The UK's Solar Panel Powered Future

Solar panels are a fantastic source of renewable, green energy. More and more installations can be seen springing up all over the UK. Most of the recent uptake in these panels being installed in down to the government backed Feed-in Tariff scheme. The Feed-in Tariff allows property owners who have purchased and installed a system a chance to earn money back from every unit of energy they produce and use and receive another payment for any energy they produce and do not use.

The panels themselves come in various different forms and there is a wide range of efficiency levels and appearances to choose from. An experienced solar panels fitted can advise you on the exact type of solar panels that would be right for your intended site. But many people wonder how the panels are going to be installed and held in place.

Solar Panels on Tiled Roofs

Solar panels can be fitted to almost any type of roof structure. The roof must be in a good strong physical condition. A solar panels installation company will check that your roof is suitable on an initial assessment of your property. The roof has to hold the panels in place for a minimum of twenty five years. The intended site should also be south facing and not overshadowed by neighbouring buildings and overhanging trees.

A plain tiled roof can have the panels installed with a mounting system that include mounting feet and roof anchors. The mounting feet are used to hold the solar panel system together. They will attach to the roof on one side of the panels and to rails on the other side. The majority of mounting feet available will allow the solar panels to sit slightly off the roofs surface. This will increase air flow and help to keep the panels cool and in good working order. Some mounting feet that are available are adjustable so they can be tilted slightly more towards the suns position depending on what season it is. However, these will have to be done manually and on an already sloping roof this can be unnecessary. Extruded rails will be fastened to the mounting feet and this is what is attached to the roof itself. The rails will also support the panels. End clamps and centre clamps will also be used to secure the edge of the solar panel into position along the rails keeping then tightly in place. A basic mounting system for solar panels can be purchased for as little as £150.