[RE-wrenches] used panel mount questions

Ray Walters ray at solarray.com
Thu May 30 16:53:16 PDT 2013


I installed a Sunpower Power Guard system (10 Kw) that was frameless and 
glued to a concrete coated foam board mount.  I believe they 
discontinued this, but the foam board was UV rated due to the concrete, 
and interlocked at the edges.  The concrete acted as ballast, and then 
the edges were secured with paving stone ballast too.  The foam board 
only attached to the module with something like 6"x 6" foam blocks that 
held the modules about 2" above the rest of the concrete foam board.  
Those blocks were every foot to 16" as I recall.  I don't know what 
adhesive was used, but I've used silicone before on Tedlar backing with 
good long term results.

My advice would be to let your customer play with the mounting solution, 
etc.  I wouldn't take responsibility beyond the wiring, and I'm fairly 
liberal when it comes to interesting mounting systems.   Have you looked 
at some of the other frameless module mounting systems like the Lumos? 
http://www.lumossolar.com/solar-products/solar-racking/lsx-rail/

R.Ray Walters
CTO, Solarray, Inc
Nabcep Certified PV Installer,
Licensed Master Electrician
Solar Design Engineer
303 505-8760

On 5/30/2013 5:06 PM, toddcory at finestplanet.com wrote:
>
> good point dan... i wonder how frameless modules are intended to be 
> mounted?
>
> todd
>
> On Thursday, May 30, 2013 4:00pm, "Exeltech" <exeltech at yahoo.com> said:
>
> I agree with Allen, and would like to add a related comment.  Foam 
> boards are
> thermally insulative in nature.  If affixed to the PV with adhesive, 
> they would
> cause the PV module to run hotter than if the backsheet was fully exposed
> to the air.
>
> This results in reduced energy output under all conditions, and increased
> thermal stresses on the PV cells, internal buss, bonds, and other aspects
> of the PV.
>
>
> Dan
>
>
> --- On *Thu, 5/30/13, Allan Sindelar 
> /<allan at positiveenergysolar.com>/* wrote:
>
>
>     From: Allan Sindelar <allan at positiveenergysolar.com>
>     Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] used panel mount questions
>     To: "RE-wrenches" <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
>     Date: Thursday, May 30, 2013, 5:46 PM
>
>
>     Todd,
>     I don't have your answers, only the caution that "blue foam" to
>     many of us with a construction background means extruded
>     polystyrene or "blueboard", commonly used around foundations. It
>     deteriorates with exposure to sunlight, so could only be used in
>     an application such as this if protected from UV.
>     Allan
>
>     *Allan Sindelar*
>     Allan at positiveenergysolar.com
>     </mc/compose?to=Allan at positiveenergysolar.com>
>     NABCEP Certified Photovoltaic Installer
>     NABCEP Certified Technical Sales Professional
>     New Mexico EE98J Journeyman Electrician
>     Founder and Chief Technology Officer
>     *Positive Energy, Inc.*
>     3209 Richards Lane (note new address)
>     Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507
>     *505 424-1112*
>     www.positiveenergysolar.com <http://www.positiveenergysolar.com/>
>
>     *
>     *
>
>
>     On 5/30/2013 4:14 PM, Todd Cory wrote:
>
>         wrenches,
>
>         i have a customer who purchased 20 used astropower ap75
>         modules. they are frameless and appear to have been previously
>         mounted using four, 2" wide X 10" long strips of blue rigid
>         foam, glued to the back of each module with some kind of adhesive.
>
>         two questions:
>
>         this seems to be a reasonable mounting system id like to
>         repeat. would anyone familiar with this kind of mounting
>         technique be willing to comment/speculate on an adhesive that
>         would not degrade the tedlar backsheet? whatever was
>         previously used worked great.
>
>         what kind of flat/smooth mounting surface would folks suggest
>         the other side of the blue foam be attached to? the only thing
>         i can think of is plywood, but that would rot over time.
>
>         thanks,
>
>         todd
>
>
>
>
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