Solar Mounting Systems for Different Roof Materials

1. Rooftop Photovoltaic System Mounting

Rooftop photovoltaic mounts are installed on various roof environments, including sloped and flat roofs. The installation must adapt to the existing roof conditions without damaging the inherent structure or the self-waterproofing system. Roofing materials include glazed tiles, color steel tiles, asphalt shingles, concrete surfaces, etc. Different mounting solutions are employed depending on the specific roofing material.

Roofs are categorized by pitch into sloped and flat surfaces. Consequently, rooftop PV systems offer multiple options for the tilt angle. For sloped roofs, the modules are typically laid flat, following the roof's pitch. Alternatively, they can be installed at a specific angle to the roof surface, though this method is relatively more complex and less commonly implemented. For flat roofs, there are generally two choices: laying the modules flat or tilting them at a specific angle.

Different roofing materials necessitate different mounting systems.

2. Glazed Tile Roof Mounting

Glazed tiles are building materials made from raw materials like alkaline earth and purple clay, which are extruded, molded, and then fired. They are brittle and have poor load-bearing capacity. When installing mounts, specially designed primary support components are typically used to fix to the roof structure beneath the glazed tiles, which then support the main rails and purlins of the mount. These support components, such as connecting plates, are often designed with multiple holes (as shown in accompanying diagrams) to allow flexible and effective adjustment of the mount position. The modules are clamped to the purlins using aluminum alloy clips.

3. Color Steel Tile Roof Mounting

Color steel sheets are thin steel plates formed by cold pressing or cold rolling. These steel plates can be organically coated thin steel sheets (also called color-coated steel sheets), galvanized thin steel sheets, anti-corrosion thin steel sheets (e.g., with an asbestos-asphalt layer), or other types of thin steel sheets.

Profiled steel sheets offer advantages such as light weight per unit, high strength, excellent seismic performance, rapid construction, and an aesthetically pleasing appearance. They are excellent building materials and components, primarily used for enclosure structures and floor decks, and can also be used in other structures.

4. Concrete Roof Mounting

Mounting systems for concrete roofs generally employ a fixed installation at a specific tilt angle, though a flat layout is also possible. The primary fixing methods on this type of roof involve concrete foundations and standardized fixing connectors. These are divided into cast-in-place and pre-cast types.

Cast-in-place rectangular foundations on concrete roofs are suitable for areas and roofs with low load-bearing capacity and high wind loads.