diy solar

diy solar

roof mount panels wiring/conduit questions

doox00

New Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2023
Messages
113
Location
US-MI
For roof mount panels, I know none of the wires can touch the roof (shingles), so is the proper way to do it would be to put an electrical box on the roof, run all the wires into that box and then through conduit to the disconnect, is this the way to do it so it passes inspection?
 
I just installed a roof mount junction box. The junction box is blank so you can put whatever holes you need into it. Mine came from these guys:
High voltage DC through your building needs to be in metal conduit.

The rails I am using allow you to run wires inside the rails to make a neater install.

Thanks for the info, I will not be running into the building, just over the roof and down the side of the pole barn to the disconnect and then into conduit through the ground and ran to my "solar shed". Wonder if plastic conduit is fine for that.
 
There are clips to secure PV wires to PV panel frames.

I will run EMT conduit up exterior of house, around the eaves (which are less than 1'), and secure it to standoffs (similar to Q-dog's rail mounts, except those use L-feet over flashing while mine will have cylindrical standoffs through flashing and L-feet on top of those.

At the end of the conduit I'll mount a junction box.

Jumping between array sections on different faces of roof, I'll use a bent length of conduit. Plastic nuts over the ends.

There is a spec on how long a PV wire between supports, and how close conduit is to roof (1"?)

Of course, include a ground bonding wire in your conduit, bond the rails and the panels. Some panel mounting methods provide connection to rails and use them as ground conductors.
 
There are clips to secure PV wires to PV panel frames.

I will run EMT conduit up exterior of house, around the eaves (which are less than 1'), and secure it to standoffs (similar to Q-dog's rail mounts, except those use L-feet over flashing while mine will have cylindrical standoffs through flashing and L-feet on top of those.

At the end of the conduit I'll mount a junction box.

Jumping between array sections on different faces of roof, I'll use a bent length of conduit. Plastic nuts over the ends.

There is a spec on how long a PV wire between supports, and how close conduit is to roof (1"?)

Of course, include a ground bonding wire in your conduit, bond the rails and the panels. Some panel mounting methods provide connection to rails and use them as ground conductors.

I have the clips to keep the wires neat and off the roof and I am using mini rails from signature solar that have ground clips to tie all the panels together, so will put grounding lugs on the frame of the panels to run the ground wire.

So the conduit on the roof has to be above the roof on standoffs, it can't be directly on the roof?
 
EZ Solar also has rail mounted junction boxes.

If you need to pass an inspection, you might want to ask whomver does the inspection how they want it done. They don't all necessarily interpret codes the same way.

As for conduit on the roof. I would not attach it to the deck. It can trap debris and maybe cause issues later. Can you attach conduit to the mini rails?
 
The rails I am using allow you to run wires inside the rails to make a neater install.
Do your rails have drain holes in them? Mine don't, so when wasn't sure about putting the wires in them when they are horizontal as the connectors could be sitting in a pool of rainwater - guess I could get some holes added :unsure:
 
Do your rails have drain holes in them? Mine don't, so when wasn't sure about putting the wires in them when they are horizontal as the connectors could be sitting in a pool of rainwater - guess I could get some holes added :unsure:
No holes in the rails. But there are caps for the ends with holes in them. I suppose a couple little holes in the bottom of the rail couldn't hurt anything?

These are Tamarack mounting rails. They include snap on plastic clips to keep the wiring inside the rails, so I would assume they account for water?

Once the panels are clamped on I really don't see much place for water to get into the rails, as the rails are covered by the panels and clamps.
 
The wiring from the panels (and ground wire) needs to go from the panels to the side of the roof and down the side of the pole barn into a disconnect. So do I need a box that the wires go into first on the roof then from the box into conduit and then across the roof then down the side of the building? Plastic conduit okay for that? I just want to be certain this is the way to do it.
 

diy solar

diy solar
Back
Top