conduit is passed. The 4" wide concentric rings (outer ring at the ballast tube, inner ring around the conduit) are wide enough to prevent the conduit support structure 150 from jamming as the one or more conduit support structures 150 pre-mounted on a length of conduit 140 are slid inside the ballast tube (similar to a piston moving in a cylinder) .

[ 0062 ] It is anticipated that four (4) conduit suspension structures 150 will be used in a 20 foot ballast tube; one at each end of the ballast tube, 1 toward the middle of the ballast tube, and 1 near the conduit ^¾T' that provides an opening for wire(s) 142 to enter or exit the conduit through a hole 144 in the side of the ballast tube 112.

[ 0063 ] The present conduit support structure 150 may be made from plastic but can be constructed from any suitable material (s). If the conduit 140 is plastic and the conduit support structure 150 is plastic, PVC cement/glue can be used to hold the conduit support structures 150 at a fixed point along the conduit. Alternatively, if the conduit 140 is a material like steel and/or the conduit support structure 150 is not plastic, hose clamps such as those used in automotive applications can be tightened on one or both sides of the conduit support structure 150 to hold the conduit support structure at fixed points along the conduit.

[ 0064 ] The conduit 140 suspended in the center of one or more of the ballast tubes 112 provides a safe enclosure for high voltage AC or DC wires 142 without the need for digging either shallow trenches with concrete above or deep trenches without concrete. The filled ballast tube material 114 surrounding the electrical conduit 140 provides a safe enclosure for the conduit and the electric wires 142 located inside the conduit 140. [ 0065 ] By matching the length of the conduit 140 to the length of the ballast tube 112 being used, both the conduit 140 and the ballast tube 112 which serves as ballast can be easily coupled together to create a seamless and modular enclosure system for the electrical wiring. At specific intervals, ^T's may be added to the enclosed suspended conduit 140 with a short perpendicular conduit pipe

protruding through a cutout hole 144 in the ballast tube 112 to accommodate electrical wires 142 entering or leaving the conduit system. The total length of the modular conduit, including any inserted s needs to be set such that the conduit can be properly coupled to an adjacent conduit while being completely enclosed by the drainage pipe and any drainage pipe coupler. In most typical scenarios, a separate coupler fits over the end of the conduit and therefore the modular conduit 140 length equals the length of the modular ballast tube 112. In some conduit systems, the coupler is built on one end of the conduit in which case the conduit length will be longer than the ballast tube 112 as the modular conduit length will include the length of the coupler .

[ 0066 ] With the conduit length properly set for a modular ballast system, including any ^T's, the conduit support structures are slipped over the conduit and affixed to the conduit at the proper locations (both ends of the conduit, at the 'Τ' , and toward the middle of the conduit) before being inserted into the center of the ballast tubes 112. I f

cabling is not going to be snaked into the conduit later, electrical wires/cables meant to carry the generated power need to be inserted into the modular conduit with appropriate connectors at the conduit ends and at the Τ' . [ 0067 ] The conduit 140 with the attached conduit support structures 150 are then slipped into the ballast tube 112 that should be aligned to the adjacent ballast tube 112 to be coupled to, but with a small space between the 2 ballast tubes 112. Using that small space between the ballast tube 112, the ends of the wires/cables 142 are connected and then the unconnected conduit is pulled toward the end of the already affixed conduit and the necessary connections to couple the conduits together is then made.

[ 0068 ] To complete that piece of the modular ballast system, the loose ballast tube 112 is pushed and coupled into the adjacent already affixed ballast tube 112. With the conduit and conduit wiring in place, the appropriate filters and connectors at the ends of the ballast tubes 112, and the ballast tube clamping mechanisms properly placed and squared to each other, the ballast tubes 112 can now be filled with the eco-friendly watery soil, sand, gravel, etc. mix, or can be filled with traditional cement.

[ 0069 ] In stark contrast to existing ballast systems that typically use preformed concrete blocks, the ballast system 110 according to the present invention uses eco-friendly, readily available and generally low cost ballast materials that are initially dissolved in water and pumped into the ballast tubing. The labor and impact on the environment for machinery to move (i.e. pump utilizing, for example,

traditional concrete pumping machinery and vehicles) the ballast material is minimized with this new innovative system whereas, for example, rubber roofs on buildings and fields have been severely damaged in large commercial solar

installations from equipment moving large concrete blocks for existing ballast systems. [ 0070 ] Moreover, the present invention lends itself to use in connection with other objects such as windmills boardwalks or walkways through sensitive areas such as wetlands and the like, and to generally hold or support any type of object.

