No roof? No problem.
When your roof isn’t ideal — or you’d rather keep it clear — ground mounts and solar carports put your land and parking to work. We build every type, engineered for Minnesota.
When the ground beats the roof
A great roof is a great place for solar — but it’s not the only one. If your roof is shaded, aging, oddly shaped, or simply too small for the system you want, the ground is often the better answer. Ground-mounted arrays sit at the perfect angle for Minnesota, keep your roof penetration-free, and are easy to clean, service and expand. iSolar has pile-driven large ground mounts from the Twin Cities metro all the way to Big Falls near the Canadian border.
The base that holds it for decades.
The foundation is chosen to match your soil, frost depth and site — not a one-size template.
Pile-driven
Steel posts driven deep below the frost line — the Minnesota workhorse. Strong, fast, no concrete, minimal site disturbance. Ideal for farms and large home arrays.
Ballasted
Held down by heavy weight instead of drilling — no ground penetration. Great where you can’t or don’t want to dig, including some flat open land.
Earth-anchored
Helical screw anchors twisted into the soil for strong hold-down with little disturbance — a good fit for certain soils and sites where driving piles is tough.
Poured footing
Concrete piers poured below the frost line for maximum strength — the choice for heavy arrays, demanding soils or large commercial structures.
Fixed, adjustable, or sun-following.
How the panels are angled decides how much energy they catch — we match it to your goals and budget.
Fixed-axis (fixed tilt)
Set at one optimal Minnesota angle and left there — simple, durable and the most cost-effective. The right call for most ground mounts.
Adjustable tilt
Manually steepen the angle for low winter sun (which also sheds snow) and flatten it for high summer sun — more production across the seasons.
Single-axis tracker
The array slowly rotates east-to-west through the day to follow the sun, making meaningfully more energy than a fixed array on open land.
Dual-axis tracker
Tracks the sun on two planes — both daily and seasonally — for the most energy per panel. A premium choice we built for a home in Afton.
See the Afton tracker array →Array layouts: south, east-west & agricultural
Beyond the foundation and tilt, the layout matters. A classic south-facing array maximizes total production. An east-west layout faces panels both ways to spread power across morning and evening — flattening the curve to match how you actually use energy and reducing clipping (a great fit for off-grid and battery setups). And big agricultural ground mounts are sized to real farm loads like irrigation, drying and shop power — and qualify for commercial incentives. See farm & ag solar.
Solar carports: power and parking, on the same footprint
A solar carport is an elevated canopy with solar panels for a roof. It does two jobs at once: it covers a parking area — shade in summer, shelter from snow in winter — and it generates clean power over land that’s already paved. For a business, a school or a municipal lot, that’s production without giving up a single usable acre.
Where carports make sense
- Commercial & retail lots — turn a parking field into a power plant and a customer amenity.
- Workplaces & fleets — cover employee or vehicle parking and add EV charging underneath.
- Schools, cities & campuses — visible sustainability plus covered parking, fundable through elective pay and grant programs.
- Homes with the right yard — a covered spot for the cars that also powers the house.
Carports pair perfectly with battery storage and EV chargers, so vehicles charge under cover on power made right overhead.
Engineered for the site, built to last.
Site & soil review
We assess your land or lot — soil, grading, sun, setbacks and how you use the space — to pick the right foundation and layout.
Engineered design
A structure built for Minnesota wind and snow loads, sized to your energy goals, with honest production numbers and full equipment specs.
Foundation & build
Our own crews pile-drive (or ballast) the foundation and erect the structure — using the right equipment to do it fast, safe and clean. Underground runs use directional boring to spare your lawn and pavement.
Wire, commission & monitor
We tie it in, set up interconnection and monitoring, and stand behind it with our 30-year Solar Insure warranty.
Commercial & ag solar across all of Minnesota.
Bigger projects justify the drive. Our commercial and agricultural crews install across the entire state — from the Twin Cities metro to greater Minnesota's farm country.
Total energy savings, one family.
Solar is the headline, but the biggest savings come from attacking the whole building. Between iSolar, Three Rivers Electric and Three Rivers Contracting, one family handles every lever.
Solar + storage
Generate your own power and shave demand charges with battery peak shaving.
Commercial solar →LED lighting retrofit
Cut lighting energy 60–75% — often the fastest-payback upgrade in the building.
Commercial lighting →Electrical & EV
Service upgrades, controls and EV charging by licensed electricians.
Three Rivers Electric →Roofing, insulation & envelope
Re-roofs, insulation, windows and mini-split heat pumps from our construction family.
Three Rivers Contracting →What Minnesotans say.
Real reviews from real iSolar customers — homes, farms and businesses across Minnesota.
“Dan and company at iSolar were great to work with throughout our solar project. Communication was top-notch throughout the planning and install process, and even…”
“10stars!! I am a Sr. Project Manager for Patriot Homes, LLC (a general contractor) The solar panels of a customer of mine needed to be removed and reinstalled to…”
“iSolar installed 15 panels on our home, which has a standing seam metal roof. We have been very pleased with their approach, communication, price and the Solar…”
“Professional and very thorough in follow-up and responses. Their electricians takes time to explain things well and very honest in their pricing. I got an EV…”
“Jon and everyone over at ISolar have been awesome to work with on getting my panels installed and getting me through the different programs offered to me. Jon also…”
“Our experience has been wonderful! We are so happy we made the shift to solar and iSolar was so great to work with at all stages of the process!”
Frequently asked.
Is a ground mount better than rooftop solar?
Neither is universally better — it depends on your property. Ground mounts shine when you have open land, a shaded or aging roof, or you want a larger system at the perfect angle. Rooftop uses space you already have. We’ll model both for you.
What kind of ground mount do I need in Minnesota?
Most Minnesota ground mounts are pile-driven — steel posts pushed below the frost line for strength through freeze-thaw winters. Where the ground can’t be drilled, a ballasted (weighted) mount works. We pick the foundation to match your soil and site.
Do solar carports cost more than a roof or ground mount?
Per watt, carports usually cost more because they’re an elevated structure as well as a solar array. The value is double-duty: covered parking and clean power, often over land you’re already using for a lot.
Can a carport charge electric vehicles?
Yes — a solar carport pairs naturally with EV chargers, so vehicles charge under cover on power made right overhead. It’s a popular setup for businesses, fleets and municipal lots.
What are dual-axis trackers?
A tracker is a ground mount that turns to follow the sun across the sky, so the panels make more energy each day than a fixed array. Dual-axis trackers move on two planes. They’re a premium option for open land — we built one for a home in Afton.
Can I adjust the tilt for winter and summer?
Yes. An adjustable-tilt ground mount lets you set a steeper angle for the low winter sun (which also helps shed snow) and a flatter angle for high summer sun, squeezing out more production across the seasons.
Have land, a lot, or a roof that won’t cut it?
We’ll tell you straight which mount fits your site — free assessment, real numbers, no pressure.