A ground-mounted array lets a farm put panels exactly where the sun is best, at the right angle, without being limited by an old shed roof. The trade-off is that you now own a small piece of infrastructure in a paddock. Where it sits decides how far cables must run, how much trenching you pay for, whether stock can damage it, and how easily grass and fire risk are kept under control. Getting those decisions right at the start costs far less than moving an array later.

Location versus load

The best patch of sun is rarely right next to the switchboard. Every extra metre between array, inverter and loads adds cable cost and voltage drop, and long runs need heavier cable to keep losses acceptable. A good site balances sun against distance. Check each candidate spot against this list:

• Winter shading. The sun is low in June. Trees, hills and sheds that cast no shade in summer can shade the lower rows for hours in winter.
• Flood and drainage. Keep the array, and especially any inverter or battery, above known flood levels and out of low, boggy ground.
• Bushfire risk. Avoid placing the array hard against timber or heavy scrub, and leave room for a cleared, low-fuel zone around it.
• Dust. Stock yards, laneways and unsealed roads coat panels quickly, so set the array well back or upwind where you can.
• Access. A vehicle needs to reach the array for installation, mowing and service, including in wet weather.
• Ground conditions. Rock, reactive clay or a high water table affect the type of footing and its cost.
• Overhead lines and buried services. Keep well clear of power lines, and locate pipes and cables before anyone digs.

Trenching and cable runs

Underground cabling is electrical work that must be designed and installed by a licensed electrician to the Australian wiring rules, which set minimum depths, conduit types and marker tape requirements. A few planning decisions make the job cheaper and more durable:

• Choose a route that avoids irrigation mains, septic trenches, water lines and future building sites.
• Where the trench crosses a farm track, allow for extra protection against heavy vehicles.
• Lay a spare conduit while the trench is open, for a data cable to the monitoring gateway or future expansion.
• Record the route on a property plan, measured from fixed points, so nobody digs through it with a post-hole digger years later.
• Enclose all cable between the ground and the array in conduit or tray, because rodents chew exposed cable.

Whether the inverter sits at the array or back at the shed also changes the cable design, so ask your designer to compare both before any trenching starts.

Footings and frames

Ground-mount frames are usually galvanised steel or aluminium on driven piles, screw piles or concrete footings. The structure must be engineered for the site's wind region and soil, and properly earthed. On a farm, one design choice matters more than most: the height of the lowest panel edge. A higher leading edge costs a little more in steel, but it keeps panels above long grass, lets sheep graze underneath and reduces damage from stones thrown by a slasher.

If the array has more than one row, spacing matters too. Rows set close together save fencing and cable, but in winter the low sun lets the front row shade the bottom of the row behind it for part of the day. Your designer should check row spacing against the midwinter sun angle for your latitude, and allow enough room between rows for a mower and for someone to walk safely during maintenance.

Fencing for the stock you run

Livestock and solar can share a paddock, but not every animal is a good neighbour. Stock scratch on frames, chew cables and lean on anything within reach.

Set the fence far enough back that animals cannot reach over it to the panels, and fit a gate wide enough for a mower or small tractor. If an electric fence runs nearby, keep its wires and energiser well clear of the array frame and cabling.

Grazing under the panels

Sheep are the usual choice for keeping grass down under a raised array, and many landholders manage the fenced area as a small, sheltered paddock. A few rules keep it working. Protect every cable run. Keep water troughs and feeders outside the array so stock do not camp underneath and churn the ground. Watch stocking levels so the area does not turn into bare, dusty soil that ends up on the glass. Shade attracts animals, and heavy manure build-up around posts is best avoided.

Vegetation and fire management

Long grass shades the bottom row of cells and becomes fuel in summer. Plan how the area will be managed before each fire season:

• Mow or slash regularly, with a deflector fitted and extra care near the glass.
• Use herbicide sparingly, and never spray onto panels, cables or frames.
• Consider gravel or a weed barrier under the inverter and around combiner boxes.
• Keep a cleared, low-fuel zone around the whole array, in line with local bushfire advice.

Next steps

Before choosing a site, estimate your loads with the system sizing guide and see how arrays fit into wider farm designs in solar for farms. For an on-site look at sun, soil, distances and stock, request a free assessment from Blue Energy Solar. Ground-Mounted Solar is listed in the energy market from $11,900 for a 6.6 kW array, installed; the price is indicative and confirmed after a site assessment.

Frequently asked questions

Does a ground-mounted array need council approval?

It depends on the array size, the zoning, the distance to boundaries and whether the land is flood-prone, bushfire-prone or heritage-listed. Some ground-mounted systems may qualify as exempt development under NSW planning rules, while others need an application. Check with your local council early, before finalising the location, and keep any approval documents with the system's installation records.

Does a ground mount produce more than a roof array?

Often a little more, because it can face true north at a tilt chosen for the site, and air moves freely behind the panels, keeping them cooler. That advantage disappears if the ground site is shaded in winter or much further from the loads. The fairest comparison is a modelled yield for each option using the actual locations, orientation and shading.

Can a ground-mounted array be relocated later?

It can, but it is rarely cheap. Panels and frames have to be removed, new footings installed, cables re-trenched, and the system re-tested and documented by licensed and accredited workers. Screw-pile footings are easier to reuse than concrete. If a paddock may be needed for sheds or a house in future, choose a different site now.