[ 0071 ] Similarly, when eventual removal of the system is necessary, the environmental impact is minimized with this new innovative system by simply vacuuming the ballast material from the ballast tubes without damaging the terrain. The integrated wire management system further reduces terrain impact on installation and removal.

[ 0072 ] The present invention features an innovative racking system 10, Figs. 4-6, for holding solar panels 12 and the like in a fixed position. Solar panels 12 are held in place by sliding the solar panels into channels 14 running, in the preferred embodiment, in a 'north-south' 16

orientation and spaced appropriately apart in the ^¾east-west' direction 18. The channels 14 provide continuous support along 2 sides of the solar panel 12. The channels 14 and channel spacing 18 are sized to accommodate and allow for small variations in solar panel width/length and thickness. Solar panel dimensions between channels can vary as much as " without the need for any changes in racking system setup and so variability by a manufacturer and between

manufacturers can be accommodated easily.

[ 0073 ] In the preferred embodiment, divider members 20 space the solar panels 12 approximately 2 " apart in the

'north-south' direction 16, to provide a slot for snow and ice to fall off each panel for better cold weather

performance. The 2 " separation also produces wind eddy currents around and through the 2" slits that reduces the amount of snow gathering on the solar panels during snow storms where wind is present. The 2" separation also acts as wind ports to significantly reduce the wind load on the whole solar panel array - essentially preventing the solar panel array from acting as one large wind sail. The divider members 20 also provide continuous support along the bottom edge of the solar panel between the north-south oriented channel rails so no intermediate north-south oriented support members are needed - thus keeping complexity and cost down. Without intermediate north-south oriented support members to block the bottom of the panels, maximum heat exchange can be achieved between the bottom of the solar panel and an optional thermal heat exchange system mounted under the solar panel. Mounting of an optional heat exchange system is also greatly simplified.

[ 0074 ] Eyelets 22 are configured to hold electrical wiring and may also be attached to the divider structure 20 to provide a convenient way to buss wiring around safely and neatly in the east-west direction under the solar panel array. Dividers are made to the approximate length of the solar panel edge they support and are, in one preferred embodiment, primarily 1" "angle iron" with a spacer block at each end to maintain the approximate 2" spacing between each solar panel. With the north-south oriented channels 14 providing continuous support of the solar panels 12 on 2 sides, and the divider members 20 providing continuous support on the other 2 sides, all 4 sides of the solar panel are supported. Snow loads in the northern climates are easily accommodated with this structure.

[ 0075 ] Flat metal bands (not shown) attached in the north- south oriented channels 14 may be provided and are shaped to extend into the channel slightly to act as "springs" to keep solar panels from rattling when there is space between solar panel edge and the edge of the support channel 14. Eyelets 22 Fig. 6 designed to hold electrical wiring may also be attached to the bottom of the channel 14 to provide a convenient way to buss wiring around safely and neatly in the north-south direction under the solar panel array.

Additionally, the eyelets 22 Fig. 6 may also be used to support tubing for an optional liquid-based heat exchanger system mounted under the solar panels or in place of solar panels .

[ 0076 ] Lock pins 24b and 24a at the top and bottom of the north-south oriented channels 14 respectively hold panels securely in place once the channel 14 has been populated with solar panels 12. Lock pins 24 can be easily converted to secure, locking lock pins in areas where solar panel theft may be an issue. Instead of or in addition to lock pins, a cable can be threaded through holes in the vertical edge of the north-south oriented channels and this cable can have a locking mechanisms at each end and/or be electrified as part of an active security system. If a cable is used, the cable must be secured at each end. No further fastening of the solar panels is required, such as with bolts, washers, and nuts .

[ 0077 ] Solar panels 12 can be loaded into the north-south oriented channels 14 either from the top 26 ( 'north' side or highest point) or bottom 28 ('south' side or lowest point) of the north-south oriented channels 14. If the solar panels 12 are being moved to the solar panel racking system on a trailer or some similar means where the panels are off the ground, it may be logistically easier to load the panels from the top 26 ("north" end) since the top 26 is typically about

8 feet off the ground and inclined higher than the "south" end 28, and the panels 12 will naturally slide downward toward the bottom end 28 once inserted into the channels 14. If the solar panels 12 are already on the ground, it may be easier to load the panels from the bottom 28 ("south" end) since the bottom end 28 is typically about 3 feet off the ground. Lock pins 24 to secure one end of the panels 12 in a channel 14 can be inserted into the north-south oriented rails 14 at the farthest point away from the loading point ahead of the racking system assembly.

