Solar Panel For Mobile Home
Using solar panels to provide power to your mobile home can be a cost-effective measure. Solar panels are also healthy for the environment. Harnessing the power of the sun is a great option when it comes to setting up power for your mobile home.
In this article, well explain everything you need to know about powering your mobile home using solar panels, including what type you should use and how much they will cost.
Using Solar Power To Power A Mobile Home
Solar power can be used to provide power to your mobile home. However, depending on the size of the panels and how much power you use, you may also need an alternate source of power. Some mobile home residents combine solar power with traditional electric power.
Solar panels are only able to store power on sunny days. They cannot store power during the night, on cloudy days, or if they are dirty. Since solar panels are limited in how much power they can store, it is important to determine how much power you will need in your mobile home.
What Direction Does Your Roof Face
It is better to have a north facing roof on any form of solar system, as this gives you the best sun exposure during the day. This is also okay if the roof faces east or west, but a roof facing south is not suitable at all. If you have a south facing roof, your installer will consider installing the solar panels on brackets on the ground instead to increase their performance.
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Roofing Services At Roofer Uk
As market leaders in the industry, here at Roofer UK, we provide our customers with an array of different roofing services and comprehensive, cost-effective solutions. We guarantee fantastic results and consistent quality care throughout the process. As well as roof replacements and re-roofing, we also offer:
How To Fix Solar Panels To Tiled Roofing
Pre-Installation Inspection and Measurement
The first step in any good installation process is taking measurements. Remotely or in person, the installers will assess your roof and determine the best place for installation based on the available space, pitch, and orientation. From here, they will take measurements to decide where to fix the brackets and rail system. After the roof has been assessed, the location of the inverter and wiring is also determined.
Removing Tiles
When considering, how are solar panels installed on tile roofs?, the initial stages are a little different to other types of roofs. When the installers first get up on your roof, they will begin to remove specific tiles in preparation for installing the mounting brackets. Based on the measurements and length of railing needed for your solar panels, the installation team will remove tiles so they can access the rafters and roof structure. The installers may also make minor additions to your roof cavity to create additional mounting points for the brackets.
Fitting the Mounting Brackets
Well-practised installers will ensure that the mounting brackets have been thoroughly secured and the roofs waterproofing has not been compromised. If needed, the solar panel installers will also fit flashing and waterproofing material around the newly installed brackets.
Installing the Rail System
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Questions To Ask Your Installer
If youâre planning to go solar, be sure to ask your installer these questions if you have a tile roof. Do this at the proposal stage, before you sign any contract.
- Do you do the roofing work yourself, or do you subcontract?
- What method will you use to attach the racking to my roof?
- Is this method non-destructive ?
- If yes: are you able to use a non-destructive method such as tile replacement or s-hooks?
- How do you waterproof the attachment points?
- Will you replace, for no cost, any tiles that you damage during the installation?
- Does your installer warranty cover roof damage, such as leaks? For how many years?
- Would you consider working with a roofer that I hire?
Can Your Roof Support The Additional Weight From Solar Panels
Solar panels arent exactly big heavy bricks, but they do weigh something – around 2.5 to 2.7 pounds per square feet. Before installing your system, its a good idea to make sure your roof can support the added weight. In the vast majority of cases – lets say about 95% – solar panels can be installed on roofs that dont need any additional support.
However, to ensure solar panels arent installed on any of the 5% of roofs that cant support the weight, a third-party structural engineer will evaluate the roof and give their stamp of approval. If needed, additional support can be added.
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What Does The Future Of Clay Tile Solar Look Like
If aesthetics are important to you and you have a lot of cash to devote to this kind of installation, they may be worth a look. Regardless its a wise idea to see how much you can save by starting today with regular solar panels tied into your clay roof using the method outlined above.
Find out how much you can save by going solar
How To Check The Condition Of Your Roof
Hold on a second. Dont climb up that ladder just yet. There are few things you can check without bringing the ladder out from your garage. First, inspect from inside the attic and ceiling walls for any leaks or stains.
If your electricity bill has recently gone up, chances it may have been caused by excessive ventilation.
Some of the common ways roofs get damaged are:
- Broken or Loose Tiles
- Damage to the Structure
- Worn Down Materials
Do look around to see if you can find any of these damages on your roof. If you spot one, a roof inspection by a professional might be a good option.
