Using solar panels as a roof, 8kw solar array (follow up) utilizing the sun to be off grid
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- Опубліковано 13 тра 2023
- A bit more detail on how I built my solar array as a roof.
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That is a beautiful shed.
It has certainly been great for the last 2 years.
You have the best array idea I've ever seen. Multi-purpose
We are building a patio using some of your building methods. Hope to be finished in the next couple of weeks. Thanks again for posting. Very helpful.
That’s exciting! Send me some photos when you’re done. I’d love to see them.
@@GavinStoneDIY I know right
I did same on front/back porches for my power shed. Works great.
Awesome! How many watts of solar do you have hooked up to your solark?
Thanks Gavin, you did a great job. Very creative build.
Really appreciate that. Thank you
Very nice, thanks for the tour.
Awesome job! Makes me think about what I wana do when I put up a new barn out back.
That would make a cool video.
Beauty of this. The panels stay cool on the back side. Which heat is your worst enemy...
It will help efficiency of the panel, making more electricity
Maybe even aircon the shed ?? Keep the panels even cooler..
That's a great idea, good job!
IKR
Thanks for putting this one out! Looks awesome :)
Thanks man. It has been a great shed/array so far.
My neighbor and I built a "solar shed" much like this, but used 2"X4"s for the perlins. Good job!
Thanks. Yeah that would be harder to do. It was much easier to screw from underneath this way.
Did you calk between the panels? Thinking of ways to make this watertight
@@josephkron4484yes, he did. Watch video.
Yeah, how did you make it water tight?
@Tumbleweed5150 Can you post a video of ur solar shed?
Looks great Gavin. Long lasting roof material.
But, can you walk on that roof if you have to do any future work etc.
Brilliant!
Gavin Stone used Stone, haha. I had to say it when I thought of it. Hey, great build, I think. I love all your videos. Thanks a million
There definitely is a irony there. 😆 I do enjoy laying stone. So I suppose it was destiny. Thanks for watching.
@@GavinStoneDIY 🙂
Great info!
I still really like this idea for making storage, carports, or sunshade. I've thought about using a solar panel as an awning over doors or windows as well, although I think it might be tough to make it look nice if that's a concern.
That’s true. I guess it depends on how you install it and the where it’s going to be.
look nice ? very important. ? it is cheap and handy. you dont need to buy roofing material.
and you get maximum panels on a roof this way.
Very nice Gavin!!
I am Derek btw from the event.
Thank you! It was a fun project for sure.
got my answer...thx!
very good idea for roof. The only problem is panels are glued with no margin for dilatation, in summer panels rise temperature to 60 degree and expands.
I did read about that before installing them this way. But I haven’t had an issues yet.
I am doing a carport right now with panels as the roof. I am going to give butyl tape a try for waterproofing the seams.
Yeah I considered that. I think it might make the gap sort of large. Maybe not though. Keep me posted. I’d like to see that when it’s done.
Also looking for ideas here so please keep us posted
This is a genius idea, i need to reroof the garage and this would work brilliantly. Do you think aluminium glazing bars would be a good alternative as they'd have the integral rubber waterproof seal and capping section to hold the panels in place?
They sell some cool looking rubber channel for this purpose actually. I’ve just been too busy to make a video on it.
I have been thinking about making a trailer/RV home using only solar panels - screw panels together with sealer/ adhesive-
Lots of old panels out there
Yeah you can get used panels for cheap.
Bravo......on roof.......should leave sky lights in roof ......for access for washing panels........cheers
That’s an interesting idea. I may incorporate that into a future build.
good video, do you have snow there in the winter and how do the panels hold up in the winter?
They do great in the winter. We usually get a decent amount of snow. 10” is the most we would see at a time typically.
Great build, do u know if the lexel caulking can withstand UV radiation over time?
It’s meant to yes. It doesn’t yellow over time like typical silicone.
have you considered using some type of a foil insulation on the inside of your roof to see if you get more power from your bifacial panels?
I think the foil would create too much heat. Possibly some white house wrap would help. I’ve considered that.
How’s this roof holding up? I’m looking at building a covered patio and thinking bifacial panels would be an excellent way to cover it and allow some light through on nice days.
It’s still holding up great! I would look into the rubber liners some suppliers are carrying now for between solar panels. In the next few months I’m going show people a video on that.
