Recommended clearances for PV panels

[aggis]

Hi
It might be an old question, but I'm about to have panels fitted & wondered if there are any recommended measurements of clearances, ie ridge tile to panel & to eaves. Also my house is a semi detached, so is there a distance recommended from the neighbours roof ?
I am using a MCS contractor to do the whole job, they've specified the panels but not the quantity. It'll be a 2kw system plus or minus 10%, so as you can imagine I'd like the maximum possible. The roof has a surface of 4.2m x 4.9m [h x w]
Thanks in advance.
Aggis

 

[bumcrack]

Typical is 300-500 clearance.

If your system is ~ 2kw, that will be 2 rows of 4 in portrait.

240w modules are about 1650h x 1000w, should leave you around 400mm all round.

 

[SRE]

Depends on panel, orientation of panel & roof kit. Most 250's but not all are about 992mm wide but have a 20mm gap between them.

Portrait - there's enough height but
992 x 4 + 60 = 4028. 4200 - 4028 = 172 / 2 (each side of the array) 86mm. I wouldn't let them near my roof!

Landscape
Panel sizes are very variable,
Width - 1665 x 2 + 20 = 3350 4200 - 3350 = 850/2 = 425 each side
Ridge to eaves - 992 x 4 + 60 = 4028 4900 - 4028 = 872/2 = 436 top and bottom - do-able

If they are being fitted landscape make sure that the panels can be fitted on the short side and if they can't that they are cross railed.

You should really be asking your installer this though - if they are any good they'll be happy to help you out.

 

[bumcrack]

Sre, width is 4.9

 

[SRE]

Dohh!!!!! It's been a very, very long month :rolleyes4:

 

[aggis]

Thanks guys,that's great, the size of the panels are 1318mm x 994mm/

 

[SRE]

Mmm that means they are Sharp, Romag or Yingli and 185,190 - 195 meaning there would be 10 panels on the roof.

As proved earlier - I haven't got much of a brain left but:

Portrait Options
994 x 5 + 80 = 5050 so they can't be going on portrait in 2 rows.
1318 x 3 + 40 = 3994. (3 rows of 4) You say the roof is 4200 ridge to gutter so that leaves 206/2 = 103mm top and bottom which isn't anywhere near enough.

Landscape Options
1318 x 3 +40 = 3994. (3 rows of 3 landscape) which would be fine but would be either 9 x 185w = 1.6kwp or maybe 9x195w = 1.75kwp but neither are close to the 2kwp.

If you went to 4 landscape rows, (994 x 4 + 60mm) the ridge to gutter measurement 4200 - 4036 would only leave 82mm top and bottom. Nowhere near enough.

You can't fix Sharp on the short side, I'm not sure about Yingli, maybe someone else can help?

I can't see how you're going to get near your 2kwp. Have you had a survey?

 

[powervan]

Sre i rec u dream solar pv! sizes! oriantation! cross rail! pitch!shaddddddddding! pan tyle!plain tyle! i have NITEMARES myself!!! gutted ive got into this solar game at the end!! 120k WOW WEEEEEEEEEEEE!! u must be treated like a MILLIONARE on THE BORDERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ive spent some serious dosh!! but i BOW to U on that!! ps woudnt want ur TAX bill though)))))))))

 

[moggy1968]

I would say minimum spare is 200mm with 300 on the bottom to allow rainwater run off. usually though you end up having to have more on the ridge because of the difficulty of getting the tiles out without disturbing the ridge.
I have seen arrays going over the gutter, above the ridge and over the sides, all of which are non conformities, but were example photos on the installers websites!!!