Our integrated solar roof system has a metal backing sheet, which is not only fire resistant but also doesn’t melt in high temperatures, unlike similar plastic counterparts available on the market. We use an aluminium base flashing around the entire system, making sure that it’s completely weatherproof and UV resistant, so that it doesn’t crumble with exposure to the sunlight.
The metal backing sheets are fixed into the building’s substructure to provide a secure connection against opposing wind forces. To do this, we ensure each sheet is fixed with 12 screws. Each screw is capable of achieving 5.5kN until it pulls out from a depth of 30mm timber, as a minimum. This means for a single sheet, the system can achieve 66kN minimum until the screws pull out, this equates to 27.5kN/m², which easily keeps the system securely fastened even in high winds.
We use aluminium base flashing for the sides and bottom of the array of the solar panels, which helps to allow the rainwater to run down the roof and into the guttering system. We also use a strip UV resistant EPDM tape along the top of the array to completely weatherproof it.
We use a thick trapezoidal at 0.7mm so that we can use smaller pieces of our Mounting Rail Direct profile and fix into 2 of the crowns. We can achieve a minimum of 1.7kN before each screw pulls out of the steel at this thickness and each piece of rail is fixed with 4 screws. This equates to a minimum of 6.8kN per rail before the screws pull out, which easily keeps the system securely fastened even in high winds.
So we’ve pre-assembled the pieces of rail with the UV resistant EPDM layer, which separates the steel from the aluminium rail and avoids the chemical reaction between them from occurring. It also provides a secondary weatherproof seal around the fixings and works with the EPDM washer already on the screws.
We’re fully in support of the MCS 012 certification requirement on pitched roof mounting systems, which came into force in 2014 and since then we’ve followed every significant step to comply and give substance to the scheme.
Sunfixings Clamp XL fully assembled, Silver Mill Finish and Black Anodised are suitable for 32mm, 35mm, 40mm PV Module Thickness. For PV Module thickness beyond this range, Sunfixings offer alternative and complete Middle and End Clamp Mounting Solutions.