10/13/2026
☀️ Project Spotlight: Gahanna, OH
This homeowner wanted serious solar, but a rooftop wasn't the answer. A carport array was first in line, but zoning variances kept stalling it. So we moved the power plant to the backyard.
🔧 What we built:
• 23.2 kW ground-mounted array: 40 Philadelphia Solar 580W bifacial panels
• APA Solar Ready Rack steel racking, tilted at 20° and facing south
• Sol-Ark 15K hybrid inverter (15 kW AC output)
• 30.7 kWh of battery storage: six 5.12 kWh lithium batteries
• About 255 feet of conduit, trenched 18" deep across the yard to the house
⚡ What it does:
The batteries keep the house running when the grid goes down. On a normal day the array covers the home's power needs and sends the extra back to AEP Ohio. We expect it to produce well over 25,000 kWh a year, which is more than the home uses.
📱 See it in action (last photo, from the Sol-Ark app on an October afternoon):
• Panels producing: 10,045 W
• House using: 1,340 W
• Battery: 98% full
• Sent back to the grid: 8,334 W
The house was covered, the battery was nearly full, and more than 8 kW was going back to AEP.
🌱 Why a ground mount?
• Best angle and direction: we set the tilt and direction for maximum production instead of living with whatever the roof gives us.
• Bifacial bonus: these panels make power from both sides. On a roof the back of the panel faces shingles. On an open ground rack, sunlight bounces off the grass, and especially off winter snow, onto the back and adds extra production.
• No roof penetrations: nothing gets drilled into the roof, and a future roof replacement means no panel removal and reinstall.
• Cooler panels: air moves freely around the array, and panels produce more when they run cooler.
• Easy access: cleaning, inspections and brushing off snow can all be done from the ground.
Shaded roof, or no room up there? A ground mount might be your answer. Let's talk.
📞 614-442-9700 | bc.solar