They actually have hardware for car ports, patio covers that act like a gutter so you don't have leaks. They look really great, we do off grid, on grid and generacs and battery storage. GOT SOLAR
Yeah I’ve been wanting to get some of that material to review and tell people about. I just haven’t had time. It looks like it would work great.
If one gets damaged, burned out but still impermeable, and you can't source a replacement of the exact same size, you will be forced to bypass it electrically and hope your inverter still has enough voltage from one less in the string.
Yes. Although the voltage wouldn’t be an issue really the way I have things wired. Also, panels have gotten so cheap now. If multiple panels fail within the next 10 years, I’ll probably just replace the whole roof.
how has caulking the panels worked out? has expansion been an issue, any leaks. im going to do the same thing but with Iron Ridge racking and camo clamps
I have 2 minor leaks that started shortly after install. I just never bothered repairing them. I would try the new rubber channels some companies sell for this purpose now. That might be a good option.
interesting project, thanks for sharing 🙏
On this subject, I am going to add more solar on the roof of my new studio building in addition to my ground mount 15 modules and 5 on the solar shed.
I want to use the panels (modules) directly on my rafters so that they fit flush with the rest of the roof cover and also so that I can inspect cables from the inside if and when.
I want to alternate between OSB with shingle and PV modules so that they will look just like big windows blending better with the rest of the roof.
My main concern is about coking and thermal expansion and contraction during different seasons. Have you noticed any problems in this respect on your building perhaps?
I haven’t had any issues with expansion or contraction. But my advice would be to locate the rubber gasket they sell for this purpose now. I need to get my hands on some to show people.
@@GavinStoneDIY 🙏Thanks, I was not aware that there was a purpose rubber trim for them, I will search for it 😉
i have been thinking about doing something like this. how long have you had yours up? any problems with expansion / contraction dues to heat and cold? i live in n. idaho and we get 100+F to -20F in one year so that was what worried me. also with the peak overhang... i would be concerned with winds around here the way you supported the hanging panel with steel. a good wind storm here would rip all those peak panels right of the shed.
I’m in Virginia. So we get some fairly good temp swings. But nothing like you have. I haven’t had any issue with expansion. It’s been up for right around a year now. Every region I’m sure is a bit different. I would just use a little less overhang if that was a concern. And you could easily tie in an L bracket with screws into the steel to hold the edges of the overhanging panel.
@@GavinStoneDIY i should probably give a 1/8" space between them for expansion. that caulk that you used... does it stay flexible? if so it would flex with the frames. i would also flare out the bottom of the frames and use clamps to allow for some movement due to temp. changes. this was a great vid though and i appreciate your answers as well. you have given me much to think about 🙂
@@AlsanPine I'm pretty sure that the Lexel stays flexible. I believe the product literature states that. It's basically a rubber compound.
Any idea if you could walk on these if you needed to get up there? If not any ideas on placing glass or plexiglass over an array? Would it filter too much energy? Cause hot spots and failures?
The plexiglass would probably create too much heat. And eventually I think that clouds over. You could probably walk on the joints. But with the pitch I have on them it would be really difficult.
@@GavinStoneDIYI’m designing a sunroom off the house and want to have the roof of it be a deck with railings around it and solar panels for the flooring. I wouldn’t use it all the time but it would be nice to be able to setup a table and chairs and use it occasionally. But that doesn’t work if I can only walk on the joints. Any ideas for me?
Sashco (brand that makes lexel) sells a product in a tube that is actually for the extreme conditions a roof experiences. Lexel won’t hold up very long or as long as their product that actually designed for a roof.
Good to know. Thanks
HOWdy G-S-DIY-H, ...
Thanks
COOP
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👍
How waterproof is it? What did you do to get it waterproof? Just the caulk or something else?
It’s had 2 places that drip since shortly after I installed it. I’ve just never worked on repairing those places. All I did was use the Lexell caulking material.
Looks good! But let me ask, if you were building a custom shed, then why didnt you size it to fit your array.
I did actually. I wanted the large overhangs to get the water away from the building.
How much did you save vs a standard metal roof with panels on top of that?
Good job! I'm assuming no leaks so far?
2 leaks. But they are easily fixed from underneath. I still think some type of rubber would work good.
