ZeP solar mounting system is ingenious

rollandelliott
rollandelliott Solar Expert Posts: 834 ✭✭
in General Solar Power Topics #1
http://www.zepsolar.com/products.html

Finally a company has realized out how dumb it is to frame the solar panels and then have to create a seperate racking system for the panels.

The zep system has the racking solution built INTO the solar panel frame.

I hope all solar panel manufacturers start making panels that have compatible frames.
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  • techntrek
    techntrek Solar Expert Posts: 1,372 ✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: ZeP solar mounting system is ingenious

    Cool. No more brackets, although their flat-roof mounting system still seems to be complex.
    4.5 kw APC UPS powered by a Prius, 12 kw Generac, Honda EU3000is
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  • jagec
    jagec Solar Expert Posts: 157 ✭✭
    #3
    Re: ZeP solar mounting system is ingenious
    techntrek wrote: »
    Cool. No more brackets, although their flat-roof mounting system still seems to be complex.

    The installation instructions simplify it. It's a ballasted installation with wind diffusers, which makes it look more complicated than the typical rail-and-lag-bolt systems. Considering the amount of pain that I went through with my roof penetrations, I'm intrigued by the ballasted approach.

    Although I'm wary of the "snap-together" legs.
    legs.png

    Maybe I'm paranoid, but I prefer bolts.
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  • rollandelliott
    rollandelliott Solar Expert Posts: 834 ✭✭
    #4
    Re: ZeP solar mounting system is ingenious

    the ballasted system is only for flat roofs, which is mostly commercial property, not homes.

    they have very good videos on their web site that explain the different systems they sell.
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  • solar_dave
    solar_dave Solar Expert Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: ZeP solar mounting system is ingenious

    I like it a lot. sure makes a tile roof job pretty easy and looks good. I would think the example standoffs would need to be taller to allow for air flow under the array however.
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  • solarix
    solarix Solar Expert Posts: 713 ✭✭
    #6
    Re: ZeP solar mounting system is ingenious

    Hopefully this won't be a Solyndra deal where the cool technology is so expensive it can't compete.
    So far there are very few module makers switching over to the ZEP frame and they are not very available. Let's see..... $1.28/w conventional module with my own trusted framing method, or $1.50/w for limited availability of a ZEP type module.. hmmm. This goes double for built in inverters.
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  • rollandelliott
    rollandelliott Solar Expert Posts: 834 ✭✭
    #7
    Re: ZeP solar mounting system is ingenious

    you're right of course, but the concept is pretty new it just came out around a year ago. It's no more expensive than a standard frame to manufacture, so hopefully it catches on.

    My guess is someone will come up with a competing similar framing system with totally incompatible parts and it will be vhs vs beta, blue ray vs HD disk, etc.
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  • Solar Guppy
    Solar Guppy Solar Expert Posts: 1,989 ✭✭✭
    #8
    Re: ZeP solar mounting system is ingenious
    You won't be seeing it on PV's anytime soon, ZEP is patented and I doubt any panel manufactures wants added costs of licensing the frame for a mounting technology that doesn't even have measurable market share

    I looked at the links and I'm not impressed, looks like it was designed by mechanical engineers that don't understand the effects heat have on PV. The shrouds will trap the heat, very bad idea, aside from cosmetics, if offers no benfits
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  • SessionMan
    SessionMan Registered Users Posts: 8 ✭✭
    #9
    Re: ZeP solar mounting system is ingenious

    While Zepp is patented, its also being sold as TrinaMount, so at least one major manufacturer has adopted it. I haven't installed it myself so I cant speak to its ease or lack of. I agree however that using the frame of the module itself is a good idea though. We'll see in a year or 2 if it catches on, but competition in racking is pretty stiff.
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  • rollandelliott
    rollandelliott Solar Expert Posts: 834 ✭✭
    #10
    Re: ZeP solar mounting system is ingenious

    "The shrouds will trap the heat, very bad idea, aside from cosmetics, if offers no benfits"

    you're right, but I think if it is only installed on the bottom length it will look nicer and the other three sides will be opne for adequate heat dissapation.
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