Considering that solar panels are basically big pieces of glass, how would you design a roof to take advantage of them?I'll make a small house soon and need ideas.I've thought the following additional considerations:- as far as I know, solar panels aren't made of standard sizes, so that's kinda problematic in the sense that any layout won't be "future proof"- to maximize radiation, one would either need to check some solar calculator for the most optimal angle OR, if possible, make it so the panels be lifted to have variable (vertical) angles- ideally, a roof will keep the house warm during winter and cool during summer- needs ways to prevent leaks- shouldn't break during hailstorms, strong winds, earthquakes, ...What else would you add?
>>3003475Make solar tiles from polymer derived ceramic material.
>>3003478Include a cooling loop and use a rain barrel or two.
>>3003475your latitude is your approximate best year-round angle. steel roofing is best choice for longevity, since you don't want to have to remove panels to replace conp or shake. clay, Tera cotta or tile roofs are terrible, they shatter when installing panel rails. build your house with a simple roof, very few or zero gables. plan vents strategically, preferably on north slope. 44.5"×69.5" is a quasi-thumbnail size for 72 cell residential panels right now, that can and does change. choose your inverter and general system needs now, so you can plan your string sizing based on your mppt and inverter limits. decent panels can take surprisingly strong hailstone impacts. dont cheap out on panenels, they are inexpensive anyway relative to system. dont cheap out on any part of your system. you get what you pay for.I live on solar. if you have questions I can do my best to answer from real world experience, but I think ive generalized enough for now.
>>3003478>Make solar tileswouldn't that make the setup far more expensive and complicated? I'm no electrician, and I don't really have much of a clue of how solar panels work.>>3003492>steel roofing is best choice for longevityfrom what I've heard, you shouldn't mix metals because they corrode. is that correct?also, I live close to the beach... so that's another factor I have to pay attention to :/>44.5"×69.5" so 400W panels, correct?>choose your inverter and general system needs noware growatt inverters good enough? the guide (https://rentry.co/solarshit) says they are cheap but have some quality issues.>dont cheap out on panenels, they are inexpensive anyway relative to systemwhy? what are the are the risks and major differences in buying cheap panels compared to expensive ones?the cheapest 600W panels I can get cost about $100 in my country. the next ones in the same power band cost 30%+ more... and I guess installing big ones makes everything more convenient long term. plus they aren't that heavy anyway, so it shouldn't be much of a problem as long as the roof isn't too tall, right?
>>3003475>as far as I know, solar panels aren't made of standard sizes, so that's kinda problematic in the sense that any layout won't be "future proof"They are actually made to fairly standard sizes, especially the big ones, it's just that there is a lot of variation still. However, there's absolutely zero "future proofing" needed, they all mount to universal rails that can handle any typical 400-500W panel, and panels live 20-30 years.>to maximize radiation, one would either need to check some solar calculator for the most optimal angle OR, if possible, make it so the panels be lifted to have variable (vertical) angleshttps://rentry.co/solarshit >>> https://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvg_tools/en/tools.htmlIf you do the comparison of PV panel price vs. modifying your roof vs. using a special rack, you will find that PV are by far the cheapest component, therefore if you want more power, you install more panels, rather than use special racks or change your roof. But roofs with a high angle are always better if you're more towards the north. Flat better near equator. Much more important than your roof angle is your azimuth, how your house is oriented towards south. If you have a big flat roof area then it should be all south leaning, whereas if your roof area is limiting, south-west is better to fit 2 strings on 2 segments.>ideally, a roof will keep the house warm during winter and cool during summer>needs ways to prevent leaks>shouldn't break during hailstorms, strong winds, earthquakesYeah no shit, but that has nothing to do with solar, that's the roof. Generally, any roof strong enough to survive hail, wind, earthquakes is going to be strong enough to do it with solar panels attached. >>3003492>Tera cotta or tile roofs are terribleI have 3 strings on tile and one on steel, total tiles broken is like, 5 across all of them, and the steel had/has leak issues from holes+retarded installers.
>>3003495Guide was largely written 2 years ago so some brand/model specifics may no longer be accurate, but growatt is still more crap than not. Your major decision you must lock down is the inverter. Everything depends on that. To decide inverter, you must decide if you want batteries, and if you want batteries, whether it's gonna be HV or LV. Plus whether you want UPS. If you want batteries and UPS then you should decidedly go for Deye. Slightly higher upfront cost but you get absolute unit of an inverter that can basically do anything, and still far cheaper than many other brands equivalent. If you don't want batteries or want HV, then the usual GoodWe whatever mid-tier chink brands are fine, those inverters are all cheap and work well enough. >cheap out on panelsI disagree on that as long as you are buying Tier 1. Some sellers commonly upsell regular T1 brands as "premium", and some real "premium" western brands exist, but you're paying for nothing. T1 brands can still fail, but failure rates are low, they produce immense quantities of panels, and they're all basically cheap. The only way you can get fucked is if you buy defective units from backwater sellers or somehow find one selling non-T1 panels. Pricing between T1 manufacturers is also fluctuating, so just because you see a similar panel more expensive from one maker than another doesn't mean it's actually better, unless it's a famous premium brand.>600WI wouldn't go for 600W for a simple install. They are unwieldy big, and they tend to want a third rail. Most panels install on 2 rails/4 points in the 400-500W range. 600+ is better on 3 rails. You spend more money on the rail than what you save anywhere else. 400-500W panels often go much cheaper per watt than 600, because they are the standard size manufactured in largest volumes. The only win on a 600W is if you must install optimizers, which you hopefully shouldn't need.
