Solar Panel Installation: The Importance Of Using The Correct Fasteners

Today, most of the world is turning to the use of renewable energy such as solar power. If you are interested in reducing the impact that your lifestyle has on the environment, you could consider buying a few solar panels and installing them in a residential or commercial setting. Even if they can’t power everything […]

Today, most of the world is turning to the use of renewable energy such as solar power. If you are interested in reducing the impact that your lifestyle has on the environment, you could consider buying a few solar panels and installing them in a residential or commercial setting. Even if they can’t power everything in a building, the use of solar panels can significantly reduce power usage in the facility.

For instance, you can use it to power the lights as well as other light appliances, thus reducing your dependence on the national grid. The best thing is that since this is a free resource, you won’t need to pay for the power as a recurring charge.

One of the important considerations to make when planning on this is how to install the solar panels. In particular your choice and use of fasteners is critical in determining how much benefit you will get from the solar panel. There are a number of tips that will help you with this including:

Always choose the installation point carefully

There are times when you will pick high quality Inconel hex lag bolts or nitronic 60 screws, but still end up with a solar panel that does not sit in place as well as you would want it to. Most of the time, this is as a result of not picking the correct point to install the solar panel. This is a problem that commonly occurs when installing it on the roof. In such cases, always identify strong rafters in which you can drill the holes. If you are not confident of doing this on your own, always get a professional to do the installation.

 
Remember that the assembly is likely to be subjected to a lot of heat

The solar panel and the other elements around it such as the screws are likely to be subjected to a lot of solar radiation. You can expect the temperature of each component to rise significantly, particularly during the summer or if you live in the tropics. This should influence the types of fasteners you get. Using fasteners that expand and contract too much will result in loosening, which might result in damage to the solar panel. If you use fasteners made of an alloy that has a low melting point, they could become damaged simply because of exposure to heat.

The wind factor

When solar panels are installed on rooftops, they are normally subjected to strong winds. This is particularly so if you live in an area with few trees around. Depending on how the solar panel is oriented, the pressures generated by wind flowing over it could cause a lot of tension or compression on the fasteners. This is because the wind will be trying to rip it off the roof. Your fasteners need to be made of a material that can withstand such forces without cracking or coming apart. Otherwise, there may come a time when one breaks and the solar panel may be blown off the roof.