[ 0078 ] Panels 12 are loaded by first inserting a 2" divider 20 into and between two adjacent north-south oriented channels 14 followed by a solar panel 12. The divider 20 and a first solar panel 12 are pushed into the channel 14 far enough to accept another 2" divider 20 and then another solar panel 12 is pushed into the channel 14. This process continues until all solar panels 12 for that channel

combination 14 with divider members 20 are inserted in the north-south oriented channel pair. The final 2" divider 20 is inserted to complete the process and the final lock pins

24 are inserted to secure the solar panels 12 in that channel

14. For a system with 4 solar panels 12 per north-south oriented channel set between two (2) adjacent channels 14, a complete load time of 2-3 minutes is achievable.

[ 0079 ] Each north-south oriented channel 14 includes a downwardly projecting flange 30. Compound sliding structures

32 {'sliders') attach the north-south oriented channel beams

14 to the lower east-west oriented H-beams 34. These are compound structures because there is one 'slider' element 38 that slides along the east-west oriented H-beam 34, and another 'slider' element 36 that slides along the projecting flange 30 of the north-south oriented channel beam 14 with a lock pin 40 acting as a hinge pin between the 2 slider elements 36, 38. Hinge pin 40 allows the north-south oriented channel beams 14 to be easily adjusted to any practical angle required for the optimal solar panel

positioning while providing enough structural rigidity. The hinge point at 40 is created by a metal plate or flange 44 attached downwardly and perpendicular to the body of the north-south oriented slider 36 that slips with minimal play into a slot 48 made between 2 parallel metal plates attached perpendicular to the body of the east-west oriented slider 38 with holes drilled in the parallel plates to allow a lock pin 40 to pass through the holes and create the hinge.

[ 0080 ] One channel beam slider 32a is attached toward the north side of each of the north-south oriented channel beams 14 and one channel beam slider 32b is attached toward the south side of each of the north-south oriented channel beams 14, with lock pins 42 through appropriate mounting holes in the channel beam slider 32 and the channel beam 14.

[ 0081 ] Each channel beam slider element 38 has a long and narrow vertical slot 48 between two parallel pieces of metal such that the bottom vertical edge 44 of the channel beam slider element 36 fits snugly into this slot. The channel beam slider element 38 has a hole 52 in the center of the slot 48 to accept a lock pin 40 for locking the north-south oriented channel beam 14 at a fixed position. The north- south oriented channel beam 14 has one hole 54 drilled near the north end of the channel beam 14 to mate to the north- most slider element 36, and several (5 for example) holes 56 drilled near the south end of the channel beam 14 in the present implementation to offer multiple mating points between the beam 14 and the slider element 36. The advantage of this 'slider' system is that it enables extremely easy, fast, and customizable assembly of the solar racking system.

[ 0082 ] In the present implementation (although not a limitation of the invention) , 1" angle iron is used to make the slider slots 48 and the angle iron side not contacting the north-south oriented beam faces up' to create a shelf for the channel beam 14 edge to rest on before the beam 14 is aligned to the slot. Once the channel beam 14 vertical edge 30 aligns to the slider slot 48, the channel beam vertical edge 30 drops into the channel slider slot 48. Thus, when assembling the racking system, the north-south oriented beam 14 can be quickly fitted into the slider slots 48 and can slide easily north and south 16 in the slider elements 36.

[ 0083 ] The north-south oriented channel beam 14 is then aligned to the north slider mounting hole 54 and a lock pin 42a locks the north side of the north-south oriented channel beam in place. The heights and angles of the north-south oriented channels are adjusted with ^adjusters' 58 to get the proper height and angle during which the south side of the north-south oriented channel 14 simply slides into and rests inside the slider slot 48 of the south most slider element 36 during the adjustment process. With the distance between vertical legs 60/62 of the racking system 10 fixed regardless of solar panel angle, a larger north-south oriented angle will require a longer distance between the channel slider lock pin holes 54, 56 and, conversely, a smaller north-south oriented angle will require a shorter distance between the channel slider lock pin holes 54, 56.

[ 0084 ] Once the channel beams 14 are in the desired position and orientation, a lock pin 42b should be inserted into the south channel slider element 36 and the closest of the 5 mounting holes 56 in the channel beam 14 to complete the assembly of the channel beams. If one of the 5 mounting holes in the channel beam is not aligned to the channel slider hole in the slot, the vertical leg adjusters 58 can be used to align the holes 56 for the lock pin 42 to be inserted and locked.

[ 0085 ] Horizontal H-beams 34, orientated with the ^λΗ' rotated 90 degrees so the sides 64 (H-beam flanges) of the ΛΗ' are at the top and bottom, are used to hold the weight of the north-south oriented channel beams 14 and the panels 12 loaded into the channels 14. Eyelets 66 configured to hold electrical wiring may also be attached to the vertical part 68 of the H-beam 34 to provide a convenient way to buss wiring around safely and neatly in the east-west direction under the solar panel array.

