Construction Details
Aside from the placement and appearance of the panels themselves,
the next most important aspect for both performance and aesthetics
is the PVC plumbing. In most cases the plumbing will go straight
up the wall of the house and either through or around the roof
eave. The pipe we use is black, and UV stabilized. Sometimes a
homeowner will request that we run white pipe, which is more easily
painted to match the house color.
Wall plumbing, with clamps
Plumbing, around eave
Through eave
Sometimes the wall plumbing has to go around obstructions
such as this decorative trim
Solar panels should be drained for the winter, to prevent damage
in a hard freeze. Most of our systems will be designed to “self-drain”
so that the water ends up back in the pool every night. These
systems only need to be turned off for the winter. In other cases,
where the panels are lower than the supply piping, a drain faucet
will be placed on the array. Some customers prefer having a drain
line brought down the wall, so that no-one has to climb on the
roof.
Drain down line
Most systems will use an automatic control system.
This box will usually be mounted at the equipment pad.
Auto control (black box)
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Systems
