How are solar panels actually installed?
Posted on 13th October 2023 at 15:51
The answer is: solar brackets! It is second nature to us at West Country Electrical, so we often forget the concept of having solar panels installed may be quite baffling. In this post, I will explain how we secure panels onto a roof space with an on-roof system.
Firstly, the type of roof tile you have will effect the brackets we use and the process of fitting them. All brackets will be screwed to the rafters under the tiles, but how we place the tile back over the bracket, keeping the whole roof sealed and flush, changes.
A concrete tile such as a flat tile or double roman, are straightforward to work with. Each tile has a lip on the back side at the bottom, or has a degree of thickness that we can use a grinder to remove when it impedes with the bracket. By removing this section, the tile will sit flush with its neighbours without being raised up by the bracket underneath.
Other common tiles, such as slate, can be more difficult to work with and require more labour and materials. Due to slate tiles being much thinner and more brittle, it is impossible to install a bracket using the previously mentioned method for concrete tiles. Instead, we have to use replacement tile flashing kits, designed for purpose. These are flat, with a raised section in the middle where the bracket sits in cover. Where the brackets are located, a section of tile will be removed, and the replacement tile will be installed, allowing for a completely sealed finish.
There are a few more roof tiles out there not mentioned, but these two methods will cover them all.
Solar panel installation Gloucester
Electricians Gloucester
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