[ 0086 ] The channel H-beam slider 38, which is the bottom part of the compound slider that attaches the north-south oriented channel beam 14 to the east-west oriented H-beam 34, can be affixed at various intervals along the H-beam 34 using lock pins 70 to hold the north-south oriented channel beams 14 in place. Because these channel H-beam sliders 38 can slide to any position on and along the H-beam 34, the same racking system can accommodate a wide range of solar or other panel sizes and orientations. Using any number of different methods, such as colored markings along the H-beam 34, tic marks scribed into the H-beam metal, different

position/offset holes, etc., the channel H-beam sliders 38 can be positioned to the correct location on the H-beam 34 based on the solar panel 12 size and orientation and locked to the correct position using lock pins 70 inserted through appropriate holes 71 drilled in the H-beam channel sliders 38 and the holes 72 drilled at various locations in the H-beam 34.

[ 0087 ] 'Leg' sliders 74 are attached to the bottom flanges

76 of the east-west oriented H-beams 34 to position and support the legs 60/62 of the solar panel racking system. In most implementations, it is anticipated that 4 legs will be used for a typical solar panel array so 2 leg sliders will be on the back (northern) H-beam and 2 leg sliders will be on the front (southern) H-beam. Similar to the channel sliders described above, the leg sliders 74 are affixed at specific points along the length of the H-beam. Because these leg H- beam sliders 74 can slide to any position on the H-beam 34, the same racking system can accommodate a wide range of solar panel sizes and orientations. Using any number of different methods, such as colored markings along the H-beam, tic marks scribed into the H-beam, different position/offset holes, etc., the leg H-beam sliders 74 can be positioned to the correct location on the H-beam 34 based on the solar panel size and orientation and locked to the correct position using lock pins 78 through appropriate holes drilled in the lower or bottom flange 76 of the H-beam 34 and in the leg sliders 74.

[ 0088 ] In general, the leg sliders 74 are positioned along the H-beam 34 to approximately evenly divide the weight of the supported system so that the overhang weight {that portion of the panel system that overhangs outside the leg sliders} balances the weight between the 2 sliders - thus minimizing drooping and size/strength requirements on the H- beam 34. In the current implementation, the leg sliders have a 6" long 2.5" diameter metal pipe portion attached to the portion of the leg slider 74 sitting against the bottom 76 of the east-west oriented H-beam 34. After the lower leg portion of the solar racking system has been assembled, there should be 4 vertical legs properly spaced/adjusted and ready to accept the east-west oriented H-beams 34. The 4 vertical legs have a 2" diameter pipe 82 at the top which fits snugly into the 2.5" diameter pipes on the leg sliders 74. The east-west oriented H-beams 34 are lifted up and, with the leg sliders 74 in their proper places, the H-beams 34 are placed on top of the appropriate vertical legs 60/62 with the vertical leg pipes 82 fitting into the leg sliders 74. A hole 84 drilled through the leg slider pipe 74 is aligned with a hole 80 drilled through the top of the vertical leg 82 and a lock pin 86 is inserted through the aligned holes to lock the leg 82 into the leg slider 74.

[ 0089 ] Both the channel H-beam slider 38 and the leg slider 74 slide over the flanges of the east-west oriented H- beam 34 ~ the channel H~beam slider 38 on the top flanges and the leg slider 74 on the bottom flanges. Thus the upper and lower sliders 38, 74 on the H-beam can be positioned

completely independent of each other. This independence enables a large degree of logistical flexibility when choosing when and where to assemble the sliders onto the Jibeam and what configurations can be created with the same hardware. Due to stacking efficiency, it is likely that the H-beams 34 will be shipped to the assembly location without any sliders 38, 74 attached. To keep the weight of the H- beam 34 down to a minimum for lifting into the vertical legs, only the 2 leg sliders 74 will be attached to the H-beam 34 before placing the H-beam 34 onto the vertical legs 82; the channel H-beam sliders 38 can then be slid onto the H-beam 34 after the H-beams 34 have been locked in place on the vertical legs 82.

[ 0090 ] The part of the sliders 38/74 that slides over the flange of the H beam 34 can be manufactured from a number of materials such as steel, aluminum, or structural fiberglass. In the current implementation, the slider is manufactured from steel by bending 2 ends of appropriately sized flat- stock back 180 degrees with an offset just a little larger than the thickness of the H-beam flanges and a width just a bit wider than the width of the H-beam flanges. The slider should be snug but yet travel freely along the H-beam and have enough play to accommodate slight variations in the H- beam flange width and thickness. Presently, it is

contemplated that the leg slider 74 will be 6" long (in the direction of the H-beam) while the channel H-beam slider 38 about 3" long.

