mounting my solar panels
I have ordered some solar panels to put on my TT. I bought the 200 watt kit from Renogy. I doubt that I will be able to determine where the structural members are, so there is the very real possibilit...
Forum Discussion
Housted wrote:
I have 8 solar panels on my 5er. All are held on with Z brackets and coarse ss screws. The screws are driven through a blob of dicor and then the screw head is covered with dicor. No holes were drilled for the screws so they hold very well. Been like that for years.
BTW if you use double side tape you are depending on the glue holding the rubber roof on. If you use the tape on the frame of the panel you can maybe get enough to hold, but you then have no air circulation under the panels, so they may overheat in the summer sun.
Housted
same here on my 3 larger 200W panels. And for the effect of wind. There are two components of the force exerted on an object by the wind. (1) speed, and (2) surface area after accounting for the drag coefficient.
In the case of solar panels the surface area exposed to the wind is minimal. Airflow over and under the panel may create some lift or downforce. But in the end there really isn't much force on the panels especially considering the airflow is not laminar.
Now if the roof is a smooth fiberglass roof, then 3M VHB tape properly applied. (that means also using the proper cleaning and proper adhesive promoter and proper application) is likely to work well also. But IMHO NEVER on a rubber roof.
