**i copied this design at my own risk** See my original set up and thoughts about roof mount solar ua-cam.com/video/EswUmRTrf3I/v-deo.htmlsi=uWV_AjTXJMIwSGYh
' it is incredible what the wind can lift up.' Yes, no way in hell it would be OK here in hurricane territory. Max winds here have been 120 mph range, likely a gust or few into the 140 range. Even if you don't want 'screws through the roof all over and leaking everywhere', it would be easy to do similar to this but then bolt it through in 8 or 10 places, so it was far more secure. You don't want 100 screw holes, but 10 or 12 is easily manageable, and could be done to have far more holding power.
Outstanding alternative to the traditional leak-maker method. I would probably run the length of the slope and create a reverse hook against the eave and fascia if I were installing it here in Hurricane Central. Thanks for sharing.
Thats a neat idea but it would make me nervous every time we have a hurricane threat. Gravity is the only thing holding it down? Unistrut makes a 45d bracket if welding is not an option and brackets can be modified to match the pitch if needed. Thank you for sharing.
I saw something similar on youtube from a company up in Minnesota area, and my only concern would be that here in central FL we do occasionally get hit with a hurricane or a near miss with high winds, and even though I made a pully system to get my panels up and down from the roof it's a hard long process to remove and put them back up especially my 60lb 72 cell panels. Great system if you do not want to drill in to your roof like I don't seeing as I just put a new metal roof on. I've found the only way to do solar financially viable is to do it yourself, solar installers charge so much it's not even worth it, general rule of thumb: if it will pay for itself in 10 years or less it's worth it :)
@@cyberles8830 yes you can, the one I used for my metal garage roof is called the ProteaBracket made by S-5. I used it in conjunction with Iron Ridge solar mounting system. That said, on my new house with my brand new metal roof I still do not want to put any holes in it lol
Nice ambitious innovation in action! The idea has potential. On the one end, you could extend the Unistrut to the edge of roof and mount it to the fascia boards if they're strong enough. Or extend and penetrate through to the bottom of the soffit and find a roof joist there to mount to. Either is still good because neither penetrates into the attic and you get some holding power. On the other end, you could extend the Unistrut to attach to the wall, still no roof attic penetration.
I have seen decks built on top of flat roofs and they use 2" foam board strips between the roof and decking board to protect the roof and prevent having to use wood on a wet surface. They use the foam board exactly like like the 2x4s are used here. A skirt could be placed around the structure to reduce the amount of wind that could get under the solar panels, but this would potentially increase the temperature of the solar panels and reduce efficiency. I would still be concerned about not having any attachments to the structure. There are some good roof attachments that prevent leakage and I would at least install a few attachments. But if one were absolutely opposed to putting holes in the roof, perhaps straps could be added to the ends and tied somewhere under the soffits or perhaps replacing the gutter nails with heavier duty screws and attaching to those.
Good work!. To add a bit more wind protection (if you didn’t) tie downs at the bottom and end would help. As far as spacing above the roof, I installed my 72 panel array 8 inches above a new metal roof, It keeps the space below and the panels so much cooler and that makes them produce more power.
Amazing - I was thinking about this possible approach, since I dislike to make holes in the roof that may cause water to drop through. Thank you for example on giving options!
@@sweetpigfarm3645 YEAH! 100% agree. I am planning to build solar panel systems, and where I live, UNFORTUNATELY the feeling of companies who build systems is "we have the right solution for you" which is to add 8-20 solar panels in a row on a roof and drive away to the next project as fast as possible. When I´ve asked of (showed my plans) for a more efficient system, based upon the reality (not having a huge roof for 20 solar panels), they don´t even contact me anymore... next FAST MADE STANDARD system somewhere else to go to. They basically don´t sell, produce or import solar panels adjustment sets to get a better angle depending on where you live, or what time you need the electricity. The ONLY way to make something is to make it yourself, therefore I was very happy to see your approach, as I had been wondering if a system where you don´t put holes in the roof was possible. Thank you!
welding galvanized is easy, just do it outside and don't breathe it in while welding. Anyway unitstruts are saviors, lots of people use them for solar. You can use big bolts in there too so you don't have to rely on the welds
Dude. Love it! I use unistrut for hvac, and have a papr welding helmet and a ton of welding gear. I even have Kiswel galvinized wire they either used to sell or stoppes selling not sure. I'll have my daughters probably weld something like this up.