[ 0091 ] The 'sliders' 38/74 accomplish 2 important goals. First, they enable the manufacturing process to use either *off the shelf materials such as Η' beams or easily manufactured parts to be ^xcut-to-length' as needed for a particular solar panel size and configuration. Other than drilling some holes and optionally adding markers, no customization of the H-beams or channel beams are needed.

Second, the sliders allow for easy customization/adjustment using the same major components even after the solar rack is partially or fully assembled. For example, the same racking system can spread the channels rails from 64.5" to 66.5" to accept solar panels from different manufacturers by simply using different lock pin holes for the channel H-beam sliders . This capability will yield lower overall material costs and reduced labor costs as well as create a better and more easily adaptable solar panel array solution.

[ 0092 ] In the present implementation, the east-west oriented H-beam 34 is preferably 27 feet long to accommodate 5 channels of solar panels with 4 solar panels per channel (20 solar panels total) with the long solar panel dimension in the east-west oriented direction. The north-south oriented channel beams are preferably 14 feet 2 inches long.

[ 0093 ] Each leg of the solar panel rack has a height adjustment range of about 10" in this implementation. In the case where the solar racking system is installed on level ground, the total length of the legs in front (south) and the legs in back (north) will place the north-south oriented channel beams at an 18 degree angle from horizontal, which is considered an ideal fixed angle for solar installations in the mid to northern United States. By using the height adjuster screw 58 in each leg, it is possible to change the angle by +/- 5 degrees if a different angle is deemed better where the solar array is being positioned. These same height adjusters in each leg can be used to compensate for a terrain that isn' t level so that all solar panel arrays can be perfectly aligned in a row despite changes in terrain, giving a visually pleasing result. The longer part of the leg assembly can be swapped out for longer or shorter pieces if the terrain slopes by more than the adjustability within the default legs.

[ 0094 ] Because the height adjuster mechanism 58 in each leg uses a threaded rod to accomplish the height adjustment, the entire fully-loaded and fully assembled solar panel array can be easily adjusted to the final height and angle by simply turning the handles on the height adjustment

mechanism. Additionally, the use of a threaded rod means very fine/precise adjustments are possible.

[ 0095 ] In this implementation, handles 86 are permanently attached to the height adjustment mechanism but a variation of the height adjuster would have a nut attached to the threaded rod and a wrench could be used to turn the height adjustment mechanism.

[ 0096 ] After final adjustments are made, a lock pin 86 is inserted at the top of the leg through a hole 80/84 in the leg and an aligned hole on the leg slider 74. In contrast, other available racking systems today have either no ability to adjust height (height fixed by attachment points done in advance of the solar rack assembly - such as cement footings, auger screws, or rooftop brackets), or are typically multiple aligned bolt holes that require supporting the weight of whatever has been assembled in order to change bolt holes

(and is seldom done because of the weight issue) .

[ 0097 ] The legs 60/62 in the present system are preferably made with 2" diameter steel schedule 40 pipe. A 6" long piece of 2.5" diameter schedule 40 pipe is part of the leg slider (discussed above) and the top of the leg fits snugly into that 2.5" diameter receiver pipe 74. The top of the leg

82 is an 8" long piece of 2" diameter pipe that has a 1" threaded rod 58 12" long welded into the bottom-center of the

8" long piece of pipe. When the 8" long piece is in the 6" leg slider piece, the 8" long piece can rotate freely inside the 6" piece and acts as a bushing for the height adjuster mechanism. 2 4" long 3/8" thick rods 86 are welded on opposite sides of the bottom edge of the 8" long piece and act as handles so the 8" piece can be rotated easily.

[ 0098 ] The bottom of the leg is another 2" diameter piece of steel schedule 40 pipe that has a 1" nut 88 welded into the top-center of the pipe to accept the 1" threaded rod welded into the 8" long piece of the leg assembly. In most scenarios, the 1" rod will be threaded about half-way into the bottom leg so minor variations in the terrain or

attachment points can be easily compensated by threading the

1" rod either in or out. The bottom leg is cut to the appropriate length that, when combined with the 8" long piece of the leg, meets the requirements for the total length of the leg with the adjusting rod threaded half way into the bottom piece of the leg. A hole 88 is made 3" from the bottom of the bottom leg to lock the leg into a 6" long 2.5" diameter receiver pipe 90 that is mounted to whatever the racking system will be permanently attached such as a ground engaging foot or ballast member (not shown but well known in the art) . Once the hole in the leg 88 is aligned with a corresponding hole 92 in the leg bottom receiver pipe 90, a lock pin 94 is installed so the bottom leg cannot rotate in nor be pulled out of the bottom receiver pipe.

