Roofs, loads and the correct mounting system

The AeroFix base rail G2 Eco

I will never forget my father´s face when my sister-in-law walked across his newly laid parquet flooring with spiked heels on …This funny example reminds me of, how “not so funny” and also how important sufficient area is for the distribution of relative loads. Because the same situation also applies to PV systems on flat roofs as in these situations, heavy loads can play a role, too. Either caused by snow loads, e.g. in Scandinavia or in the Alps, or by high ballasting weight. As a Certified Surveyor for Photovoltaic Systems, I see more and more cases where installers are confronted with building insurance claims for damaged roof coverings caused by heavy loads. In the case of a commercial sized roof, the resulting claims against the installer can easily get up to a six-digit number of value. (more…)

Static friction coefficient with AeroFix and AeroFlat

Static friction and spring scale

In the flat roof sector, aerodynamic mounting systems have evolved, especially for foil, bitumen, green and gravel roofs. The reason for this success is the simple assembly compared to other systems, as normally no roof penetrations have to be made and better load values are achieved through the aerodynamics. Instead, ballast is only applied depending on the project. In this context, the so-called static friction coefficient between the bracket and the roof cladding plays an important role in all aerodynamic systems on the market, for example in our IBC AeroFix and IBC AeroFlat systems, because it strongly influences the ballast. How this is determined exactly and what needs to be taken into account is explained in more detail below. (more…)

“Mounting systems” blog series part 6: Flat roof heat insulation – How much of a burden can it handle?

Flat roofs are particularly well suited for the installation of a PV system – especially when a large PV system should be placed on the roof. More and more flat roofs are being equipped with PV systems; in the case of commercial business, they are usually for self-consumption. We have already discussed the installation of PV systems on flat roofs in part 4 of this blog series. Today’s article is all about heat insulation on these roofs and what areas require special attention. (more…)

“Mounting systems” blog series part 4: Full capacity for business buildings – flat roofs

It is important for the solar energy system to be securely fixed to the roof of all installations – and every roof has its own specific requirements. I would like to take the opportunity with this and other blog entries on the subject of “mounting systems” to present the typical mounting options to operators and installers for the most frequent roof types and give them recommendations.

Flat roofs (generally with up to 10 degrees inclination and building heights of up to 25 m) are particularly well-suited to the installation of a PV system – above all when there should be a lot of PV capacity on the roof. (mehr…)