Common Solar Mounting Terminology: Simple and Easy-to-Understand Explanations

1.Main Components of a Mounting System

     Rails: These are the flat, long shapes that hold the sun panels. The panels get put on the rails with clamps or clips, then the rails get fixed to the posts or roof bases. You can see them like 'tracks', with the sun panels set on them like train cars.

     Posts: Straight up sticks put on ground or base, they lift rails and sun panels to right high. Post high decide how much space system got from ground.

     Braces: Help parts that go slant from middle of posts to rails or ground. They work like 'crutches', stop mount system from shake front and back when wind push, and make whole thing more steady.

     Base: The down part of the post or hold thing that hook up to the ground (like concrete blocks or a pour base). Its job is to spread the weight and push from top even on the ground surface.

     Clamps: Small metal bits that hold the edges of sun panels. Two kinds of clamps: 'mount clamps', which fix the sun panel straight to the rail, and 'mid-panel clamps', which link two sun panels next to each other.

2. Terms Related to Installation and Fixing


     Ballasting: This mean a way that no use go-through fix things, but use concrete blocks, stones or steel weights to push down on the set-up thing, stop it from being blow around or move by wind. Ballasting systems no need drill and no hurt roof water-stop layer.

     Chemical anchors: A kind of bolt fix into concrete holes with a special glue. First, you drill a hole in the concrete; after clean out the mess, chemical glue is put in, then the bolt goes in. After the glue get hard, the bolt is stuck tight in the concrete. Good for places that need hold big weight.

     Expansion bolts: A kind of bolt that make friction by having a expand sleeve push against the hole walls. When the nut get tight, the cone head at the bolt end blow up the sleeve, making it hold hard against the concrete hole walls. Put in is easy, but there are some needs about the space from the concrete edge.

     Embedded bolts: Bolts put in the formwork before pour the concrete base. After the concrete get hard, the bolts stay fixed in place, make sure exact spot and give the top load-holding power of all fix ways.