Rail Mounting System

Rail Mounting System for Solar 

You may probably know that the two main types of solar installation are ground-mounted and rooftop-mounted solar installations. You may also learn the two basic kinds of ground-mounted solar systems, so now you are curious about if rooftop-mounted systems also have different ways to get it done. To tell you this, the rooftop solar installation can be also done in two ways. You can choose rail-mounted or rail-less solar panel installation. Between the two variations, the most widely used method is the rail mount.

In today’s article, we will briefly discuss what is rail mounting system is, its pros and con, and anything you should know before choosing a rail mounting system. 

What is Rail Mounting System?

A rail mounting system is the most common roof-mounted structure type that offers a versatile option for mounting solar panels on low and steep-sloped roofs. Usually, the system consists of a set of aluminum module support rails and other necessary components that attach the rails to the roof attachment and to attach the PV modules to the rails. The rail mounting system allows solar panels to be mounted either in portrait or landscape orientation. The rails can be a shared or fixed-tilt design in either orientation.

Rail mountings systems usually include pantiles, plain tiles, slate tiles, trapezoidal sheet metal, corrugated fiber cement, corrugated sheet metal, and standing seam roof.

How Does Rail Mounting System Work?

Each solar photovoltaic panel is attached to the aluminum rails through a set of clamps. Then the rails will be secured to the rooftop using screws and bolts. Usually, this installation method uses flashing to attach the solar panels to the house rooftop. The flashing is the same as the method used for a standard roof vent. Typically, an “L” foot or support component is fixed to the flashing and holds the aluminum or steel rails 2 to 4 inches above the rooftop, upon which the solar photovoltaic panels are mounted.

Pros and Cons of Rail Mounting System

If you are still undecided whether to choose a rail mounting system or not, we have listed some of its pros and cons. 

Pros for Standard Rail Mounting:

• You can use the rail mounting system with almost any kW solar modules in any color of your choice. 
• If you want to blend the rails into your roof shield, rails are easy to blend with them since rails are available in silver and black.
• Many solar manufacturers of rails offer a flash to make it possible to blend the rails with your rooftop.
• Conduits and wires used for installation can be run through the rooftop or across the rooftop.
• Rail mounting system has a long lifespan, and it is the most common type of solar roof installation due to its long histories of success.

Cons for Standard Rail Mounting:

• Older residential and commercial properties may not be applicable to rail mounting since rails are a bit heavy and it can add additional load/weight to the roof making it too much to handle. 
• The solar panel system is more prominently displayed since they sit a little more inches above the roof shingles.
• If you installed them without flashing, the solar panel system is more accessible to bad weather and rodents.

Should you get a Rail Mounting System?

All in all, a rail-mounted solar system offers the most flexibility and capacity when it comes to solar rooftop system design. Not to mention that it has a long history of success in the solar industry, enough proof that it is worth having. In fact, it continues to be the top choice for consumers when they plan to install solar panels at home.

OEM

Custom Made Solar Products OEM

OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer which is commonly referred to as a company that manufactures and offers parts and accessories of items that are used as components of a product from another company. To sum it up, OEM commonly manufactures specific items on behalf of brands. Though OEM typically operates in the computer and technology industries, it also works in the solar industry.

Factories for White Label Solar Products

In the case of the solar industry, most solar companies work with solar OEMs to build and design their own solar products such as solar panels, cells, modules, etc. OEM becomes their outsourcing partner that helps them in assembling and reproducing their solar products.

Nowadays, a huge number of solar companies, particularly those large solar manufacturing companies, are partnering with outstanding solar OEMs to deliver the best quality solar products to their solar customers. Mainly, the reason is, these solar OEMs help solar manufacturers cut down their production costs since they no longer have to operate their own factories, purchase needed materials and hire labour to produce their solar products.

As a solar manufacturing company, the first thing you need to consider is to find the most reliable solar OEM in the market. One of the biggest perks of the internet these days is you can now easily find these OEMs even in the comfort of your home. With the help of a solar outsourcing marketplace such as SolarFeeds.com, you can easily find the most reliable and right OEM partner for your solar company. Solar outsourcing marketplace helps solar industry professionals gather accurate and timely information about solar including the list of most trusted Solar Original Equipment Manufacturers.

Greece

Solar Market Outlook in Greece

It’s clear that growing the solar power market is a top priority in Greece. The amount of solar investments over the past year has soared tremendously. The development of 3 GW solar PV capacity in a former coal mine site is a good example of this. This is on top of the ongoing development for a 2 GW solar farm in northern Greece.

In 2020, a leading solar association in Greece has reported that it has constructed 913 MW of PV systems. Meanwhile, the largest island in Greece – Crete – has been connected to the mainland in the longest subsea grid.

The commitment to shift to a greener energy system means that the country might phase out coal sooner than initially planned. It was previously eyed to end in 2028 but it seems as though Greece is going to abolish coal energy source by 2025. 

With the expected growth in the solar market in Greece, the residential and industrial segment for solar power installations are going to want to take advantage of it. Currently, Greece’s solar energy production is able to cover 7% of the country’s energy needs. 

Solar Energy Equipment Supply Capacity in Greece

There is an abundance of suppliers and distributors of solar power equipment in Greece. This number is growing with the continued support from the Greek government to switch to solar power. 

Whether you are looking for PV panels, inverters, or other solar power components, you have plenty of options.

Top 8 Major Seaports & Logistics in Greece

Greece is home to a wide range of seaports due to the access to the sea. This also means that there is a consistent flow of passengers and cargos that come to the Greek islands on a daily basis. 

For those looking to invest in solar power equipment, the following seaports will serve as a gateway for you: Aegina, Antimio, Corfu, Mykonos, Heraklion, Kyllini, Keramoti, and Igoumenitsa.