How to Engineer a PV System, Part 1

Quickmount classic shingle mount

If you wouldn't mind, come along here with me for a few minutes, let's get the heck away from this concoction of competition, plagiarism and stultiloquy that haunts our transactions like the ghost of some dead profit. Instead, let's talk about what it takes to build something real, rather than talk talk talk about how wonderful it will all be someday in the future if we just follow this easy plan. 


Just like your first ride on a bike wasn't your best one, the first bridge ever built was a piece of junk by today's standards. I mean, would you drive across it? Same with solar, from the modules to the electronics to the mounting hardware. 


Before Quickmount innovated a high-quality aluminum sheet flashed mount, it was pretty common to see crappy roof attachments like this:

Okay, so maybe it won't leak if it's all done right, but any roofer will agree, you're way safer installing a flashing with this. 

Quickmount was one of the first to make a nice, solar-specific integrated mount and flashing, and they still make them. By using a flashing like this, whatever type of roof you have, your chances of roof leaks goes down substantially. Ironridge makes a good one, too.

Of course, now everyone and their uncle has jumped in on the PV mount business, some with better results than others, and I think that's just fine. I mean, we Americans love the play of a healthy competition, don't we? We would never allow a couple-few businesses to monopolize an entire industry, right? That would stifle the drive for creativity and lower the bar of innovation, leaving us on a downward spiral of mediocrity. Not in America, not in my country, no way. We live by our own decisions, with pride in our work.

The important thing is to use the right thing in YOUR situation, which takes an understanding of the system as  a whole. This is just an example of a single component of a PV system.

An Ironridge mounting systems

What makes a good roof-mount footing?

Well, for one thing, it should obviously never leak, so quality of materials, construction, and installation all play in.

What else? How about being easy to install correctly? Is the price reasonable? What about how it looks?

Wait, there's more...do they work with your rafters, sheathing, flat roofs, shingle, tile, etc? Are they approved for use with the rails and panels you want to use? And speaking of rails, how far apart will you be able to space the mounts? If you're installing a ground-mount, like with a carport, how does spacing affect the diameter of the post holes?

Yes, it's complex, and in engineering, you're always just choosing the best option. In real life, there is no perfect choice. Anyone who tells you differently is living in a fantastical world of black and white and is a liar. Stay away from them, they're ghosts just waiting to haunt your future.

What's crazier is that I've been engineering these systems for various contractors for years now, and almost every job I do has some different part, whether it's panels, rails, attachments, footings, wiring, inverters, or whatever. 

It's a changing industry. From my perspective, it is getting better, but to make sure your system gets built right, you'll get better odds by working with a company that strives for quality.