How To Mount Solar Panels On Roof Rack

Solar panels should be tilted toward the sun to maximize their production.

How to mount solar panels on roof rack.

Unlike the standard rack mount the angles can be adjusted so that the panels aren t parallel to the roof plane. Installing the solar panels is done by using unistrut cone connectors 1 4 inch or 3 8 inch to attach to the slotted steel l brackets. It was tough to get the bolt through several layers of washer shell gasket rack without a little wiggle room. Installing the solar panels onto the unistrut.

Drill a slightly larger 1 32 hole than your bolt or screw size. A plywood board of the right dimensions will cost you about about 20 usd. To secure the solar panels to the unistrut crossbars we used 3 8 bolts external tooth lock washers and nylon unistrut cone nuts. Most residential rooftops tend to be sloped close enough to this optimal mounting angle that they don t need any additional tilt adjustments.

How i mounted a 130w solar panel on the roof racks of my 4wd. Stand off mounts are ugly but if you don t care about the visual appearance you can get better production. You can use an inexpensive piece of plywood from your local hardware store for this purpose. The panel goes over the top of mounted maxtrax but still allows your to access them.

To secure the two 100 watt solar panels to the roof of your vehicle you ll need to first mount the solar panels onto the top of a thin plywood board or sheet of metal. On all bolts we used blue loctite. In order to fit thicker 3 8 bolts into the 1 4 holes on the hightec solar panel we drilled out the hole with a 3 8 bit. The panels are supported by a frame built above the roof.

For this application the combiner box was installed near the unistrut to eliminate the need to run the solar panel cables along the roof. Have a helper press a piece of wood up from the inside of the shell to brace it against the pressure of the drill. Fed up with your utility power company. Both cone connector sizes are available at big box hardware stores.

In this case a fixed roof mount is the easiest and most cost effective option. 200w of solar panels on the roof rack.