Solar panel arrays are well suited for placing on flat roofs of large buildings and the mounting of these panels can be performed a number of ways, roof penetrating and ballasted. Roof penetrating mounting systems are not desirable due to the high labor costs and voiding the manufacturer’s warranty. Ballasted mounting systems are held on the roof using weights, are simple to install and do not void the roof warranty.
Working very closely with our client, we captured the functional design elements from the proof of concept model and developed a number of designs that drastically reduce manufacturing and installation costs. Low cost and ease of installation were paramount, yet the most critical design requirement is that the solar array remain on the roof in winds up to 120mph.
For this endeavor, Exact Engineering provided the following services:
- CFD analysis for design optimization
- Design of unique solar panel mounting systems
- Design for manufacturability
- Optimization for ease of installation
- Materials and plating engineering and selection
- Prototype manufacturing and assembly
- Structural analysis
- Wind load analysis using ASCE 07 code
- Wind tunnel testing supervision
- Static load testing
- Production of manufacturing drawings
