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Solar Installation and Roof Anatomy: Issues and Challenges

With several incidents encountered by solar installers globally, we felt putting something out there, brief, and concise; hoping this knowledge transfer will improve the solar space.

Roofs are the resting place of most residential solar systems. Most roofs were not planned to have these multiple big solar panels mounted on them. For example, a typical 400watts panel would have a dead weight of 20kg, not taking into consideration potential live weights. So what happens when you have 20 pieces of these guys sitting on your roof? Well, it depends.

Solar Roof Anatomy

Our practice at Yield Energy takes an approach of considering every single component weight classifications and its effect on the existing structural roof components. Roof anatomy has evolved within its own range and several practices are embedded in different countries, but most importantly building codes are not effectively followed in some.

 

Here in Nigeria, let’s have a look at the health and safety alongside with issues and challenges in solar roof top mounting in residential buildings.

First of all, it its essential to consider that installers must perform physical inspection of rafters, purlins or battens, ridge and joists. This is because builders most of the time go into non-effective cost minimisation processes by deploying woods that are less stronger and posing as roofing components. In Health and safety, these can cause injury to solar installers while walking on the roof. In addition, mounting multiple solar panels on such roofs is just a cave-in moment waiting to happen.

The second point is direct and straight forward. Roofs needs maintenance. Routine inspection and maintenance are vital to protecting the roof and extending its life span. Issues such and cracked roofs, exposed roofing nails, rusted or missing flashing, worn or cracked pipe boots are challenges for solar installers. Pre-checks are necessary and should be encouraged to follow installation guidelines and principles which is ultimately beneficial to all parties.

Third point is proper weight load calculation. We have seen different installers and styles. Some don’t inspect roofs, some don’t calculate weight loads and some while taking weight load into consideration always forget that dead and live weight move in tandem in solar-mounting. While we are not a country of snow-white season, it is still imperative to take into consideration other live-weights such as winds and heavy rains that can cause added stress to the roofing structure, especially clients with castle roof designs. Weight load simulation softwares and structural engineering planning are part of an effective process for solar roof-top mounting.

In essence, understanding the anatomy of roofs that are to be worked in is very essential. Different roofs comes with distinct challenges. Solar installers must consider all basics, including roofing material, roof age, roof slope, load-breaking capacity and ensuring local building codes, strict guidelines are adhered to during planning and implementation stages.

Contact Yield Energy today for your solar installation.

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