Noob question in my DIY Solar installation. What's the best solution to mount panels on a Harvey tile roof? Harvey tile offer a mounting bracket but at R100ea and needing to be spaced every meter it's seems quite pricey to mount 10 panels? Are there any other solutions? I don't want to drill the tiles risking a leaking roof later on. 

 

Another question is. What happens if hail destroys a panel in 5 years time? My understanding is that your panels need to match 100%. In 5years time you probably not going to find jinko 475w panels anywhere?? Hopefully I'm wrong here 

1 hour ago, cp69 said:

Another question is. What happens if hail destroys a panel in 5 years time? My understanding is that your panels need to match 100%. In 5years time you probably not going to find jinko 475w panels anywhere?? Hopefully I'm wrong here 

My panels have been up for 4 years now, and have survived tree shredding hail storms. Quality panels are designed to take some punishment from the elements. 

1 hour ago, cp69 said:

Noob question in my DIY Solar installation. What's the best solution to mount panels on a Harvey tile roof? Harvey tile offer a mounting bracket but at R100ea and needing to be spaced every meter it's seems quite pricey to mount 10 panels? Are there any other solutions? I don't want to drill the tiles risking a leaking roof later on. 

 

Another question is. What happens if hail destroys a panel in 5 years time? My understanding is that your panels need to match 100%. In 5years time you probably not going to find jinko 475w panels anywhere?? Hopefully I'm wrong here 

You just need panels that have about the same current when mounting in series.  Even my over 4 yrs old 270W panels I can still buy them even if the fashion is now for 455-620W panels. They just cost a bit more per watt. 

What might be a problem could be to get them in the same size. Some makes do vary a few mm for the same output. 

6 hours ago, cp69 said:

Noob question in my DIY Solar installation. What's the best solution to mount panels on a Harvey tile roof? Harvey tile offer a mounting bracket but at R100ea and needing to be spaced every meter it's seems quite pricey to mount 10 panels? Are there any other solutions? I don't want to drill the tiles risking a leaking roof later on. 

 

Another question is. What happens if hail destroys a panel in 5 years time? My understanding is that your panels need to match 100%. In 5years time you probably not going to find jinko 475w panels anywhere?? Hopefully I'm wrong here 

 

I also have Harvey tiles and went with the brackets they recommend. I spend some time on the roof and figured that is the best option. 

I would rather spend some more to ensure the panels stays up. It is a lot of money if your panels fall off. 

1 hour ago, McGuywer said:

I also have Harvey tiles and went with the brackets they recommend. I spend some time on the roof and figured that is the best option. 

How many did you use? I see they recommend one every meter but I think one every 1.5m should be ok surely?

 

11 hours ago, cp69 said:

How many did you use? I see they recommend one every meter but I think one every 1.5m should be ok surely?

 

I have not installed the panels. I just had a look at how one would install the panels.

I ordered 16 from Takealot and will hopefully install soon. I have not much North facing roof space, so I will see how many panels I can get up. 

According to OpenSolar, I should be able to get 9/10 panels up but looking at the panels and available space, I doubt that.

@cp69 If it is a cost thing, I doubt it will be as expensive as the solar mounting was for my roof (Flat concrete).

I paid around R13k to mount 10 panels on my flat concrete roof and I feel R13k is on the cheaper side for this type of mounting system.

 

Spend the money and do it properly the first time I feel.

On 2023/08/31 at 9:47 AM, McGuywer said:

I have not installed the panels. I just had a look at how one would install the panels.

I ordered 16 from Takealot and will hopefully install soon. I have not much North facing roof space, so I will see how many panels I can get up. 

According to OpenSolar, I should be able to get 9/10 panels up but looking at the panels and available space, I doubt that.

Got my Harvey tile brackets today. I see in the brochure they use a L bracket to attached the rail to the Harvey tile bracket. Can't you just use the regular p2000 rail and bolt it straight onto the Harvey tile bracket?

7 minutes ago, cp69 said:

Got my Harvey tile brackets today. I see in the brochure they use a L bracket to attached the rail to the Harvey tile bracket. Can't you just use the regular p2000 rail and bolt it straight onto the Harvey tile bracket?

From what I see in the pictures the L bracket allows for adjustment of the rails height and levelling. If you mount rails directly on the brackets, that won’t be possible unless you use some sort of shims. 

2 hours ago, PowerUser said:

From what I see in the pictures the L bracket allows for adjustment of the rails height and levelling. If you mount rails directly on the brackets, that won’t be possible unless you use some sort of shims. 

But if I use the L bracket then I can't use the p2000 rail? Or am I missing something here 

4 minutes ago, cp69 said:

But if I use the L bracket then I can't use the p2000 rail? Or am I missing something here 

Yes, that’s right. 

Use a rail with L brackets. You can level it better and get better airflow under the panels to help cool them. 

42 minutes ago, Chris_S said:

Use a rail with L brackets. You can level it better and get better airflow under the panels to help cool them. 

Great will do. I will rather do it once and right. Scrapping the p2000 rail idea and will get the L brackets with the 2 channel rail

On 2023/09/06 at 11:02 AM, cp69 said:

Great will do. I will rather do it once and right. Scrapping the p2000 rail idea and will get the L brackets with the 2 channel rail

Please let me know what you end up doing and the parts list?

I want to do similar.