Mounting by roof type
Solar panel mounting by roof type
How to fix panels to metal tile, trapezoidal sheet, slate, tiles, standing seam, a flat roof or the ground. For each type: the fixing, a calculation for Kyiv, Lviv and Kharkiv, the bill of materials and the installation steps from the Solispec engine.
Ground frame designer
Design the ground frame for your solar plant
Solispec picks the profiles and posts, checks the frame against snow and wind to the DBN and prices it down to the last bolt.
Roof types
Pitched roofs: a typical slope at 30° with rafters every 600 mm, loads for Kyiv under DBN V.1.2-2:2006.
| Roof type | Fixing | Fixed into | Kyiv: fixings · result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metal tile | Hanger bolt M10×200 + L-bracket + EPDM | rafters | 72 pcs · passes |
| Trapezoidal sheet | Mini rail + 5 self-drilling screws 6.3 with EPDM | sheet (wave crest) | 44 pcs · uplift exceeds capacity |
| Slate | Hanger bolt M10×200 + EPDM + cap | rafters / purlins | 72 pcs · passes |
| Bitumen shingles | Hanger bolt M10×200 into the rafter + flange EPDM (or bracket on OSB ≥ 18 mm) | OSB / rafters | 72 pcs · uplift exceeds capacity |
| Clay and concrete tile | Roof hook (adjustable) + 2 screws Ø8 | rafters | 72 pcs · passes |
| Standing seam | Standing-seam clamp (no drilling) | seam | 72 pcs · passes |
| Onduline | Hanger bolt M10×200 into the rafter | rafters | 72 pcs · passes |
| Flat roof (ballast) | Ballasted frames: concrete holds them against uplift and sliding, no drilling into the roof | ||
| On the ground (ground frame) | A ground frame on concrete footings: profiles, footings and cost on the frame pages | ||
Calculated for 20 panels on the slope. For your own roof use the calculator or the constructor: the values travel with the link.
Steps shared by all pitched roofs
These steps are the same for metal tile, slate, tiles, standing seam and Onduline; only the way the fixing goes into the roof covering differs, and each roof type’s page describes it. Quantities are for the typical metal-tile roof in Kyiv; the constructor gives them for your own roof.
- Roof inspection: from the attic, check the rafters (section ≥ 50×150 mm, no rot or cracks, spacing ~600 mm) and the condition of the roof covering. Prepare the fixings, rails and clamps per the bill of materials. Safety: harness with an anchor point, never work alone.
- Mark out the 11 180 × 4 720 mm array: 1 190 mm from the eaves, 410 mm from the left gable. Fixings are on rafters №2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 (count from the left gable), rail lines — at 1 710, 3 020, 4 080, 5 390 mm from the eaves. Snap a chalk line for each line. Check: array diagonals equal within ±10 mm.
- Rails: fix the rails to the brackets with T-bolt M8 (1 per fixing, 72 pcs), adjusting the bracket height so that the rails are in one plane. String line: ≤ 3 mm per panel, ≤ 5 mm per array. Cantilever beyond the last fixing ≤ 198 mm. Joints with connector (4 pcs) — in the span, no further than 1/4 of the span from a fixing; rail > 12 m — thermal expansion gap 10–20 mm. Tighten to 15–20 N·m, fit end caps on the rail ends.
- Earth the array: bond the rails of each row to each other and to the rails of other rows with a 6 mm² Cu conductor via rail earthing clamps. If the rail connectors are not conductive, fit bonding jumpers at the joints. Wire — to the building's MET. Check: test the continuity of the protective conductors and the connection to the MET with an instrument (resistance — per the electrical design).
- Make the cable penetration through the roof covering above the array: a penetration with an EPDM collar or a cable gland, sealant under the flashing. Cable — in UV-resistant corrugated conduit.
- Install the panels from bottom to top, starting from the gable. End clamps for 35 mm frames (8 pcs) are placed ≥ 20 mm from the rail end, mid clamps (36 pcs) — with a 20 mm gap. Bolt M8×50 + hammer-head nut into the rail slot (44 pcs). Rails must be at 520 mm from the panel ends — check against the clamping zone in the datasheet. Tighten to 14–16 N·m.
- Fix the cables to the frames and rails with stainless steel clips every 300–400 mm so that they do not lie on the roof covering or rub against its edge. Earth the panel frames with earthing clips under the mid clamps or with a lug in the ⏚ hole.
- Install snow guards above the eaves below the array across the full width of 11 180 mm, fixed into the rafters.
- Check the penetrations after the first rain (from the attic — for any traces of water). After 2–4 weeks, re-tighten the clamps (14–16 N·m) and T-bolts (15–20 N·m). Then — inspect yearly, after hail and strong wind.