I'd be worried your solar panels will go flying in a high wind. There may also be code problems with having mountings too close to the crown of the roof. The temptation to do zero penetration mostly comes from a misunderstanding of how roofs work. You aren't trying to seal it up like a bath tub so it will hold water 2' deep. If you stack up that much water on a regular roof, you'd have water pouring into the house. It doesn't work that way, and never did, unless you have a flat roof. It's all just layers angled down hill in such a way that if water penetrates the outermost shingle, the one below it will bring it back up to the surface again as the water flows down hill over the underlying shingle, not unlike thatch. As such, it should be perfectly fine to have mounts drilling through the shingles in areas covered by other shingles. This is how the shingles themselves are traditionally attached after all, with nails along the top of each shingle, and the next shingle layered above it. The mounts just need to layer in with the shingles following the same pattern as the shingles themselves. It might be easier to do when the shingles are being put down because then the uphill shingles won't be in the way, but our solar installer had no problem working with the roof as is. There are aftermarket products designed to do this very thing. I've also patched holes in our roof from an incorrectly installed rain diverter by just layering some thin aluminum plates over the hole with some roofing cement, and it worked fine. Not an expert, but I think you are asking for trouble with your design.
@@ianollmann9393 we not my design.... solarpod.com z rack . Again the roofers forced me into this design as no one would do it and I don't like ripping multi lag size holes in my 2x4 trusses. Remember I already had one structure lagged in before. I don't want to keep wearing the structure. I am not worried thanks.
I guess I wasn't clear in the video but for the past 10yrs my system was lagged into the roof. But hail damage to the roof I got a new one and no roofer / insurance would let me lag into the new roof. This system was a reinstall not new.
what type of wind resistance does this have? Like can u have this in a tropical storm or hurricane prone area? I like the idea of no roof penetrations. I like Pergola roof mount... that's more my speed. No ladder or fall protection needed.
Thats (d)um(b). a good wind storm is going to lift the off & trash those solar panels. If you don't want any roof pentrations, than go with a ground mount. Better since you can clean them & inspect them easier.
@@guytech7310 well solar pod the company that sells z rack is certified and tested over 100mph winds. One of those columns of panels weighs over 350lbs
I’d be curious if you have noticed any side to side motion after windy days. I don’t think this would lift off unless one of the arms fails, but I could see it wearing away at the shingles as it vibrates in the wind. Great idea and it looks like solid implementation.
I like it. It would take a lot of wind to lift that weight. Are you running micro inverters on the roof panels? That shade will clip your production. And the pergola is so shaded it's almost worthless
@@fauxque5057 enphase micro inverters. Yes it's shaded in the morning bit afertnoon 100%. Yes if it lifted there would be other damage from that much wind
Depending on where you're at this won't fly if you had to get a permit from the city. There are clear and visible obstructions along the ridge of the roof which would be used as a patway for firefighters (I get it's unrealistic anyways). But stricter counties would not be happy about this setup.
@@SuperSushiRoll this is a good topic...codes are ever changing and are very restrictive on solar. It's almost killing the green movement that they want.
Why the treated 2x4 vs. laying "vertical" unistrut directly on the roof and horizontal unistrut for mounting the equator facing panels and tying together the verticals? That much more air circulation? You do have horizontal unistrut connecting the "vertical" unistrut on side away from the equator.
I am confused by your comments....but let me give it a go. My roof faces the south so it faces the sun. The wood spacing does not change the angel. It only spaces it and spreads the load, keeps the u strut from being scratched then rusting. My 1st mount was 2x4 without the strut and on the roof it looked l like this and worked fine for 10yrs.
I want to do the same, my question is under the 2x4 is there any sign of wear? Or did you use an adhesive? Love how the airflow is unrestricted up the roof.
@@russthompson4296 the original system had treated 2x4s with sealant and lag bolts. 10yrs of that no problem. I wanted to shield the u strut from scratching then rusting. Also the 2x4s spread the load. New system no wear, no adhesive, free float.