See Related: Should You Buy or Lease Your Solar Panels?
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Solar Panels Installation On Clay Tile Will Be More Expensive
Roof tiles are brittle. Fitting the right kind of tile back in place of a broken tile isnt always a quick process, and some tiles can be quite expensive to source.
For these reasons, most solar installers will be a lot more careful when working on a clay tile roof. However, that means they will be slower, and that means youll have to spend a little more for labor hours.
Try to avoid comp-outs or tile cutting for your on your clay tile roof when installing solar panels
Some solar installers like to use a technique called a comp-out to more easily install solar on clay tile roofs. This technique involves removing all the clay tiles under the area where your solar panels will go, installing composite shingle in this area, then plopping in traditional solar roof mounts, rails and panels in that location.
How Are Panels Installed To Avoid Tile Roof Damage
Rooftop panel arrays are most often attached to your roof on mounting panels and bolted down with specialized hardware. Lag bolts are common, as they are thick and sturdy, and designed to withstand the high winds and heavy impacts which are possible during severe thunderstorms or hurricanes. A solar panel installation team will have to drill into your roof to securely install the bolts, and while a hole in your roof doesnt sound safe, proper installation will avoid any tile roof damage. Tiles are removed, brackets are attached to the rafters, and then tiles are replaced in order to avoid breakage. While this is a very basic explanation, you can rest assured that if you hire a professional team, your roof should not sustain damage.
One final consideration be sure to carefully read your roof warranty to see if it is affected by the installation of solar panels. If you have any questions, call a professional Venice roofing contractor. At Kingdom Roofing, we pride ourselves on creating solid relationships and providing exceptional quality customer service. How can we help you?
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What Is Solar Panel Mounting And Racking
Solar panel mounts and racks are equipment that secure solar panels in place.
Mounting allows the panels to be adjusted for optimal tilt, which can be based on latitude, seasons, or even time of day to ensure maximum solar energy production. The most common locations for mounting are on the roof, using solar roof mounts, or on the ground with ground-mount options.
Mounting systems are the metal racks that hold up solar panels either on roofs or on the ground. Image source: PV Solar First
In terms of cost, mounts and racking typically account for about 10% of the total cost of an average solar system. For example, if your solar system cost $10,000, the racking system portion would be about $1,000 of the total cost.
The price will depend on the type of racking you use, the amount of equipment needed, and labor costs for installation.
The most common technique of module mounting is using a solar panel mounting bracket. Mounting brackets are heavy-duty equipment, usually made from stainless steel or aluminum. All solar racking and mounting products, whether for the rooftop or ground, must meet strict guidelines to ensure durability and structural integrity to withstand high winds and weather events.
Next, we will walk you through the main components that make up racking equipment so you can better understand the structure that will support your solar panels.
Things You Need To Consider To Install Solar Panels On Rooftop
Before installing solar panel systems, there are a few things you need to check out, and these include:
The Structure of your Roof
Make sure that your roof is in good condition before you install solar panel on roof areas. Manufacturers specifically design their solar panels to work for many years generally speaking, they can be of service for 25 years. This is why your roof should be incredibly durable.
Fix your damaged roof before you mount the solar panels. Unquestionably, fixing the damage early on will save you the additional expenses and hassle of lifting the panels and re-attaching them after fixing the roof.
Note that there are different types of roofs however, the most common among them is the asphalt shingle roof.
The Location of your House
For example, do you have growing fruit-bearing trees that could block your solar panels? Remove anything that could block the solar panels from absorbing full sunlight.
The gist here is that you need to ensure your panels location allows sunlight absorption.
The Strength of your Roof
Is your roof solid enough to support the additional weight of solar panels? Solar panels arent bulky in general, they weigh up to 2.7 lbs. for every square foot.
Regardless, consider having a structural engineer inspect your roof so that you can ensure it suits your panels.
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Solar Panels On Stone Coated Metal Tile Roofs
Stone coated metal roofs are becoming more and more popular in Florida. They are universally praised as being beautiful, durable, and highly wind resistant. With very long warranties and concerns about hurricane resistance, it is reasonable to expect these roofs to be purchased by more and more homeowners.
Installing solar panels on these roofs presents challenges. The only good way to accomplish it is during the initial roof installation in our opinion. Walking on metal tile is a sure way to crush or dent tiles, and its nearly impossible to maneuver while carrying solar panels and mounting equipment. Coordinating installation with the roofer is the only way to assure you dont have to walk on the finished roof at least minimizing the likelihood.
