solar panel mounting from bunnings bits?

T

tuppy

Guest
I Have scrounged a few 40 w used panels and have been looking for the
under tile
brackets, rails bolts to mount them on the roof. Unfortunately solar
installers charge
a fortune for them - (almost as much as my panels!). Has anyone found
any generic roof
brackets that work just as well, perhaps from Bunnings? I need about a
2 x 4m rail which normally costs over $200ea.

ie rails
http://www.arrid.com.au/?act=roof_mount

under tile brackets like these
http://www.aussiesolar.com/framing.pdf

thanks
 
"tuppy" <george@joho.com> wrote in message
news:d205a5bd-bfa0-4971-9a61-0f3cab8ceb9b@u25g2000prh.googlegroups.com...
I Have scrounged a few 40 w used panels and have been looking for the
under tile
brackets, rails bolts to mount them on the roof. Unfortunately solar
installers charge
a fortune for them - (almost as much as my panels!). Has anyone found
any generic roof
brackets that work just as well, perhaps from Bunnings? I need about a
2 x 4m rail which normally costs over $200ea.

ie rails
http://www.arrid.com.au/?act=roof_mount

under tile brackets like these
http://www.aussiesolar.com/framing.pdf
Click to expand...
**Jaycar now sell Solar cell mounting gear. It's probably typical Jaycar
crap, but it may be worth a look anyway.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au
 
tuppy wrote:
I Have scrounged a few 40 w used panels and have been looking for the
under tile
brackets, rails bolts to mount them on the roof. Unfortunately solar
installers charge
a fortune for them - (almost as much as my panels!). Has anyone found
any generic roof
brackets that work just as well, perhaps from Bunnings? I need about a
2 x 4m rail which normally costs over $200ea.

ie rails
http://www.arrid.com.au/?act=roof_mount

under tile brackets like these
http://www.aussiesolar.com/framing.pdf

thanks
Click to expand...
If it's any help, I secured my Solar Sponge using four flexible metal strips
from Bunnings:
http://www.solarsponge.com/images/TileTite1.jpg
and
http://www.solarsponge.com/images/SolarSpongeTileTiteWithDucting2.jpg

It's survived gale force winds no problems.

Dave.

--
================================================
Check out my Electronics Engineering Video Blog & Podcast:
http://www.eevblog.com
 
"David L. Jones" <altzone@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:OcqIm.35$gi1.32@newsfe19.iad...
tuppy wrote:
I Have scrounged a few 40 w used panels and have been looking for the
under tile
brackets, rails bolts to mount them on the roof. Unfortunately solar
installers charge
a fortune for them - (almost as much as my panels!). Has anyone found
any generic roof
brackets that work just as well, perhaps from Bunnings? I need about a
2 x 4m rail which normally costs over $200ea.

ie rails
http://www.arrid.com.au/?act=roof_mount

under tile brackets like these
http://www.aussiesolar.com/framing.pdf

thanks

If it's any help, I secured my Solar Sponge using four flexible metal
strips from Bunnings:
http://www.solarsponge.com/images/TileTite1.jpg
and
http://www.solarsponge.com/images/SolarSpongeTileTiteWithDucting2.jpg

It's survived gale force winds no problems.
Click to expand...
**Nice one Dave. I think I'll build one for next Winter. You're a handy
fella.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au
 
Thanks for the solarsponge link Dave, will have to build one of those
one day.

Will get to Bunnings this weekend to see if they have suitable
aluminium extrusions for solar rails and perhaps galvanised brackets.



I Have scrounged a few 40 w used panels and have been looking for the
under tile
brackets, rails bolts to mount them on the roof. Unfortunately solar
installers charge
a fortune for them - (almost as much as my panels!).  Has anyone found
any generic roof
brackets that work just as well, perhaps from Bunnings? I need about a
2 x 4m rail which normally costs over $200ea.

ie rails
http://www.arrid.com.au/?act=roof_mount

under tile brackets like these
http://www.aussiesolar.com/framing.pdf

thanks

If it's any help, I secured my Solar Sponge using four flexible metal strips
from Bunnings:http://www.solarsponge.com/images/TileTite1.jpg
andhttp://www.solarsponge.com/images/SolarSpongeTileTiteWithDucting2.jpg

It's survived gale force winds no problems.

Dave.

--
===============================================> Check out my Electronics Engineering Video Blog & Podcast:http://www.eevblog.com- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -
Click to expand...
 
