WHAT
ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF MOUNTINGS?
Roof
Mount
For
commercial, industrial, and residential projects
roof mounting is the most typical type of installation.
It is also the most cost effective method to date.
An arrangement of solar panels will be installed
on the roof of the property’s building structure,
and the panels are connected directly to the structural
frame of the building. The mounting structure
is tough enough to withstand all types of weather
and wind loading, or whatever nature may decide
to throw your way.
Typically,
the panels are mounted to aluminum or galvanized
steel support structures. And there is capability
of not making any penetration into the roof with
some of the new modules; this is typical for some
commercial flat-roof installations, but there
have been some breakthroughs for residential roofs
as well. Solar roof systems are generally less
than 4lb/ft^2, so the system would be a light
weight addition to the roof load. Whether it be
commercial or residential, nearly all roofs are
able to accept this added load without the need
for any structural change.
Ground
Mount
Solar
systems can also be ground mounted within your
property. This is usually done in cases where
there is not enough roof space to place the solar
panels or if there is extra room on the property
to place the ground mounts. Typically the ground
mount is a wedge structure assembled from steel
supports fastened in concrete footings. Aluminum
or galvanized steel structure is what connects
the panels to the ground mounts.
Pole
Mount
Another
type of ground mounting is pole mounting. Pole
mounts are similar to ground mounts, the only
difference is that in pole mounts the panels are
mounted on top of a single steel pole. This has
an advantage over ground mounts because the owner
can adjust the tilt and array of the panels at
different times of the year to increase the solar
production.
Building
Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV)
BIPV
systems are built in to the structure of a building.
Some BIPV examples include awnings, car ports,
and curtain walls. BIPV systems also have a dual
purpose, in that they provide both power and function
to the property. For instance, an awning with
solar modules produces power and provides shade
simultaneously.
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