As the industry has expanded rapidly in recent years, the technology used to mount solar panels to residential rooftops has experienced incredible innovation and rapid growth. Solar panel mounting systems are now available for all kinds of roofs, from asphalt shingles to clay tiles, to standing seam metal, and everything in between.
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Modern solar mounting systems consist of roof attachments (with or without flashing), mounting rails, and module clamps. These products are designed to allow workers to quickly and effectively install solar panels that will last for decades on the roof, with minimal effect on the roofing materials and no roof leaks. Ground-mounted racks are also available.
There are many options for what you need, no matter your roof style or ground mounting system necessities. Your solar installer will know the best option to get the most use out of your solar system.
Below is our expert review of solar panel mounting solutions, which highlights the top three solar panel mount brands, and discusses the pros and cons of rooftop solar systems versus ground-mounted systems.
See how much solar panels will cost for your home
Solar panel mounts and racks are equipment that secures solar panels in place.
Mounting allows the panels to be adjusted for optimal tilt, which can be based on latitude, seasons, or even time of day &#; to ensure maximum solar energy production. The most common locations for mounting are on the roof, using solar roof mounts, or on the ground with ground-mount options.
Mounting systems are the metal racks that hold up solar panels either on roofs or on the ground. Image source: PV Solar First
In terms of cost, mounts and racking typically account for about 10% of the total cost of an average solar system. For example, if your solar system cost $10,000, the racking system portion would be about $1,000 of the total cost.
The price will depend on the type of racking you use, the amount of equipment needed, and labor costs for installation.
The most common technique of module mounting is using a solar panel mounting bracket. Mounting brackets are heavy-duty equipment, usually made from stainless steel or aluminum. All solar racking and mounting products, whether for the rooftop or ground, must meet strict guidelines to ensure durability and structural integrity to withstand high winds and weather events.
Next, we will walk you through the main components that make up racking equipment so you can better understand the structure that will support your solar panels.
Solar panel racking equipment is built with 3 main components:
Roof attachments
Module clamps
Mounting rails
Each tool plays a key role in how the structure supports your panels, to ensure you get the most amount of solar power out of them.
The roof attachments are the fasteners that will be drilled into your roof in order to secure the racking system in place.
The holes these drills create will be surrounded by &#;flashing&#;, which is a plastic or metal shield that is inserted between shingles to prevent water from getting into the hole. However, roof attachments differ for each roof type.
To dig a little deeper, take a look at more information on installing solar panels on clay tile roofs, metal roofs, and flat surface roofs.
Roof attachments are drilled into the roof and secured with flashing to protect against water. Image source: EcoFasten
The module clamps attach the drilled-in roof attachments to the mounting rails. There are a few different module clamp types for each angle and corner of the solar panel.
Module clamps come in a few different sizes and shapes to secure the roof attachments at every angle. Image source: PV Europe
After drilling into the roof, the roof attachments are then connected to mounting rails via module clamps that will then support the solar panels.
Although there are railless racking options available, rails are most commonly used because they can be secured to most roof angles, and because many installers are trained using rail mounting systems.
Mounting rails are attached to the roof via the roof attachments and are able to angle solar panels properly to most angled roofs. Image source: Solar Builder Mag
While many manufacturers produce solar panel mounts, only a handful of companies come out on top when it comes to quality. You can&#;t really go wrong with IronRidge, Quick Mount and Unirac, but we will walk you through the pros and cons of each brand.
The top two high-quality solar mounting and racking brands are:
Ironridge
Unirac
Originally, IronRidge supported mostly small, off-grid projects. But today, IronRidge is known for its uniquely shaped and durable XR rail series for pitched roofs. They have equally great options for flat roofs and ground mounts, as well.
The company is the world’s best solar structure hand rail supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
Unirac sells mounts for flat roofs and fixed-tilt ground-mount frames. Unirac&#;s solar mounts each come with different tilts, allowing the direction of the solar array to be independent of the angle of the roof, ensuring the best productivity.
Each brand offers no obvious weaknesses, and each offers very innovative mounting and racking kits to meet most solar needs.
You can buy any option through a local solar equipment supplier for DIY projects. But if you work with a solar installer, they will buy the panel mounts for you since they know what will work best with your roof and solar panels.
Tackling a solar panel project DIY-style can make things a bit more complicated. Most of the time, you cannot go out and buy a fully-constructed solar panel mount system. You need to buy each individual part separately to then form a complete mount. If DIY is the route you want to go, buying entire solar panel kits with their corresponding racking solutions makes things easier.
If you are not purchasing a kit, you can browse racking equipment on the AltE website and purchase the different components that make up the racking system. Just make sure they are the proper size for the solar panels you purchase.
The best way to make ensure your solar installation goes off without a hitch (and uses the proper equipment suited for your specific roof) is to work with a licensed solar installer.
Get a free quote from top-rated installers near you
A problem with rooftop solar is that it&#;s heavily constrained by the characteristics of your roof. Homeowners who install ground-mounted solar panels do so for one of three reasons:
They have insufficient roof space
Their roof faces north - which is bad for panel output
They want to optimize the performance of their system
Solar panels produce the most energy when they&#;re facing south. Depending on the orientation of your house, this isn&#;t always an option. On a roof, there might be further limitations like shade from surrounding buildings and trees.
Options to choose from include ground mounts that can be secured into the ground or ballasted mounts. Ballasted mounts sit on top of the ground and are not secured in - but are held down by the weight of the panels themselves. Ballasted ground mounts tend to be more popular since there is no drilling required for installation.
