Upon reading the Solar Power World article Metal Roofs are No Problem for Solar Installations, my reaction was, "Well, I suppose that is true—if (and only if) it is done 'the right way.'" There are so many materials, profiles, gauges, metallurgies and corrosion behaviors to consider; not to mention effective waterproofing methods, sealant chemistries, thermal cycling characteristics, weathering behaviors, strength of materials, structural engineering principals and relevant test methods. It is anything but a simple science!
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Tags: solar mounting, metal roof brackets, PV, rooftop equipment, exposed fastened, installation
Is a Bigger Snow Guard Better?
There is a common perception that “more is better”, such as “two pipes are better than one” and “three are better than two”. Many believe that because a snow bank is very deep, it should have a taller snow guard system—with more cross-members.
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Tags: snow guards, metal roof, metal roof clamps, rooftop equipment
Often, we are asked to provide localized snow guards and systems (snow retention systems) over an entranceway or several of them rather than protecting the entire eave line of a standing seam metal roof. In limited cases this can be done, but extreme caution is advised.
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Tags: snow guards, metal roof, metal roof clamps
Any snow retention system is a life-safety and property protection application. If the system were to fail, tons of snow could suddenly be released onto anything below, threatening personal safety and property. For this reason, any system should be appropriately engineered to the specifics of the project to ensure that it does not structurally fail. Surprisingly, few (if any) vendors who manufacture provide adequate technical data to do this.
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Tags: snow guards, metal roof, metal roof clamps, standing seam metal roof
Standing seam metal roofing (SSMR) is the most convenient of any roof type for mounting PV modules, either crystalline or thin-film. The seams of SSMR are beam-like elements that not only add stiffness and flexural strength to the roof panels, but also provide expedient attachment points for a PV system. Joining PV modules to this roof type can be done with or without continuous mounting rails using aluminum seam clamps.
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Tags: PV, rail mounted solar panels, cost