Props for the concept, but man, I'm pretty sure any professional in the waterproofing business will tell you the caulk is never intended or designed to be used as a waterPROOFing method. I dont know much about the characteristics of Lexcel, but im fairly certain that even the best cauling will fail at some point. A roof is normally designed for a 20-30 yr life expectancy (this is also about the expected life of solar panels) and caulking will simply not hold up, especially as your wood framing members dry out and move with the seasons. I would suggest anyone trying solar-as-sheathing&shingles try to to develop a proper metal flashing detail/system so that gravity can do its thing. You can always caulk after, as a way to reduce wicking, etc. But I dont believe it is wise to rely on caulk as the primary means of preventing water penetration.
All that being said.....if its just a shed or a car port, have at it!
I’ve actually got something I’m working on. A product that would work perfect for in between the panels. Hopefully I can make a video on it at some point.
I was worried about the expansion in the heat. No place for the panel to move and putting stress on them. Just built a 10 x 60 solar mount. I left a gap just for that.
I’ve heard people mention this. But I haven’t had any issues.
@@GavinStoneDIY25mm between panels in the Uk
Did I miss it? How do you water seal gaps between the panels? Thanks.
I use a product called lexell. I would prefer a different method to share with people. I’m still researching an interesting product I want to show everyone. Hopefully I can make a video on it soon.
@@GavinStoneDIY Thanks, and that makes sense. I suppose if it had a groove perhaps you could instal a rubber/foam piece.
Also Didn't know about Lexell, I see that it can expand up to 400%. And see it used for marine applications. I think that that would be a good product for sealing the cracks. This sure beats a tesla roof as far as cost and simplicity...as long as you can seal it. Just the hassle of cleaning it off/gluing everytime you want to remove a panel. BUT, I have to admit, the INSIDE easy access to connectors is AMAZING! Please do a short followup to the seals. This is a BIG deal to me. I would love to put a system like this on our house! Thanks
@@i-changeus I’ll follow up as soon as I know something. You wouldn’t want to use this on a house. Aside from the waterproofing aspect you’d need to insulate the ceiling. It’s perfect for outdoor sheds like mine or even horse barns.
For a house you'd want to use a proper in-roof solar system like sandtoft, GSE, or viridion. This is perfect for car ports or garages though
@@GavinStoneDIYNot a fan of any kind of sealenat, since it can fail.
Would have done it with steel U-profil.
So that the water in between the panels flows down in the U-Profil.
And cut steeps in it so that the upper panels overhang the lower ones, obviosly only the frames.
A couple things puzzle me: 1) 0:24 How does water not run over the low end bottom edge, then drip inside the walls? Especially with that angle and no gutter. and 2) 2:37 What are the lag screws attached to? Through the wood... then what? I see no attachment points, rails or anything at all on the panel in that area. Looks like it's screwed right into the cells. Which it can't be, no?
Good questions. I think the reason why the water doesn’t run back in is the pitch on the roof. It’s at 7/12. Also the panels are much thicker then a typical roofing, so it starts from further up. I do have some drip edge to add under the panels. I’ve just never used it. To mount the panels I screwed directly through the 1x4’s into the panel frames. It holds them extremely well.
I'm doing a pergola. Did you pre drill or just let the screws tap into the panel frame? I wonder if rv eternabond on top to seal the seams would work? I've used on rv roofs and it's indestructible and lasts a long time for sure. It comes in many colors so if properly used it would look fine.
I certainly want it to be watertight.
@@houstonstarbuck for the screws I just let the tapping screws hold it. I didn’t need to pre drill.
I’m working on getting a product to show people that may work for waterproofing between the panels.
@GavinStoneDIY I'll be curious. I've thought about several ways to do it too. They all have various degrees of installation difficulty plus will it last long term. They include using sikaflex and eternabond...but your idea still has an easy and simpler solution.
I talk about it, but YOU DO IT!
Yeahhhhhhhhhhh!
Internet hi 5's
Any leaks, or is everything water tight still?
Still water tight. Well, I did have one leak shortly after the install. I just haven’t bothered to seal it because it doesn’t affect anything.
Its baffling that all new houses don't do this instead of wasting a chunk of money on dumb roofing then plonking panels on top of that anyway, not to mention it looks better.
