Bifacial solar panels - Can I install them on a regular roof?

[flashmark]

Hi,

I'm going to buy 540W solar panels and I'm going to install them in house roof (Asbastoes sheet roof)
There are two options at the moment.

1. Bifacial solar panels: - JA 540W. 10 years product warranty. Same price.
2. Monofacial Panels - JA 540W 12 years warranty Same price

Bifacial solar panel - back side


Bifacial solar panels:front side


There is no difference in price, should I go for bifacial solar panels?

Are there any durability or any other issue in Bifacial solar panels? There is a threat of monkeys in my area.

What's your opinion?

Thanks

 

[MisterSandals]

Asbastoes sheet roof

EEK!

Asbestos in Your Roof – What are the Risks? - Sage Roofing

Asbestos is widely regarded as a silent killer which can go often unnoticed, and the idea of its presence in the building surrounding you is enough to create feelings of uneasiness and concern. If you are the building owner then there is an additional responsibility involved as you could be held...

www.sagebec.co.uk

 

[timselectric]

Bi facial have front and back glass.that roof is going to be really hot. And you won't gain anything from the rear face, unless it's lifted from the roof a bit.
I'd go with the mono for longer warranty.
And be very concerned about driving screws into asbestos.

 

[LydMekk]

What he said. I would say atleast 20-30cm up from the roof but the gains will be less than mounted on a groundmount with Bifacials. Even better with bifacials in snow conditions or white gravel on the ground under a groundmount.

 

[Gavin Stone]

I agree with the others. The gains will be minimal if any that close to a roof. Go with the standard panel. A ground mount situation is ideal with bifacials. I wouldn’t have any issues drilling into an asbestos roof by the way, the stuff lasts forever. Just resist the urge to lick it.

 

[timselectric]

Or breath in the dust.
Maybe wet it, to keep the dust down. And wear a mask.

 

[Gavin Stone]

Break pads have had asbestos for decades. People still change their breaks. The stuff is deadly. But there is a a bit of overreacting people have done over the years about it.

 

[palehorse]

I am getting bifacials on my shop roof only bc they were the same price or better as mono and I have heard they tend to perform better in cloudy weather. They also have a 30 year rating vs the 25 on the mono. So for me it seems to make sense.

 

[Gavin Stone]

I am getting bifacials on my shop roof only bc they were the same price or better as mono and I have heard they tend to perform better in cloudy weather. They also have a 30 year rating vs the 25 on the mono. So for me it seems to make sense.

If your roof is white you may see some gain. Otherwise it’ll be little to none. That cloudy day thing is really a ground mount advantage. But if the warranty is better. Why not. ??‍

 

[palehorse]

If your roof is white you may see some gain. Otherwise it’ll be little to none. That cloudy day thing is really a ground mount advantage. But if the warranty is better. Why not. ??‍

Its a metal shop roof that is silver (galvanized aluminum). I dont think I will have good spacing on the roof to get any benefit on the backside as the entire roof will be covered. Its 32 480w panels.

Do you think these are good quality? BiHiKu 5 480w. The company I went with said they could get them cheaper than regular Tier 1 panels like q cells. I have a previous topic i posted around the cost for all this and another post just asking about those panels as I haven't seen them before.

 

[PreppenWolf]

Water spray bottle if you're going to drill asbestos. Keep that location wet to prevent dust from floating. And where a respirator while doing it.

Minimal effort, excellent prevention of dust entering your airway which is the real concern with asbestos. It's really no different from handling fiberglass insulation. Just keep it out of your lungs.

 

[Danke]

If your roof is white you may see some gain. Otherwise it’ll be little to none. That cloudy day thing is really a ground mount advantage. But if the warranty is better. Why not. ??‍

Weight.

 

[Gavin Stone]

Weight.

If it’s a metal shop then that shouldn’t be a concern. But there’s no harm in checking the tolerances first.

 

[Danke]

If it’s a metal shop then that shouldn’t be a concern. But there’s no harm in checking the tolerances first.

Lifting/placing them.

 

[Gavin Stone]

Lifting/placing them.

I installed some by myself on my metal shop. Granted they weren’t bifacials. But they were more wattage then my bifacials. So nearly the same weight. Just takes a bit of planning first.

 

[Danke]

I installed some by myself on my metal shop. Granted they weren’t bifacials. But they were more wattage than my bifacials. So nearly the same weight. Just takes a bit of planning first.

Those bifacials are ~70 lbs. I’m too old to be handling glass 4’ wide that heavy.

 

[timselectric]

Two pieces of glass.
Increasing weight significantly.

 

[shadowmaker]

Hi,

I'm going to buy 540W solar panels and I'm going to install them in house roof (Asbastoes sheet roof)
There are two options at the moment.

1. Bifacial solar panels: - JA 540W. 10 years product warranty. Same price.
2. Monofacial Panels - JA 540W 12 years warranty Same price

There is no difference in price, should I go for bifacial solar panels?

Are there any durability or any other issue in Bifacial solar panels? There is a threat of monkeys in my area.

What's your opinion?

Thanks

I thought my 700W bifacials were indestructible until I broke 4mm drill bit and a small 1-2mm piece of it hit my panel almost one meter away and broke the glass. Didn't see that coming. I mean you can walk on them.

 

[shadowmaker]

1. Bifacial solar panels: - JA 540W. 10 years product warranty. Same price.

JA solar spec sheet for these panels say 12 year warranty.

 

[Bluedog225]

Asbestos and monkeys? Awesome. Maybe securer them with lead expansion bolts? (chuckle)

Where do you live? Sounds interesting.

I’d not go with bifacial unless you can take advantage. I don’t think they will be more monkey proof. Unless they can get to the backside in which case I’d put all wires in nicely done rigid conduit.