S-5 clamps [RE-wrenches]

[Jeff Clearwater]

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Hi Marco,

The S-5solutions.com website has load calcs for uplift for many 
common standing seam roofs and clamp types.

However the bottom line with using S5! clamps is not the clamp itself 
(which can hold over 1000 lbs) but the strength of the fasteners 
holding the standing seam roofing panels to the roof frame itself. 
The clamps will pull the roof off before they give.  But don't 
underestimate the possiblity of pulling the roof off.

On a recent 30 KW job we hired an engineer familiar with standing 
seam metal roofs and steel buildings.  If you keep to flat arrays 
without excessive space between the array and the roof, it turns out 
that wind uplift is not that much greater than the roof itself. 
Uplift comes from quick pressure changes between the inside and 
outside of a building due to wind going over the entire building more 
than it comes from wind getting "under" the array and blowing it up.

The bottom line we found was to use as many S5! clamps as they are 
screw attachments from standing seam roof to purlins.  So in our case 
that was a S5! clamp every 4' in one dimension and 2' in the opposite 
direction.  UniRac's calculation page showed a permissable uplift for 
the SM rails at 48" for roof ridges and edges (within 10' of edges 
and ridges) and 72" for the "middle" of the array.  However, the 
roofing engineer said to be safe - just follow the screw attachment 
pattern.

Hope that helps!

Best,

Jeff Clearwater
Village Power Design


>For those of you who have used S-5 clamps to attach module mounting
>hardware, have you ever come across or had calculated the attachment value
>of this method in terms of what windspeed they can handle?  Our friends at
>the S-5 clamp website are none too forthcoming with this kind of important
>info.
>
>thanks,
>
>Marco Mangelsdorf, Ph.D., President
>Electrical Contractor License C-26351
>69 Railroad Avenue, A-7
>Hilo, Hawai'i 96720
>(808) 969-3281, 934-7462 facsimile
>www.provisiontechnologies.com
>
>
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-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jeff Clearwater
Village Power Design
Sustainable Energy & Water Solutions for Home & Village
http://www.villagepower.com
gosolar at villagepower.com
NABCEP (tm) Certified Solar PV Installer

530-470-9166
877-SOLARVillage
877-765-2784
65 Schoolhouse Rd
Amherst, MA 01002
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`~


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