When the time comes to install solar panels, homes with Fielders® steel roofing have an advantage. For steel cladding such as corrugated S-Rib™ profiles that are pierce fixed (where steel screws penetrate the sheet securing it to the substructure), the ‘L’ brackets that hold the solar panels in place can be fixed directly into existing drill holes using slightly larger fasteners. This means that normally no extra drilling is needed to mount the panels.
Installing similar brackets to tiled roofs is a lot more work that involves lifting tiles at the points where the brackets are needed, fixing the brackets to the framing and then replacing the tiles. Where the tiles sit over the bracket, grinding of the tiles is needed so they sit flat, this means more labour cost and there’s a risk of cracking a tile or two – and depending on the age of the home, it may be difficult to find exact replacement tiles.
For concealed fixed Fielders® steel cladding such as the KingKlip® and HiKlip® ranges, where fasteners don’t pass through the sheet and instead lock onto clips that are fixed to the substructure, Fielders offers special mounting clips. These clips are securely fastened to the cladding’s photovoltaic modules (ribs), providing a stable base on which to directly mount panels or support frames.
Depending on the roof pitch, the solar installer may suggest using a tilt frame, which positions the solar panels at an optimum angle to draw the most power possible from the sun. The ideal panel angle varies depending on where the home is located, for example, the optimum angle for Darwin is 12.5° compared to 42.9° in Hobart.
Fitting a tilt frame on a Fielders® steel roof is done in a similar way to directly installing the solar panels, and offers the same benefits and efficiencies compared to installing these structures onto tiled roofs. Save time and effort – you can do it with Fielders.