[ 0099 ] Leg support pipe assemblies 96 are used to firmly support the 4 legs in the vertical position before the east- west H-beams are placed on top of the legs. These leg support pipe assemblies have a flange on one end that slips between 2 parallel flanges welded to the side of the bottom vertical leg at a fixed distance from the bottom of the leg so the same support pipe assemblies can be used even if the bottom leg length needs to be changed; a lock pin through holes in all three flanges locks that end of the support pipe assembly in place. The other end of that length of support pipe has a ¾" nut centered at the end of the pipe and welded to the end. Just like the legs have height adjusters, each support pipe assembly has an adjuster to adjust the total length of the support pipe assembly. The other end of the support pipe assembly is the length adjuster assembly that is comprised of a 6" long H" diameter pipe with a ¾" threaded rod welded into one end that is enclosed by a 6" long 1" diameter pipe. " washers are welded onto the ends of the 1" diameter pipe so that the " diameter pipe is held in-place in the 1" diameter pipe. The 1" diameter pipe and the 2 washers act like bushings/bearings; the ¾" diameter pipe and the threaded rod can rotate freely inside the 1" diameter pipe but cannot travel in the direction of the threaded rod.

[ 00100 ] A flange is welded onto the washer opposite the side where the threaded rod comes out of the length adjuster assembly, and this flange will go between 2 flanges welded onto the bottom receiver pipe of an adjacent leg or to flanges somewhere on the base attachment system. After the support pipe assembly length has been properly set, a lock pin through holes in all three flanges locks that end of the support pipe assembly in place. The " threaded rod is threaded about half-way into the leg support pipe with the ¾" nut welded to the end of the pipe and the total length of the support pipe assembly is set by the distance between sets of flanges with the vertical legs perfectly positioned. Two 3" long by W diameter rods are welded on opposite sides of the " threaded rod close to the " washer and these rods act as handles so the length adjusters can be rotated easily. As an alternative to the 3" long rods permanently welded to the adjuster mechanism for adjustment, a nut welded in-place close to where the " rod is welded into the H" diameter pipe can be used in conjunction with a removable wrench for height adjustment. 2 holes drilled through the inner H" diameter pipe aligned to 1 hole drilled through the outer 1" diameter pipe of the length adjuster assembly enables the length adjuster to use a lock pin to fix the length adjuster to 1 of 4 positions once the desired support pipe assembly length has been achieved.

[00101] Using the leg support assembly pipes with the threaded rod length adjusters, getting the 4 vertical legs of the solar panel array adjusted is easy by simply ^dialing in' or "tuning" the length of support assembly pipes to get the 4 vertical legs perfectly (or near perfectly) level (vertical) and at the right relative separations. This leveling and squaring process can all be done before the east-west oriented H-beams and north-south oriented channel beams are lifted into place. Once the legs are set up properly, the east-west oriented H-beams can then be lifted onto the vertical legs and pinned in-place with the lock pins. The north-south oriented channel beams can also be put in place as discussed earlier. If one of the 5 southern channel holes for the channel slider lock pins do not line up, one or more of the support pipe assemblies can be adjusted to zero in (adjust} the lock pin holes and the final lock pins inserted into the channels sliders.

[ 00102 ] With the entire rack assembled, it is recommended that leg support length adjusters be adjusted slightly to take any slack out of the system and then the final lock pins can be inserted into the leg support length adjusters.

[ 00103 ] The racking system is fully assembled without the use of any bolts, nuts, washers, screws, etc. It has been shown that this racking system, for a 20 solar panel array for example, can be fully assembled, including loading solar panels, by 2 individuals in approximately one hour compared to existing systems that typically take 2 individuals 4-6 hours for assembly.

[ 00104 ] The present invention also features a solar array system 200, Fig. 7, configured for use on a sloped and capped landfill, as well as a method for installing a ballasted and racked system including ballast and racking as described herein on a sloped landfill. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method of installing a solar array on a sloped surface includes providing a generally

lightweight, portable conveyor assembly 210 which includes not only a conveyor belt 212 for moving products such as the ballast pipes and racking system uphill, but also includes a slurry close portion 214 which is connected to a slurry material hopper 216 and pumped 218. The slurry hopper 216 is configured to receive a quantity of slurry material following which the pump 218 will pump the slurry material uphill to one or more dispensing hoses 220 which can be used to fill the ballast tubes as previously described herein.