There are ways to retrofit these roofs for solar, but they are not ideal and they are costly. The first method we support is the flashing sandwich, which name I will credit to Quickmount PV who provides roof mounts and flashings. This requires using two sheets of metal tile and a solar flashing sandwiched between the two tiles. The second method is using a tile hook. These were originally developed for concrete tile roofs, but adapt well to metal tile. In the case of tile hooks, we advise going beyond code with the number of attachments to reduce flex of the brackets in high wind conditions.
A Photovoltaic System on Stone Coat Metal Roof in Colonial Country Club, Fort Myers, FL With QuickMount PV QRail and Tile Hooks
Its Easy To Mount Solar Panels On A Metal Roof
Typically, your solar installer will drill holes in your roof so that they can attach the mounting for your solar panels. This is one of the main areas of concern for many homeowners considering solar, as an improperly mounted solar panel system can cause leaks or other roof issues. Most qualified solar installers offer workmanship warranties and roof warranties to reassure their customers that there will be no issues with the installation.
If you have a metal roof, however, your solar installer likely wont need to make any holes in your roof at all, which virtually eliminates the possibility of issues down the road. There are a few alternative mounting options that make installing solar on a metal roof easier:
- Standing seam metal roofs: Two different solar panel mount manufacturers, Quick Mount PV and Ecofasten, have products designed specifically for metal roofs with standing seams. If you have a standing seam metal roof, your installer can attach panels using a mounting system that clamps onto the seams of the roof without having to make any holes. As an added bonus, using this type of racking can speed up installation times because your installer wont have to drill holes into the roof.
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Will Solar Panels Cause Tile Roof Damage
Because of our year-round sunshine, solar energy is an attractive option for many South Florida homeowners. Taking advantage of the strong rays in order to make your home greener and more energy efficient is a smart move in most cases. However, the implications of installing solar panels on their roof do raise questions for many Venice residents.
In this area, a tile roof is a very popular option. Floridians love the aesthetically pleasing terra cotta look, and a properly installed roof made of tile is likely to last for up to 40 years with routine maintenance. But individual tiles can also crack or break when walked on, or when flying debris strikes them during a storm. So the question arises can you safely install solar panels without causing tile roof damage?
Fixing Solar Panels To Tiled Roofs
How are solar panels installed on tile roof? This is a common question and there are actually quite a few options.
The first thing that needs to happen before we get into the how of attaching them is deciding whether or not its practical for you at all.
After all, if you dont have the proper surface to attach them, then youll end up with panels that are falling off all the time.
Although the installation process for solar panels on a tile roof may vary depending on how steep and how flat your roof is, there are some general guidelines to follow.
In this post, we will discuss how you would install solar panels on a tile roof if it was flat and how we would do so if it was steep in the following sections.
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How Are Solar Panels Installed On A Flat Tile Roof
If the surface of your tile roof is flat, you will need to decide how big of a solar panel system you want before installing.
Different installers have different ways of doing this but generally, they would place one row right in the center and then another row on each side with an equal amount of space between them so that there would be an even distribution of solar panels all across your roof.
The reason why you have to do this on a flat tile roof is because the tiles are so close together that there isnt any room for error when it comes to how much space you allow between them on each row.
This may not sound too complicated but if done wrong, you could end up with a solar panel system that looks awkward and doesnt really fit in.
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Conventional Alternatives To Solar Shingles
If aesthetics is what draws you towards shingles, well, a few different choices can give the conventional solar panels a better look. You can opt for standard solar panels that are sleeker and dont stand out too much.
The plus point of doing this is that since the product is more mainstream, youll have a lot of options to choose from.
Here are some of the factors that you may want to look into to make your panels look more aesthetic:
- Color of the back sheet, the layer of the silicon cells
- Check to see if polycrystalline or monocrystalline silicon is used
- Color of the frame, or if the panels are frameless
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Is It Possible To Install Solar Panels On Your Tile Roof Yourself
Yes, but the potential for serious, costly damage is very high. While your tile roof is very durable against the elements, it is not weight-proof. By walking on your roof, or using a drill bit that creates too much vibration, you can easily create cracks that are costly to fix and compromise the integrity of your roof.