The best options for ground mounts also come from the top brands, Ironridge and Unirac.
These are built to be long-lasting, flexible, and withstand any weather. They also come with a 25-year warranty.
Image source: Ironridge
Pricing is difficult to pinpoint because it will depend on the size of your solar array, costs of material at the time of purchase, and the fact that many suppliers ask that you request a quote.
Image source: Unirac
The Unirac Ground Fixed Tilt is another great choice - it is durable and lightweight and also has a 25-year warranty. Unirac ensures fast shipping times and ease of construction. You can work with a licensed solar installer to determine which ground mount system is best for your terrain and solar panels.
Including racking and mounting, an average 6kW solar system would cost about $18,000 given the US average solar panel cost of about $3.00 per watt as of January . After applying the federal solar tax credit of 30%, that works out to $12,600.
It is up to you and your energy needs whether or not you want to install solar tracking systems, but generally, installing either roof or ground-mounted solar panels will work for any home.
Working with licensed installers is the best way to determine which solar panel mount system will work best for your roof. If you research mount brands and have a preference, you can discuss your options with your solar installer. Enter your zip code below to find out the potential savings for installing solar panels with solar panel mounts on your home.
Find out how much you can save by going solar
Solar panel mounts secure solar panels either to your roof or on the ground.
Solar panel mounts typically account for 10% of the total solar panel installation cost.
IronRidge and Unirac are the best options for roof and ground mount solar systems.
Original Message:
Sent: 03-22- 06:00
From: Eric Tompos
Subject: handrail bracket calculations
I've been designing and testing rails for many years. The IBC/ASCE 7 addresses the MINIMUM loading requirements for handrails and guardrails. The requirement is 50 <g class="gr_ gr_69 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="69" data-gr-id="69">plf</g> applied in any direction along the rail or a 200 <g class="gr_ gr_164 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling" id="164" data-gr-id="164">lbf</g> point load applied in any direction along the rail. The prevailing test standard is ICC-ES AC273 and ASTM D, which provide factors of safety and deflection limits.
The limiting factor is generally the attachment to the substrate, such as wood and concrete. The anchorage capacity will typically limit the spacing of the brackets and/or posts to 48" on-center. If you see anything greater than 48" on-center it most likely wasn't designed or only considers the one- and two-family dwelling loading requirements. For handrails, the connecting bracket seldom works by design and must be tested. For guardrails, nearly any attachment using 3/8 lags or smaller into wood does not work. If you rely on manufacturer's ICC-ES ESR report, ask for the actual test data, most testing has not been performed correctly--yet it is accepted by ICC-ES--or the limits of use are misrepresented in the ESR report.
For example, most reports will indicate a guardrail span of 8-ft--this is for the handrail only and does not include the post supplied by the manufacturer. The fine print in the ESR reports require the rail to be supported by a rigid supporting structure and NOT the cantilevered post supplied by the manufacturer. In some reports, the posts are shown as part of the report, but they do not meet any the loading requirements--most posts on the market only have been optimized for 200-<g class="gr_ gr_ gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="" data-gr-id="">lbf</g>. Also, many reports DO NOT include the attachment to the substrate even though connection hardware is shown in the report.
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Eric Tompos P.E., M.ASCE
Executive Vice President
NTA, Inc.
Nappanee IN
Original Message:
Sent: 03-20- 12:01
From: Chad Morrison
Subject: handrail bracket calculations
This is wonderful news! I hope that it takes the next step beyond the NAAMM manual. We will have to revisit this topic after it is released. Thanks!
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Chad Morrison P.E., M.ASCE
Professional Engineer
Greenville RI
Original Message:
Sent: 03-20- 08:35
From: Lawrence Kruth
Subject: handrail bracket calculations
This spring AISC will be releasing a Design Guide on Steel Framed Stairways which addresses the design of handrail wall brackets as well as complete steel stair, guardrail, and handrail design. There will also be a presentation by the author at NASCC: The Steel Conference held in Baltimore April 11th through 13th.
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Lawrence F. Kruth P.E., M.ASCE
Vice President Engineering & Research
American Institute of Steel Construction
Chicago IL
Original Message:
Sent: 03-16- 10:15
From: Chad Morrison
Subject: handrail bracket calculations
Does anyone have sources available for useful approaches for handrail bracket design? I have 10 years experience in producing calculations for various bracket types and base materials and continue to encounter the obstacles that I have from the onset of my career. Without testing of the bracket (and becoming the "approved authority") calculations are needed to justify the anchorage. Historical performance of handrail installations indicate that under most cases they are safe. One cannot prevent abuse and some maintenance during the rail's lifetime should be expected.
Producing calculations for handrail brackets fastened to concrete is fairly straightforward. Calculations for fastening to hollow CMU and stud walls prove more problematic. Before I share my methods, I am interested in how others approach the problem. What anchors do you use in hollow CMU? What safety factor do you apply to them? Do you specify wood blocking or metal sheets within the stud wall to fasten to? What allowable bearing strength do you use for GWB?
Please feel free share any questions or comments you have on the topic, as it does cover much more ground than expected. Thanks!
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Chad Morrison P.E., M.ASCE
Professional Engineer
Greenville RI
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Agreed! The request by the design team and GC to produce calculations is problematic. We can produce calculations to satisfy ourselves, but they are based on judgment and open to criticism. Testing is costly, time consuming, and presents a question of whether we are an "approved authority."------------------------------Chad Morrison P.E., M.ASCEProfessional EngineerGreenville RI------------------------------
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