[ 00105 ] The conveyor assembly 210 and conveyor belt 212 are a lightweight, noninvasive surface based approach to moving the required array support elements and ballast tubes up the sloped landfill for installation. This approach eliminates the need for trenching and any potential damage caused to the landfill by utilizing heavy machinery to move equipment and product into place. Once the conveyor 210 is set up, several array components on both sides of the conveyor may be constructed .

[ 00106 ] The installation process begins by installing 2 pairs of ballast tubes. Utilizing the slurry hopper 216 and pump 218, slurry material is pumped up the slope to fill the ballast tubes from above. Slurry may be made on site or at a remote site and delivered in a vehicle such as a cement truck delivery -type vehicle. As the ballast tubes are filled, additional pairs of MT ballast tubes and clamps are set into place. As each rack assembly is completed, the rack position is adjusted and tuned to optimize system efficiency. The entire process is systematically repeated for each line of the array 230 as required according to the system design.

[ 00107 ] In the preferred or exemplary embodiment, the conveyor system 210 includes into connectable conveyor system segments of between 15 to 25 feet in length each. The conveyor system 210 is assembled on site to complete the desired run up the side slope of the hill. The conveyor system 210 may include adjustable legs; adjustable angle stabilizers as well as into connectable electrical wiring between each conveyor segment which is used to control each segment and adjust variable speed of delivery of the products. The slurry system 214 includes a slurry fill pipe attached to the conveyor system 210 which provides the necessary support for the slurry system 214. One or more control and distribution valves 232 may be provided along the slurry system 214 to deliver the slurry fill to one or more multiple locations on the side slope. The entire conveyor system 210 is collapsible for ease of transportation between sites .

[00108] Accordingly, the present invention provides an innovative ballast system to support a racking system such as utilized to support solar panel arrays, windmills or the like which requires no trenching or site grading and does not cause any damage to the yours, while distributing weight evenly. The ballast system supports a racking system which is efficient and cost effective and streamlines assembly and installation. The need for skilled labor is reduced while minimizing the use of nuts and bolts. Finally, a method of installing such a system particularly on a sloped surface includes the use of a conveyor system which is utilized not only to move product and supplies of a slope but also includes a slurry system which is utilized to pump and deliver slurry to be installed in the system ballast tubes.

[00109] Modifications and substitutions by one of ordinary skill in the art are considered to be within the scope of the present invention, which is not to be limited except by the allowed claims and their legal equivalents.

Claims

CLAIMS The invention claimed is:

1. A method for installing a modular ballast system and adjustable racking system on a slopped surface, said method comprising the acts of:

providing a conveyor system configured for being installed on a sloped surface, said conveyor system including an object conveyor portion and a ballast material conveyor portion, said ballast material comprising a slurry material; utilizing said object conveyor portion of said conveyor system to move at least modular ballast system components from a first end of said conveyor system to a delivery point on said conveyor system proximate at least a first

installation location of said modular ballast system

components ;

assembling at least a portion of said modular ballast system components at said at least a first installation location;

utilizing said slurry material conveyor portion of said conveyor system to move said slurry material from said first end of said conveyor system to said first installation location of said assembled modular ballast system components and at least partially filling at least first and second ballast devices with said slurry material;

utilizing said object conveyor portion of said conveyor system to move at least adjustable racking racking system components from said first end of said conveyor system to said delivery point on said conveyor system proximate said at least a first installation location of said modular ballast system components and adjustable racking racking system components; and assembling said adjustable racking racking system components onto said slurry filled at least first and second ballast devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said slurry material conveyor portion comprises a trough, configured for receiving bulk slurry material; a motor, fluidly coupled to said trough and configured for pumping said bulk slurry material; a length of pipe, coupled to said trough and motor, and configured for allowing said bulk slurry material to move through said pipe and along a length of said slurry material conveyor portion; and one or more delivery valves, coupled to said pipe, and configured for receiving and coupling with a slurry material conveyor hose and for allowing said bulk slurry material moving through said pipe to enter into and flow through said slurry material conveyor hose, for

delivering said slurry material to said at least a first installation location of said modular ballast system

components .

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of utilizing said slurry material conveyor portion of said conveyor system to move slurry material from said first end of said conveyor system to said first installation location of said assembled modular ballast system components and at least partially filling at least first and second ballast devices with said slurry material includes the act of filling said ballast system components with slurry material from an uphill end of said ballast components.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein ballast system components comprise :

at least a first and a second ballast device, said at least first and second ballast devices configured for being placed in a desired position unballasted and for being at least partially filled with ballast material once said at least first and second ballast devices are placed in said desired position; and

at least a first and a second coupling device, said at least a first and second coupling device including a first and second ballast device holding region, for maintaining said first and second ballast devices in a desired position relative to one another and relative to a device to be supported .