'Less holes' is good, but not doing 10 or 12 on each side to have it securely mounted is a bit overboard.. Yeah you don't want 50 or 500 holes, but a reasonable number can be easily dealt with.
**i copied this design at my own risk** See my original set up and thoughts about roof mount solar ua-cam.com/video/EswUmRTrf3I/v-deo.htmlsi=uWV_AjTXJMIwSGYh
Updated this has been up there a full year...to those who comment with out listening..
It made me think of Mobile Homes after any storm; it is incredible what the wind can lift up.
I've seen wind lift a jumbo jet airplane! lol
' it is incredible what the wind can lift up.' Yes, no way in hell it would be OK here in hurricane territory. Max winds here have been 120 mph range, likely a gust or few into the 140 range.
Even if you don't want 'screws through the roof all over and leaking everywhere', it would be easy to do similar to this but then bolt it through in 8 or 10 places, so it was far more secure. You don't want 100 screw holes, but 10 or 12 is easily manageable, and could be done to have far more holding power.
Outstanding alternative to the traditional leak-maker method. I would probably run the length of the slope and create a reverse hook against the eave and fascia if I were installing it here in Hurricane Central. Thanks for sharing.
@@SuperWhizy I understand that!
Thats a neat idea but it would make me nervous every time we have a hurricane threat. Gravity is the only thing holding it down? Unistrut makes a 45d bracket if welding is not an option and brackets can be modified to match the pitch if needed. Thank you for sharing.
Galv must be prepped. But I sincerely love your work. Great idea! Thank YOU for sharing it! Be safe and avoid the fumes.
Great idea, I hate the idea of drilling so many holes in my roof.
@@John83833 me too! And I drill a bunch in that old roof lol 😂
I saw something similar on youtube from a company up in Minnesota area, and my only concern would be that here in central FL we do occasionally get hit with a hurricane or a near miss with high winds, and even though I made a pully system to get my panels up and down from the roof it's a hard long process to remove and put them back up especially my 60lb 72 cell panels. Great system if you do not want to drill in to your roof like I don't seeing as I just put a new metal roof on. I've found the only way to do solar financially viable is to do it yourself, solar installers charge so much it's not even worth it, general rule of thumb: if it will pay for itself in 10 years or less it's worth it :)
I think I heard you can mount to the ridges in metal roofing without going through what's behind the metal; I don't know the method though.
@@cyberles8830 yes you can, the one I used for my metal garage roof is called the ProteaBracket made by S-5. I used it in conjunction with Iron Ridge solar mounting system. That said, on my new house with my brand new metal roof I still do not want to put any holes in it lol
Nice ambitious innovation in action! The idea has potential.
On the one end, you could extend the Unistrut to the edge of roof and mount it to the fascia boards if they're strong enough. Or extend and penetrate through to the bottom of the soffit and find a roof joist there to mount to. Either is still good because neither penetrates into the attic and you get some holding power.
On the other end, you could extend the Unistrut to attach to the wall, still no roof attic penetration.
I have seen decks built on top of flat roofs and they use 2" foam board strips between the roof and decking board to protect the roof and prevent having to use wood on a wet surface. They use the foam board exactly like like the 2x4s are used here. A skirt could be placed around the structure to reduce the amount of wind that could get under the solar panels, but this would potentially increase the temperature of the solar panels and reduce efficiency. I would still be concerned about not having any attachments to the structure. There are some good roof attachments that prevent leakage and I would at least install a few attachments. But if one were absolutely opposed to putting holes in the roof, perhaps straps could be added to the ends and tied somewhere under the soffits or perhaps replacing the gutter nails with heavier duty screws and attaching to those.
Thank you for sharing this. Nice job.
Good work!.
To add a bit more wind protection (if you didn’t) tie downs at the bottom and end would help.
As far as spacing above the roof, I installed my 72 panel array 8 inches above a new metal roof,
It keeps the space below and the panels so much cooler and that makes them produce more power.
@@kaf2303 I think air gap is good!
Nice job........ Screw anyone else whom has negative opinions..... Genuine ingenuity 😎👍👍
Thanks!!!!
Amazing - I was thinking about this possible approach, since I dislike to make holes in the roof that may cause water to drop through. Thank you for example on giving options!
