Installing Solar Panels
Solar Water Heating
The process of fitting the bracketing and panels to the roof , also see: Preparatory work and the pipes and controllers
To ensure there was a solid mounting, threaded rod was used and inserted at the panel's joints and bolted top and bottom, tight onto the jablite. The top bolt can be seen, this is then protected by the foam washer assembly. |
One of the challenges with this particular
installation was installing onto a super insulated roof made from
jablite panels (rare
in the UK). This type of roof has no joists . |
  
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With the roof mounting points in place , the main bracketing
for the panels can be installed |
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The solar panels ready to be installed. These are the genersys 1000-10 panels and are configured in 'landscape' mode. Normally solar panels are installed vertically, this is only to suit the standard roof layout. Either configuration is equally effective. |
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The first of the panels laid on the support
brackets , these are then slid along the rail to the correct position. The
rail can be extended where the roof allows permitting as many as 10 of the
genersys 1000-10 |
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The kit of parts that is used to link the
panels and connect the supply and return feeds. |
  
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The panels are joined together
and the end feeds are connected using compression fittings. |
 
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With this installation a particular
stainless steel flexible pipe was used along with closed cell insulation. |
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The flexible pipe is joined using a special jointing
kit. Solder and standard compression joints are avoided due to the high temperatures
eitehr melting the solder or causing excess expansion and contraction of the
joints.
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The panels in position ready
to provide hot water. When this picture was taken it was a cold day, about
2C (23 Jan 2005), after 30 minutes in the sun the brass end feeds had been
warmed by the panels to the point that they were almost too hot to touch. |
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The weather proof manifold being
used to protect the pipe entry point . |
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