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said ballast system components further include a wire management system, disposed in a central region of at least one of said first or second ballast devices, for supporting and containing one or more electrical wires.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said wire management system includes at least one wire conduit through which one or more electrical wires may be inserted, and at least one conduit support structure configured for supporting said at least one wire conduit in a generally fixed position within an interior region of at least one of said first and second ballast devices .

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said ballast material is selected from the group consisting of mud, sand, silt, soil and cement .

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said ballast material is initially mixed with water and is caused to at least partially fill said first and second ballast devices utilizing a slurry pumping mechanism.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein said at least first and second ballast devices include at least first and second tubes ·

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least first and second tubes are corrugated pipes.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said corrugated pipes are constructed from a material selected from the group consisting of plastic, metal and cement.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein said modular ballast system further includes third and fourth ballast devices and third and fourth coupling devices, each of said at least third and fourth coupling devices including a first and second ballast device holding region, for maintaining said third and fourth ballast devices in a desired position relative to one another and relative to a device to be supported .

13. The method of claim 12, wherein each of said first, second, third and fourth coupling devices are comprised of a two piece coupling device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said two piece coupling device includes a two piece, hinged coupling device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said modular ballast system components are configured to support one or more solar panels .

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said modular ballast system components are to support one or more windmills.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said modular ballast system components are configured to support a boardwalk or walkway .

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said adjustable racking system comprises:

a plurality of support legs, each of said plurality of support legs including a bottom region, configured for engaging with a ground contacting or ballast structure, and a top region configured for receiving a height adjustable top member, each said height adjustable top member configured for receiving an east-west oriented structure support member, each said east-west oriented structure support member 74 configured for slidably receiving an east-west oriented support structure;

a plurality of north-south oriented support structures, each of said plurality of north-south oriented support structures configured for slidably receiving one edge of one or more of said plurality of panels, and for slidably receiving one end of one or more divider members, and for slidably interconnecting with one or more north-south oriented structure interconnecting members;

a plurality of east-west oriented support structures, each of said plurality of east-west oriented support

structures configured for slidably interconnecting with one or more east-west oriented structure support member mounted on a support leg;

a plurality of north-south oriented structure support members, each of said plurality of north-south oriented structure support members configured for slidably

interconnecting with one of said plurality of east-west oriented support structures;

a plurality of north-south oriented structure

interconnecting members, each of said plurality of north- south oriented structure interconnecting members configured for pivotably interconnecting with one of said north-south oriented structure support members and for slidably

interconnecting with a north-south oriented support

structure, for supporting a north-south oriented support structure; and

a plurality of divider members, each of said plurality of divider members configured for being disposed between first and second adjacent north-south oriented support structures, for creating a support frame for supporting one or more panels.

19. The method claim 18, wherein said east-west oriented support structures are configured as an "H" beam having a top generally planer member and a bottom generally planer member coupled by an interconnecting member disposed perpendicular to said top and bottom generally planer members, and wherein said east-west oriented structure support members are configured for slidably interconnecting with said bottom generally planer member of said "H" shaped east-west oriented support structure, and wherein said plurality of north-south oriented structure support members are configured for slidably interconnecting with said top generally planer member of said "H" shaped east-west oriented support

structure .

20. A method of installing a modular ballast system, said method comprising the acts of:

providing at least a first and a second unballasted ballast device, said at least first and second ballast devices configured for being placed in a desired position unballasted and for being at least partially filled with ballast material once said at least first and second ballast devices are placed in said desired position;

providing at least a first and a second coupling device, said at least a first and second coupling device including a first and second ballast device holding region, for

maintaining said first and second ballast devices in a desired position relative to one another and relative to a device to be supported;

placing said at least a first and a second unballasted ballast devices in a desired location;

engaging said at least a first and a second coupling device with said at least a first and a second unballasted ballast devices; and

providing a slurry ballast material to said at least a first and a second unballasted ballast devices and generally filling a cavity of said at least a first and a second unballasted ballast devices with said slurry ballast material creating first and second ballasted ballast devices.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said modular ballast system is configured to be installed on a sloped, capped landfill.

22. The method of claim 20, further including after the act of installing said modular ballast system, the act of installing an adjustable racking system on said at least first and second ballasted ballast devices.

23. The method of claim 22, further including after the act of installing said adjustable racking system, the act of installing one or more solar panels on said adjustable racking system.