Types of Solar Panel Mounts
There are many types of solar mounts, but the three primary options for commercial solar arrays include rooftop, ground mount, and parking canopy locations.
Roof Mounted
“With solar on my roof, I started generating more than just energy—it was savings too. You may not be able to see it, but every month when we get our utility bill it reminds us that it’s there.”
Empty rooftop space is a great location to place solar panels and is often abundant in large commercial buildings and distribution centers. When evaluating for rooftop solar, it’s important to consider the age of the existing roof, geographical latitude, weather conditions, roof slope, and shading from adjacent buildings or vegetation. Melink Solar uses a ballasted roof mount racking system, meaning that we typically do not make roof penetrations.
For commercial solar PV systems, there are generally three types of roof mounting options and the solution is dependent on the type of roof. In all cases, considerations must be made for the roof’s age, structural integrity, access to equipment, and necessary setbacks for fire and life safety requirements.
Flat Roof
Standing Seam
Shingle Roof
Ground Mounted
“The solar power plant next to our building powers our operations and improves our bottom line! It stands out to our visitors, and on our books.”
A ground-mounted PV system is a solar array that is located on the ground with posts driven into the soil. This system is easy to place because they can be in open land. They require more racking than a roof-mounted system; however, they typically produce more energy because they can be installed with a more optical tilt angle. To capture the maximum amount of sunlight, ground-mounted solar systems use a metal frame connected to the earth to hold the panels at a fixed angle. Other ground-mounted systems may use pole mounts that can automatically tilt the solar panels to capture the optimal amount of sunshine, daily and seasonally. Types of ground mount systems include:
Fixed Tilt
Single Axis Tracker
Dual Axis Tracker
Solar Canopies
“Our solar canopy is the first and last thing people see when visiting us. It’s sends the right message to our customers and community about who we are, and what we stand for.”
A solar PV canopy is an elevated structure that hoists solar panels in overhead locations such as parking lots or other paved areas. Cars can park beneath, taking advantage of the shaded area. Many solar canopies incorporate charging stations so that drivers of electric vehicles can recharge with solar power while parked. Because of their visibility and user-friendly parking experiences, solar canopies often bring education and awareness of solar energy to the public. In practice, solar canopies are similar to ground-mounted solar panels — each provides an alternative to rooftop solar, whether because a roof can’t host solar panels or because a property’s electricity needs are too large for a rooftop solar system.
Truss canopies
Inverted Canopies
