Welcome to this installment of SPW Classroom on Roof-Mount Systems.
Solar panels can't do their jobs of making energy if they aren't successfully secured to a roof, whether it is sloped or flat. Roof-mounts can use rails, be rail-less and even depend on ballast, but they all must clamp to solar panels in some way.
Here you will find resources describing the various types of racking and mounting systems used on rooftops. These tutorials are all designed to give you a better understanding of this important mechanical component of solar arrays.
Senior Editor, Solar Power World
Principles • Implementation • Basics
Railed vs. rail-less mounting for rooftop solar projects
What are the different types of solar flashing?
What are the different types of solar mounting systems for roofs?
Metal roofs are no problem for solar installations
Without flashing, a residential roof with solar might become a leaky mess. When holes are made in a roof—for vent pipes or solar mounts—flashing is the material used to stop water from leaking into the roof.
Probably the most competitive solar product market, mounting systems are an important element of solar arrays—they secure solar panels to the roof or the ground.
The standard rail-based mount is popular with sloped rooftop installers, but rail-less systems have their advantages in the right scenario.
For solar installers most familiar with comp shingle or tile roofs, encountering a metal roof can be challenging.
Save time and money with QB2’s Boltseal® technology that physically and visually indicates when you’ve hit the rafter, so there’s no guessing game.
Shingle roofs are reliable and a roofing classic, but that doesn’t mean they are a flawless solution. Taking direction from manufacturers is key to successfully using their products and installing a cohesive solar system.
QuickBOLT’s QB2 with 3” Microflashing® has officially received Miami-Dade County Acceptance meaning easier permitting processes, greater permit approval coverage, and savings on solar installation projects.
2 QB2 kits is all you need for the average residential roof. Learn how QuickBOLT packaging puts the solar industry first with space savings and waste-reduction in mind.
With most of its land bordered by the Great Lakes, Michigan can pose numerous challenges for solar installers. In Detroit, the home of Strawberry Solar, the average overnight temperatures in January linger just under a frigid 18°F. Joe Nagle, founder of Strawberry Solar, added that Michigan’s utilities have eliminated net metering which increases the cost of solar for consumers, but solar is slowly gaining acceptance in the state.
Since the dawn of the solar industry, PV installers have struggled with mounting systems that put the roof at risk by drilling holes into rafters that can damage shingles and cause leaks. In 2013, Roof Tech introduced its innovative flexible flashing technology with RT-Butyl, and those risks quickly faded into the past. Now, Roof Tech brings you AlphaSeal™ Technology, the impenetrable sealant that eliminates the need for caulking once and for all.
Most manufacturers of asphalt shingles recommend a minimum ambient temperature of 40°F before doing any work on asphalt roofing because of the danger of shingles cracking,” explained Mike Dunlap, Roof Tech Sales Director. “But Roof Tech’s flashing with AlphaSeal™ Technology eliminates the need to lift shingles and delivers an impermeable seal in temperatures as low as 22°F. Installation crews working in temperatures below 22°F also know to use heat guns to warm the AlphaSeal™, so it softens just enough to form an impermeable seal.
Annual temperatures in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, range from a high of 90°F in summer to a low of -40°F in mid-winter. With such extreme fluctuations in weather, solar installers in that region require mounting solutions that are impervious to these changes.
What components are in a solar power system?
Mounting a solar system to survive a hurricane
Mounting wires is just as important as mounting panels on rooftop projects
Manufacturers transition to minimal-flashing solar roof mounts
Solar contractors working in expanding regions along the East Coast have the unique challenge of installing PV arrays that can withstand upwards of 100-mph winds.
There are two primary types of solar power systems: grid-tied and off-grid or stand-alone.
Aluminum and other metallic solar flashing requires installers to pry composite shingles up to slide the sealing roof attachment beneath.
For aesthetic reasons, more customers and installers are turning to flush-mount, pitched rooftop solar systems that are increasingly getting closer to the roof.
Roof Tech Inc. is the global pioneer in solar flexible flashing. We have been engineering solar mounting solutions since 1994 with flawless performance—over one million rooftop installations all over Japan and North America. All our products include a 25-year warranty from the installation date that are IBC and IRC compliant. We provide full support with installation manuals, installation videos, digital design tools, and in-person training. Become an innovative installer by learning the codes and best practices of Roof Tech's AlphaSeal™ Technology.
QuickBOLT believes solar mounting can be easier and more affordable for everyone. They supply one of the widest ranges of innovative solar mounts for residential and commercial roofs in the US market. They are known for bringing "Top-Mounts" to the industry through their patented Microflashing® and BoltSeal® powered mounting solutions and for their Stone Coated Steel roof mounts.