Did you have any leaks by just caulking? I imagined It being a real nightmare to remove a faulty panel :) Probably why I would try to over lap them like tiles and use a flashing and caulk that on top of the gaps, far easier to remove if needed. Anyway your method looks the cleanest thats for sure and I would not consider doing a house any other way.
For houses it would be tough because they have insulation in some cases. Plus, like you mentioned it wouldn’t be easy to replace if one panel goes out. I’ve had 2 leeks. With this design you can caulk from underneath if you have any leaks. To be honest the leaks are so small I haven’t fixed them yet.
@@GavinStoneDIY Yeh if I ever do this I will try caulking metal strips over the vertical panel joins and over lap each panel with the one beneath for the horizontal. Then I just need to rip off the strips and unbolt from underneath to get a panel out.
Solar panels get hot so mounting them without space above and below the panels for air flow is a bad idea. Plus panels go bad and replacing one that is part of your roof opens up all kinds of problems.
I have space above and below the panels.
I figured if one or two panels fail I’ll remove them from the string. If more fail I’ll eventually just replace the roof with more panels.
How did u waterproof between panels to make a dry inner space
I added a sealant called lexell.
And how long has it held up ?
What about thermal expansion of aluminum frame?
I had heard about that before I installed the array. But I haven’t had any issue at all. And I’ve had plenty of cold and heat.
And just that lexel caulking is enough to make it watertight?
Between that and the pitch the roof is on yes. It’s still doing great.
But like I’ve mentioned to other people in the comments, there is a rubber product that’s designed for going in between the panels. So I would recommend that instead. They just didn’t have it available when I built my solar roof.
@@GavinStoneDIY Thank you for that information. I consider building somehing like this in a tropical country where it sometimes rains heavily. Pitch and rubbers should do the job. Combined with a opening at the top for hot air to escape.
why did you use bi-facial panels for the roof instead of regular panels?
i bet being translucent it lets some light in so it is easier to see inside. or maybe he just got a really good deal on bifacial panels
Cul was correct. I got a good deal on bifacials. But I’m actually glad I used them because they do indeed let a lot of natural light in. And if they happen to make just a smidge more wattage also, that would be great.
Looks like bifacial panels..
But if you have a dark shed...the rear side of the panel..wont produce much power
This is true. But at the time these panels were nearly the same price. Plus they allow more natural light in then a conventional panel. Also I like that the frames are more robust.
How hot inside in the summer?
It’s warm for sure. Although any inclosure is hot in the summer without air conditioning.
How did you ground the panels?
I bought grounding lugs off Amazon and screwed them into the panel frames underneath.
How’s it holding up ?
Still doing great. Making tons of power.
Please be honest about how long it takes for leaks between those panels. I give the caulking two years, max. I wish it were so simple, but when you look at the design of real in-roof panels, it clearly isn't :-(
I’ve gone over the leak issue in my other video. I’ve had 2 small leaks. They can be fixed easily by caulking the underside. But, like I mentioned in the video, I’m sure there is a better material that could be used between the panels.
@@GavinStoneDIY I doubt there is. All seals become brittle and fail over time. There's a reason tiles overlap, but that isn't really an option with solar panels. The aluminium frame needs to become a tiled surface to support run off, but retrofitting existing panels is difficult (very difficult).
@B B one viewer mentioned a T shaped seal to go in between the panels. That sounded like a good idea.
@@GavinStoneDIY yes, it is, and it would be adequate with a single row of panels. The main difficulty arises from the cross join where vertical and horizontal edges combine. If the horizontals are placed first, and the verticals layered like a tile, it can "sort of" work, but water's a bugger. It will *probably* extend the life of the seal, but not by much.
I have a couple ideas of how a system *might* work without relying excessively on sealant, but proper in roof panels are just so much better, and they aren't so much more expensive.
@@BB-sm8eynot much more expensive? Can you please elaborate? I priced the Tesla and a few others... The cheapest I could find was $4.50 per watt..... I just bought some panels recently brand new at 32 cents a watt.... Which means $10,000 worth of panels I just bought would be $140,000 usd and almost 200k from tesla.... Maybe a quarter million dollars isn't a big deal for you but it's huge for me. Where are you finding these deals please? I love that bifacials allow you to essentially make a filtered sky light
Whos the architect, whats involved to get permits,, Jim
I designed it myself.
cool concept but...
