8
7.
ARRAY MOUNTING
Tile roofs are a little more difficult to mount
solar collectors on but following this procedure will
render a leak free installation.
The solar panels are mounted on two rails
located at the top and bottom of the solar collectors.
The collectors are secured to the rails using the AE
rack mount hardware (AE-RM). The 1 5/8”
Aluminum unistrut rails are anchored to the roof by
usuing six or ten inch stainless stell 3/8” hanger
bolts. These bolts are lag screw on the bottom and
3/8 NPT thread on the top. A ten foot length of
unistrut should be anchored at three points, the
middle and both ends.
Procedure
a)
Cut 12” x 12” square pieces of lead flashing.
b)
Locate the roof rafters beneath the tile where
the hanger bolts will be attached. Drill a 3/8”
hole through the tile.
c)
Slide the 12” x 12” lead flashing under the tile
located above the 3/8” hole, then drill through
the lead flashing into the hole.
d)
Screw lag portion of the 3/8” hanger bolt into
the rafter.
e)
Cut strips of the lead flashing about 1 ½” long
and wide enough that when you fold it into a
tube is slightly larger in diameter as the hanger
bolt.
f)
Using an acid core solder, weld the seam of the
tube together.
g)
Slip this tube over the top of the hanger bolt
protruding from the roof, then solder it to the
12” x 12” lead flashing.
h)
Thread down a stainless 3/8” nut to the bottom
of the thread and seal the top of lead tube to the
nut with a polybutalene caulk. Slip a 3/8”
stainless washer on top o the nut.
i)
Place the 1 5/8” aluminum unistrut rail on the
hanger bolt and secure with another 3/8”
stainless washer and net.
The rail is now secured, weather tight to the tile
roof. Next, mount the AET solar collector to the
rail using the AE rack mounts (AE-RM). See
Figure 10.
Figure 10