>>3003475https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/what-are-the-pros-and-cons-of-solar-shingles
https://www.tesla.com/solarroof
>>3003475you know that most of this has already been solved right?the only thing that would be good is to have the majority of your roof facing south (in the southern hemisphere) and tilt the roof the optimum angle for your latitude.
>>3003495>44.5"×69.5">so 400W panels, correct?they are 445w each x10 on that string. we have another array of older panels, they are smaller 40×66" and lower wattage. >choose your inverter and general system needs now>are growatt inverters good enough? the guide (https://rentry.co/solarshit) says they are cheap but have some quality issues.I dont have a lot of experience with other brands. I would say check out Will Prowse and go off of his reccomendations. if he endorses it you can bet on it. if he gives it a thumbs down (eg: battle born batt) avoid it like the plague.>dont cheap out on panenels, they are inexpensive anyway relative to system>why?cheap (low quality not just inexpensive) panels do not have hail impact resistance that you specifically mentioned. if they do claim it, you will be sorely disappointed if tested. bad cells and shorts are common on low tier panels. water infiltration is common on budget-grade. you will also find many cheap panels do not meet their claimed output and parameters (VOC, wattage, Ampacity, etc)>>3003500I do all of my own installs, so i took extreme care and did multiple checks inspections before, during and after, when I had roof mount. now we have ground mount arrays and will never mount anything on the roof over our heads again, specifically to avoid the issues. i realized that is not an option for many people. i do some roofing installation and repair, mostly on my own stuff, but have done it professionally as well. when the proper adapters and techniques are used i would go solar on steel 100% of the time and try to avoid all other roofing material types for permanence.
>>3003501>Guide was largely written 2 years ago so some brand/model specifics may no longer be accurate, but growatt is still more crap than notI see>To decide inverter, you must decide if you want batteries, and if you want batteries, whether it's gonna be HV or LV. Plus whether you want UPSoh, I know this.>DeyeI've read lots of good reviews about Deye, but I can't find prices for the brand in my country. FFS>If you don't want batteries or want HV, then the usual GoodWeinteresting. HV inverters should be a bit cheaper, right?>Most panels install on 2 rails/4 points in the 400-500W range. 600+ is better on 3 railsthanks for letting me know, this is something I had no idea about>400-500W panels often go much cheaper per watt than 600not in my country. 600W panels are the cheapest per watt by more than 10%>>3003500>they all mount to universal railsright, I guess I'll just use 4xxW panels then...>if you want more power, you install more panelsand just cover the whole thing>>3003520>I dont have a lot of experience with other brands. I would say check out Will Prowse and go off of his reccomendationswell, I've watched a bunch of his videos before, and 2bhonest I think he's not 100% honest. he recommends EG4 but I don't think I ever heard him mention Growatt.>if they do claim it, you will be sorely disappointed if testedoh, so you mean you can't just go with what the specs say? that sucks...also, lots of brands being sold in the USA/europe aren't sold in my country :/is there a forum or something where one can read reviews? I know about diysolarforum.com and a few others, but again, those are mostly american or european
>>3003475>>3003500>>shouldn't break during hailstorms, strong winds, earthquakes>Yeah no shit, but that has nothing to do with solar, that's the roof>>3003517>you know that most of this has already been solved right?OP here. btw, this thread was more about info on stuff I need to know regarding the construction itself. say, how to make the panels compatible. like, I'm thinking of using corrugated metall sheet and then covering the roof with solar panels. do I have to take some considerations with the rails?hell, maybe even ideas to build something non-conventional. things like the design and materials. maybe even *only* using solar panels (would that be stupid?).I know how to design (as in, what components I need, their purposes and compatibilities) a basic solar PV system (it's basically connect the dots regarding energy and power), though I'm far from expert on the topic, and I haven't diy (implemented) a system on itself..
>>3003565If 600W panels are cheaper, then check how much rails cost. If you do a diy install for the panels, it can be cheaper since rails aren't necessarily very expensive. There are many types, usually the more expensive ones are faster to assemble, but differences aren't huge. >HVHV saves you money on the inverter and cabling, which you then must pay off on the battery. >ProwseProwse is usually fair, at least he's as good as it gets. He mostly has older videos on Growatt. If you're on a budget, it's okay. EG4 has LV hybrid inverters similar to Deye in functionality, categorically they are also roughly the same as Deye. >>3003566>how to make the panels compatiblePanels are made to be compatible with any common roof type through rails designed for specific types. Really the only consideration is azimuth and angle. >roof only solar panelsIf it's a carport or shed it's perfectly viable. For any building you plan to live in, obviously not. Solar panels are not roofing material. Water isolation and heat isolation are bad, you generally want at least some access to the rear side of panels. There exist solar tiles that work as real tiles, like ones from Tesla, and they are very expensive.
