solar cut-off switch and panel roof mounting question

[DAS26miles]

Where do you place your solar cut-off switch, between panels and controller or controller and batteries?

Anyone use this type of mount to avoid drilling into the roof? I guess they use Sikaflex 252 to adhere it to the roof.TEKTRUM DRILL-FREE SOLAR PANEL ROOF-TOP CORNER MOUNTING KIT - SET OF 4

[Almot]

DAS26miles wrote:
Where do you place your solar cut-off switch, between panels and controller or controller and batteries?

These are two different things.
Controller MUST have a fuse or breaker on the output side.
Panels MAY have a simple switch before controller, not necessary to fuse (usually) and not necessary even to have this switch, it's more a convenience.

See Diagram on page 19. This is from manual of my controller, diagram shows 2 controllers, ignore the 2nd one.

DAS26miles wrote:
Anyone use this type of mount to avoid drilling into the roof?

I don't think anybody is using them. Use aluminum. Plastic is not a good idea in sunny and warm climate. Don't see any other benefits, either. Do what other people did, less chances to get it done wrong. On a rubber-ish roof with plywood underneath the only reliable mounting is with both #10 screws AND a sealant like Dicor lap sealant or Geocel Proflex RV sealant. Those are most commonly used, I tried both, they are very different but both are good. With any other sealant you're taking your chances.

On fiberglass roofs people had a success with self-adhesive tape (forgot the name) and/or sealant, without screws.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

A fuse near to the battery.

A dc switch near to the controller on the panel side.

[CA_Traveler]

deleted

[CA_Traveler]

I don't recommend Z brackets because removing the panel won't be easy. Instead use 2 pieces of aluminum angle and bolt them together in the Z shape.

[CA_Traveler]

I don't recommend Z brackets because removing the panel won't be easy. Instead use 2 pieces of aluminum angle and bolt them together in the Z shape.

[scrubjaysnest]

DAS26miles wrote:
Where do you place your solar cut-off switch, between panels and controller or controller and batteries?

Anyone use this type of mount to avoid drilling into the roof? I guess they use Sikaflex 252 to adhere it to the roof.
TEKTRUM ROOF MOUNT

Breakers go between the panels and CC and the CC and batteries.

I mounted my home made Z brackets to the roof with 3M VHB 4191; same stuff used by the factory when getting solar from TM.

[SkiSmuggs]

DAS26miles wrote:


Anyone use this type of mount to avoid drilling into the roof? I guess they use Sikaflex 252 to adhere it to the roof.
TEKTRUM ROOF MOUNT

Did you read this review?
"Don't expect not to have to drill at all. If you don't drill and pin your solar panel into these mounts, the wind will get under it and lift it right out. I installed mine yesterday on my RV because I didn't want to have to drill holes in the roof... Today, I'm buying a new $137 solar panel to replace the one being ground into glass on the roadway."

[Golden_HVAC]

Here are pictures of the solar panels on my RV. I placed the panel mounts where the screws are under the panels, in a typical rain they should stay dry, or at least only a little wet. Some have reported that the EPDM roof material has 'blown up' (a air bubble between the roof and under the EPDM) on their RV's (without reporting that they have solar panels installed on the RV) and should this happen to a RV with the type of mount you are suggesting, the blown up EPDM would not hold the solar panels for long, they would tear away a chunk of EPDM material, and land on the ground behind the RV as it is driving down the freeway!

Golden_HVAC wrote:

rickthescot wrote:
Sounds like a great idea. I guess asking for pictures again is not going to persuade you though. We are visual creatures and I don't think 1000 words will accomplish what one image will. You can do it, just one pic.

More pictures that I took a few days ago to post pictures of my solar panels, and their mounts. Some pictures are really close up pictures of the solar panel mounts, and give a clear picture of howrough the surface is.

Golden_HVAC wrote:
Hi,

This is my front pair of panels. 120 watt mounted on a curved roof, 102" wide.



This is the mount it is held on with three rivets into the frame, and then the bottom half is 6" long aluminum, with nutsert in the upper piece, bolt you can not see from the outside edge pointing inward.









This picture shows the bigfoot panel mount sold by RvSolarElectric for $35 a set back in 1994. I wonder what they cost today?


This picture shows the panels tilted while I was working on the roof.

Fred.

My panel mounts allow air under the panels, and as you can see the tilt arms are easy to install, and can tilt the panels to 45 degrees easy.

The 'Bigfoot' panel mounts 'could' be mounted by gluing them to the EPDM roof or a fiberglass roof. However I have both rubber roof sealant and 4 screws holding each mount to the roof. Then I coated the whole roof with a sealant to cover over the EPDM that at 14 years old was washing away off the motorhome.

The other mounts are simple. 6" long 2" angle aluminum. 3 holes for #10 screws into the roof, and 5/16" hole for a tamper resistant bolt into the panel, with Nylo locking nut to frustrate any would be theft!

[CA_Traveler]

It depends upon your setup and equipment.

I have a switch for the panel and a circuit breaker switch to the battery.

I wouldn't use those mounts.

Lot's on solar installations here.

[westend]

I put a manual circuit breaker between the panel and the controller. The (+) phase wire from the controller to battery bus has a catastrophic fuse.

Those drill-free mounts are made of ABS. I haven't had real good luck with any adhesive and ABS. Besides, if you use them, aren't you going to be gluing them to just the membrane of your roof? I'd suggest to lose your fear of drilling a hole through the roof. I attached fasteners through Eternabond tape and covered the heads with sealant. I then sealed the mount edges to the roof with more sealant.