@@PjotrII no one else was putting out example videos, not even the company that makes this...sad. I am glad that this inspiring people
@@sweetpigfarm3645 YEAH! 100% agree. I am planning to build solar panel systems, and where I live, UNFORTUNATELY the feeling of companies who build systems is "we have the right solution for you" which is to add 8-20 solar panels in a row on a roof and drive away to the next project as fast as possible.
When I´ve asked of (showed my plans) for a more efficient system, based upon the reality (not having a huge roof for 20 solar panels), they don´t even contact me anymore... next FAST MADE STANDARD system somewhere else to go to.
They basically don´t sell, produce or import solar panels adjustment sets to get a better angle depending on where you live, or what time you need the electricity.
The ONLY way to make something is to make it yourself, therefore I was very happy to see your approach, as I had been wondering if a system where you don´t put holes in the roof was possible.
Thank you!
@@PjotrII yes! Yea 10yrs ago when I got bids it was a joke... dyi solar is almost the only way also it was the only way ROI was worth it
welding galvanized is easy, just do it outside and don't breathe it in while welding. Anyway unitstruts are saviors, lots of people use them for solar. You can use big bolts in there too so you don't have to rely on the welds
Yes my second option was to do a cross at the top and bolt
Dude. Love it! I use unistrut for hvac, and have a papr welding helmet and a ton of welding gear.
I even have Kiswel galvinized wire they either used to sell or stoppes selling not sure.
I'll have my daughters probably weld something like this up.
@@halledwardb even better using what you already have!
great work.
@@TommyPatch thanks
I'd be worried your solar panels will go flying in a high wind. There may also be code problems with having mountings too close to the crown of the roof.
The temptation to do zero penetration mostly comes from a misunderstanding of how roofs work. You aren't trying to seal it up like a bath tub so it will hold water 2' deep. If you stack up that much water on a regular roof, you'd have water pouring into the house. It doesn't work that way, and never did, unless you have a flat roof. It's all just layers angled down hill in such a way that if water penetrates the outermost shingle, the one below it will bring it back up to the surface again as the water flows down hill over the underlying shingle, not unlike thatch. As such, it should be perfectly fine to have mounts drilling through the shingles in areas covered by other shingles. This is how the shingles themselves are traditionally attached after all, with nails along the top of each shingle, and the next shingle layered above it. The mounts just need to layer in with the shingles following the same pattern as the shingles themselves. It might be easier to do when the shingles are being put down because then the uphill shingles won't be in the way, but our solar installer had no problem working with the roof as is. There are aftermarket products designed to do this very thing. I've also patched holes in our roof from an incorrectly installed rain diverter by just layering some thin aluminum plates over the hole with some roofing cement, and it worked fine. Not an expert, but I think you are asking for trouble with your design.
@@ianollmann9393 we not my design.... solarpod.com z rack . Again the roofers forced me into this design as no one would do it and I don't like ripping multi lag size holes in my 2x4 trusses. Remember I already had one structure lagged in before. I don't want to keep wearing the structure. I am not worried thanks.
@sweetpigfarm3645 you already had the 2x4s lagged in?
I guess I wasn't clear in the video but for the past 10yrs my system was lagged into the roof. But hail damage to the roof I got a new one and no roofer / insurance would let me lag into the new roof. This system was a reinstall not new.
what type of wind resistance does this have? Like can u have this in a tropical storm or hurricane prone area? I like the idea of no roof penetrations. I like Pergola roof mount... that's more my speed. No ladder or fall protection needed.
I love the pergola. Would work great for a carport. Now the official wind test the z rack company says over 100mph test...now don't quote me.
Pergola is great if repairs are needed ladder right underneath no pan el removal
Thats (d)um(b). a good wind storm is going to lift the off & trash those solar panels. If you don't want any roof pentrations, than go with a ground mount. Better since you can clean them & inspect them easier.
@@guytech7310 well solar pod the company that sells z rack is certified and tested over 100mph winds. One of those columns of panels weighs over 350lbs
What could possably go wrong?
Sky's the limit in the comment section :)
Works until a wind storm comes through
the is a DYI version of SolarPod's Z-rack, check out the wind ratings, there is no need to put holes in your roof.
