Solar Power Urban - Mounting

Important issues for mounting of panels

• Direction
• Angle of mounting
• Shadowing effects of nearby buildings and trees
• Mechanical integrity
• Natural connective cooling
• Collection of dirt on panel surfaces and frames
• Compatibility of roofing, panel, screws and framing materials

Panel temperature has a large effect on efficiency. A 20 oC increase in panel temperature can reduce efficiency by as much as 40%. Natural convective air cooling around the panels is essential to ensure efficiency losses are minimised. Shown below is how not to mount solar panels.

The old mounting system shown above and below left, provided inadequate ventilation for cooling and also lacked mechanical integrity. The mounting system was replaced with the Unistrut framing on the right below with the panels being 10 cm off the roof surface.

Temperature data collected off the panels for the old mounting system is shown below together with weather data from the Murdoch University weather station some 15 km from the power station.