On Nov 5, 11:51 am, "David L. Jones" <altz...@gmail.com> wrote:
tuppy wrote:
I Have scrounged a few 40 w used panels and have been looking for the
under tile
brackets, rails bolts to mount them on the roof. Unfortunately solar
installers charge
a fortune for them - (almost as much as my panels!). Has anyone found
any generic roof
brackets that work just as well, perhaps from Bunnings? I need about a
2 x 4m rail which normally costs over $200ea.

ie rails
http://www.arrid.com.au/?act=roof_mount

under tile brackets like these
http://www.aussiesolar.com/framing.pdf

thanks

If it's any help, I secured my Solar Sponge using four flexible metal strips
from Bunnings:http://www.solarsponge.com/images/TileTite1.jpg
andhttp://www.solarsponge.com/images/SolarSpongeTileTiteWithDucting2.jpg

It's survived gale force winds no problems.

Dave.

--
================================================
Check out my Electronics Engineering Video Blog & Podcast:http://www.eevblog.com
Click to expand...

The only problem I could see with that arrangement, is the strips
buckling, if there is any significant weight on the box, or downward
pressure. (from wind for example) If you have something underneath
(that can't be seen in these pics) that is supporting the panel from
underneath and holding the panel up, and the strips are just there to
tie it down and stop it from lifting up in strong wind, then this
isn't a problem.

Those strips are very strong, builders use versions of them (versions
with and without punched holes) them as cross bracing in steel shed
construction, and I have seen similar used in general cavity wall
construction too.

You can also look at places that sell folded steel forms usually used
in colour bond shed construction, there might be some very useful bits
and pieces there for making a support for your solar panel. .
 
On Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:34:53 -0800, tuppy wrote:

I need about a 2 x 4m rail which normally costs over $200ea.
Click to expand...
From the pictures other people have posted, the rail seems to be a
standard U channel with a lip designed to hold a hex bolt head. AFAIK, it
is a fairly common extrusion and used in a variety of places such as
trade roof racks, etc. Caveat, I've olny see it in galvansed or
colourbonded steel, not aluminium.
 
kreed wrote:
On Nov 5, 11:51 am, "David L. Jones" <altz...@gmail.com> wrote:
tuppy wrote:
I Have scrounged a few 40 w used panels and have been looking for
the under tile
brackets, rails bolts to mount them on the roof. Unfortunately solar
installers charge
a fortune for them - (almost as much as my panels!). Has anyone
found any generic roof
brackets that work just as well, perhaps from Bunnings? I need
about a 2 x 4m rail which normally costs over $200ea.

ie rails
http://www.arrid.com.au/?act=roof_mount

under tile brackets like these
http://www.aussiesolar.com/framing.pdf

thanks

If it's any help, I secured my Solar Sponge using four flexible
metal strips from
Bunnings:http://www.solarsponge.com/images/TileTite1.jpg
andhttp://www.solarsponge.com/images/SolarSpongeTileTiteWithDucting2.jpg

It's survived gale force winds no problems.

Dave.

--
================================================
Check out my Electronics Engineering Video Blog &
Podcast:http://www.eevblog.com


The only problem I could see with that arrangement, is the strips
buckling, if there is any significant weight on the box, or downward
pressure. (from wind for example) If you have something underneath
(that can't be seen in these pics) that is supporting the panel from
underneath and holding the panel up, and the strips are just there to
tie it down and stop it from lifting up in strong wind, then this
isn't a problem.
Click to expand...
There is nothing else holding the box up at the back (unless you count the
ducting), only the front edge of the box is resting on the roof.
It's been up for around 4 years now, with several gale force winds in that
time, no problem at all.

Not sure if they'd be suitable for solar panels, but they are cheap and
simple and can be bent up under the tile and attached to the rafter.

If I was going to do a cheap home made solar panel mount then (on first
thought) I'd probbly use several of these strips to attach to the rathers
and then pop-rivit a piece of long 1" square aluminium tubing to these
bracks to use as a mounting suport bar. Same top and bottom and then attach
the solar panels to the support bars.
The whole system might rattle a tiny bit in very high wind, but it won't go
anywhere. As you say, these strips are incredibly strong.

Dave.

--
================================================
Check out my Electronics Engineering Video Blog & Podcast:
http://www.eevblog.com
 
On Tue, 3 Nov 2009 15:34:53 -0800 (PST), tuppy <george@joho.com> wrote:

:I Have scrounged a few 40 w used panels and have been looking for the
:under tile
:brackets, rails bolts to mount them on the roof. Unfortunately solar
:installers charge
:a fortune for them - (almost as much as my panels!). Has anyone found
:any generic roof
:brackets that work just as well, perhaps from Bunnings? I need about a
:2 x 4m rail which normally costs over $200ea.
:
:ie rails
:http://www.arrid.com.au/?act=roof_mount
:
:under tile brackets like these
:http://www.aussiesolar.com/framing.pdf
:
:thanks


Whichever system you finally adopt it is important to make sure that there is a
substantial gap between the roof and the underside of the PV panels to allow
convection cooling. A gap of at least 150mm is recommended.
 
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