@@russthompson4296 you know! Thanks I forgot it was called z-rack
I’d be curious if you have noticed any side to side motion after windy days. I don’t think this would lift off unless one of the arms fails, but I could see it wearing away at the shingles as it vibrates in the wind. Great idea and it looks like solid implementation.
Very very nice.
Thank you!
Very nice i like design idea. Your gonna need to slip a few hundred to inspector to pass code. Lol
😂
I like it. It would take a lot of wind to lift that weight.
Are you running micro inverters on the roof panels? That shade will clip your production.
And the pergola is so shaded it's almost worthless
@@fauxque5057 enphase micro inverters. Yes it's shaded in the morning bit afertnoon 100%. Yes if it lifted there would be other damage from that much wind
Depending on where you're at this won't fly if you had to get a permit from the city. There are clear and visible obstructions along the ridge of the roof which would be used as a patway for firefighters (I get it's unrealistic anyways). But stricter counties would not be happy about this setup.
@@SuperSushiRoll this is a good topic...codes are ever changing and are very restrictive on solar. It's almost killing the green movement that they want.
Why the treated 2x4 vs. laying "vertical" unistrut directly on the roof and horizontal unistrut for mounting the equator facing panels and tying together the verticals? That much more air circulation? You do have horizontal unistrut connecting the "vertical" unistrut on side away from the equator.
I am confused by your comments....but let me give it a go. My roof faces the south so it faces the sun. The wood spacing does not change the angel. It only spaces it and spreads the load, keeps the u strut from being scratched then rusting. My 1st mount was 2x4 without the strut and on the roof it looked l like this and worked fine for 10yrs.
@@sweetpigfarm3645 You made a number of choices different than commercial self-ballasted approaches. I was curious, thanks for the video.
@sweetpigfarm3645 your 1st design was the same as this without the struts? Why did you change to this system?
@@Gary-ee3kq my 1st design was lagged bolted to the roof. I didn't want that again
@sweetpigfarm3645 I just saw your orginal video. Why did you use wood under the panels the 1st time? Cheaper than buying flashing?
This might void the roof job & shingles warranty?
@@richardsanchez9657 They approved this over jilling holes in it
Hey......why mount them on roof......make a car port.....shade for deck......secondary out buildings.......cheers
@@mattharvey8712 the pergula shades the deck we love it and makes power
Sooooo.. can it withstand Category 1 storm?
@@notsecure visit solarpod their website list the test. It's something over 100mph winds
Wind will take it won't take much wind to lift it right off. Good luck. Did you get a permit to do that?
@@rocsocom3166 the company selling this tested over 100mph winds
That won't work in high wind load areas in the U.S. (Tornado Alley, etc)
70mph sheer wind loads can snap telephone poles in half.
I like the idea tho.
@@elmerkilred159 the company tested these over 100mph
I want to do the same, my question is under the 2x4 is there any sign of wear? Or did you use an adhesive? Love how the airflow is unrestricted up the roof.
@@russthompson4296 the original system had treated 2x4s with sealant and lag bolts. 10yrs of that no problem. I wanted to shield the u strut from scratching then rusting. Also the 2x4s spread the load. New system no wear, no adhesive, free float.
I just have mine on 2x2s screwed together at the peak, haha. cost about $40
Let's see it. Post a video.
Excellent
Thanks
'Less holes' is good, but not doing 10 or 12 on each side to have it securely mounted is a bit overboard.. Yeah you don't want 50 or 500 holes, but a reasonable number can be easily dealt with.
Wouldn't pass an inspection.
@@kevinsmith4585 so how does this compay sell this product then?
@sweetpigfarm3645 not a company, just a dude.
@@kevinsmith4585 mysolarpod.com solar pod z-rack
@@kevinsmith4585 if that company is just a dude how did they get all their projects approved? And tested and sell engineered plans?
If you have room on ur property it’s best to build a separate rack for the panels and stay off of ur roof
@@Coyote-tc1ww yes but I want to keep the trees. Great shade keeps the property cool
@@sweetpigfarm3645Life’s full of choices, I myself would never put that on my roof, but to each their own.