Easier, Cheaper Solar Panel Installation

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A sure-fire way to increase investments in solar panel rooftops? Make ’em easier to put together and cheaper to install. Many shy away from solar power because of costly labor and complicated installation, but two new products claim to put those complaints to rest.

Prefab Paneling

Solar company Solon has rolled out a couple of photovoltaic products, including SOLfixx and patent-pending SOLquick, which the company claims arrive fully configured and can be installed solely by hand. Solon says both products are shipped directly to the designated work site and do not require staging.

SOLquick is intended for non-metal commercial roofs; SOLfixx for rooftops that can bear less weight. Both require flat roof surfaces.

Decreased Panel Weight

Solon advertises the SOLquick panels as frameless and lightweight, about 2.8 pounds per square foot. The SOLfixx is listed at 12.9 kilograms per square meter.

The reduced weight also plays a role in easier installation — no heavy machinery is heeded to hoist and situate the solar paneling.

According to Solon, the SOLquick roof can be installed in ten units per man hour, cutting the mechanical installation time by 85 percent and cutting the electrical installation time by 50 percent.

Those are some pretty huge time (and, thus, cost) savings.

Noninvasive

Neither paneling system requires roof penetration in most instances. The SOLquick brochure, however, does list a caveat that roof penetration may be necessary in certain cases due to seismic activity, snow and wind loads, or due to the height of the building.

Tool-free installation, lighter weight materials and snap-together construction makes adding solar panels to commercial rooftops much more appealing to business owners of all stripes.

Source & Image/Caption Credits: SOLON