Solar Trackers & Solar Panel Mounts

You have picked out your solar panels for your home, business, RV or boat, and now it's time to consider how you will display these valuable modules. Mounting solar panels correctly is part of maximizing production, and it is also an import way to protect your investment. The proper mounting provides stability and the proper directional and latitudinal orientation for the solar array. There are almost an infinite number of mounts to choose from. (Well, maybe not that many - but there are a lot and they are all fairly similar!) First decide if you plan to mount the modules on the roof, the ground, or on a pole in the yard.

The most common and most cost effective installation is a roof mount. Mounting solar panels on the roof does require penetrating the roof, so be sure to have a licensed professional seal around the mounting feet to be sure that the warranty on your roof will still be honored. If shading on the roof is an issue or if there is not enough space for the array, the panels can be mounted on the ground. Using concrete footings the panels can be mounted at ground level or on a pole. Active Trackers and Passive Trackers require pole mounting. Although solar trackers are expensive, (several thousands of dollars) they can produce more power in a day than a fixed array as they "track" the sun's path. Solar trackers are often used in water pumping applications to maximize daily production. They are generally custom built and take at least three months to produce. One drawback to trackers is that they are subject to failure, as is any mechanical device, and could possibly get stuck in one position until fixed. Trackers are best suited for a handy individual. Each manufacturer provides a sizing sheet according to the number of modules you have and the configuration. These sizing sheets are often found in the Product Documentation tab of each product's specification page.

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