Are you looking to switch to solar power for your residence or office? Your first step will of course be to get your new solar panels set up somewhere on your property, but there are different ways to go about it. You will need some kind of structure either in or on top of the ground to hold the panels securely in place. Some people choose to use piers or other structures that go down into the ground, but here's why you might want to look into precast solar ballast blocks instead.
No Need to Dig or Drill Into the Ground
Some people prefer to use piers or other support structures that go into the ground so that all you really see when you look at your solar panel installation will be the panels themselves and nothing sitting on the ground below. While this may be more visually pleasing, it can also take much longer to actually dig or drill into the ground and get your supports into place. With precast blocks that sit on top of the ground, you can simply drop the blocks into place and begin installing the panels immediately. Remember that you can always build something around the precast blocks later on or hide then behind landscaping if you don't want them to stick out or be noticeable.
No Need to Worry About the Quality of Your Soil or the Soil Shifting Over Time
Beyond having to take the time and deal with the cost of digging into the ground to put your supports into place as described above, going with under or in-ground supports may also cause maintenance headaches in the future. If the quality of your soil is not great or if you frequently have wild swings in temperature from summer to winter, it's possible some of the soil may expand or otherwise shift over time, causing your in-ground supports to move and destabilize your panels. With precast blocks, you'll never have to worry about this.
Move Your Solar Panel Installation to a New Location With Ease
Do you envision yourself expanding your building or doing some outdoors landscaping or renovation work in the future? If so, perhaps you might want to eventually relocate your solar panels to a new location on your property. If this is the case, precast blocks that simply sit on top of the ground are ideal because you can just pick them up and move them wherever you want, as opposed to having to once again dig into the ground to pull out the in-ground supports.
Contact a company like Ninsa Solar, LLC for more information about solar ballasts.