You are reducing your efficiency because the building will be hot.
Also...panels aren't structural. A good storm with high winds could damage this, if not tear it right off...good luck sir.
Gotcha, yeah I haven’t had any efficiency issues. The other array does sometimes make just slightly more per string. But I believe that’s because the bifacials can receive more light in the open. Also, I’m not depending on the panels to hold the structure together. I framed it all first and tied it together. The panels are just a roof to keep the water out. But I would say if I had to guess, bifacial panels would be a lot more structural then a metal roof. They are pretty beefy. But I wouldn’t design anything around that theory.
Hope you didn't Mount the aluminum panels directly to treated lumber. The chemical reaction will make them corrode within a few years.
I’ve heard that before. However I know lots of people that use lumber for their arrays. I don’t actually think it’s quite that severe a reaction. Also I don’t get any water intrusion into the structure. So that would likely slow any type of decay as well. But I’ll definitely keep an eye on it. So far everything still looks brand new.
small mistake..I made it also ,,placing solar panels horizontally is no good idea, bigger margin of white area close to the frame is on the side, better for dust deposit is vertically..
I’ve heard that yes. So far this has been working well. And it also was easier to construct this way. But I imagine I could be done the other way as well.
@@GavinStoneDIY I have to rebuild my instalation, its not big problem but dust and water stay there and I have to clean it more often..
@Mariusz Szczygieł it might also depend on the angle of the panels. Mine seem to stay fairly clean. I have them on a 30 degree angle.
@@GavinStoneDIY ua-cam.com/video/Wom3YfQUzOc/v-deo.html
maybe some plastic piece could be helpfull..:)
No wood
I hope you have a metal house then.
No way this can end well.
The array is doing great. Lots of solar production every day. And zero issues with the panels. So it’s been over a year now. Where will it “end”? Hard to say. I wouldn’t imagine I’d see much change in the coming years. But I can keep everyone updated.
So many issues. You're going to have surface tension in a heavy rain that will have water dripping behind your corrugated steel on the bottom part of the roof. You should have oriented the panels at the top so the connectors were at the bottom. The caulk is probably not the best way. Some sort of channel below for the vertical joints, and then some sort of overlapping sheet for the horizontal joins... raise the upper panel a few millimeters, and then get a thin sheet of steel.. then caulk that down.
It’s been over 2 years and I haven’t had issues with any of the items you mentioned. I do have some drip edge toy the bottom section if I ever wanted to install that. I just haven’t ever needed to.
There is a nice rubber channel you can buy for between the solar panels now. So I’ll make a video about that eventually.
@@GavinStoneDIY The orientation is just to make it so you wouldn't have to try and route things around if you want to change things or do maintenance. The caulk may degrade with time because of UV light. some sort of flashing held down with the caulk or construction adhesive would like hold up longer. The failure isn't something that I would say would be imminent... it could be 5-8 years from install. With a flashing, it could last 20-25 years.
@@dus10dnd yeah when I installed the panels I realize the caulking may not be the best solution. I mentioned that in the video.
But it is a UV resistant. So we’ll see how long it lasts. If I had to do it over I would use the rubber rolls designed for waterproofing panels. But at the time they weren’t selling them.
I wouldn’t use a flashing on top. That would look terrible. Plus you’d still be relying on an adhesive or caulking to achieve that waterproofing.
Doesn't look appealing when the panels are out in the air.
They can actually span a pretty good ways out beyond the structure. Biracial panels are built extremely tough. The frame is much more rigid the. A standard solar panel.
they only last about 14 years and then you have to do again---pretty stupid hey
It would take me about a day to fully replace this. And panels are still very cheap. Makes complete sense to me.
your panels need cleaning
I’ll get right on that. 🫠
i'm sorry, but did you screw directly into the photovoltaic cell itself? not the aluminum frame of the panel, but the actual panel itself? how in the hell did you not shatter those poor solar panels
No. The biracial panels have a pretty large frame. I didn’t screw anywhere near the actual panel.
What about glue? Whay U recumend?
I used a product called lexell. But I would prefer something rubber. I’m still searching for something by to recommend.
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