Help about lifting solar panel to roof...

Chan
Chan Registered Users Posts: 45 ✭✭
in Construction #1
I have a 300W panel and is around 25kg, any idea on how to lift the panel safely and efficiently?

Thanks.
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  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,006 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #2
    I've just slide them along an extension ladder in front of me, If you are uncomfortable with that you could beg, borrow/rent scaffolding. It might surprise you, if you live at all rural, how many people have scaffolding. After I broke down and purchased some I had a couple people say they wish they had know. They could have lent me some.

    If you are talking multiple stories it might be worth asking at a rental place for a shingle lift, I would worry about them on a narrow lift, but I suspect you could devise some method to stabilize.
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
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  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,901 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Hire young people!  When I need the help there are always young people who will lift batteries. The H series solar panels are too big for one person so I avoid them. I also never go on a roof including my own. Arrays are best on the ground if you can.

    And as Photowhit said scaffolding or a backhoe.
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

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  • MarkC
    MarkC Solar Expert Posts: 212 ✭✭✭
    #4
    My installer brought all the rails and panels in a horse trailer.  We backed it up right next to my solar shed roof, loaded the panels to the top of the trailer and then on to the roof.  Made a great work platform.
    3850 watts - 14 - 275SW SolarWorld Panels, 4000 TL-US SMA Sunny Boy Grid tied inverter.  2760 Watts - 8 - 345XL Solar World Panels, 3000 TL-US SMA Sunny Boy GT inverter.   3000 watts SMA/SPS power.  PV "switchable" to MidNite Classic 250ks based charging of Golf cart + spare battery array of 8 - 155 AH 12V Trojans with an  APC SMT3000 - 48 volt DC=>120 Volt AC inverter for emergency off-grid.   Also, "PriUPS" backup generator with APC SURT6000/SURT003  => 192 volt DC/240 volt split phase AC inverter.  
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  • Raj174
    Raj174 Solar Expert Posts: 795 ✭✭✭✭
    edited August 2016 #5
    Like Dave said, I used young people to get my 12 300 watt panels up on a 9 foot high ground mount rack.
    4480W PV, MNE175DR-TR, MN Classic 150, Outback Radian GS4048A, Mate3, 51.2V 360AH nominal LiFePO4, Kohler Pro 5.2E genset.
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  • Cosmos
    Cosmos Registered Users Posts: 13 ✭✭
    #6
    My wife and I have a great system worked out for us; we are both 60 plus, off grid, remote and rural.  No young people close by at all. We use our backhoe with forklifts mounted on the front loader.  We clamp a piece of 3/4 inch plywood to the forklift arms and load the solar panels on the plywood flat.  i never do more than three panels at a time to play it safe.  It is so easy to raise up the loader with panels.  Sometimes I have used 2 x 4's to bridge a gap if there is one and then just slide the panel to where you need it.  The backhoe is a Case 580 Construction King so we can raise the loader pretty high.  We do this for roofing material too.  So if you have access to a backhoe might want to give this a try.  We always go slow and easy and never rush.  If the wind is blowing, we do it another day.
    Home.  30 Kyocera 265 6MCA, FP2-VFX3648 (two FM80 charge controllers, FW-X240 transformer, MATE3, HUB10, FLEXnet DC, two 80A charge 
    controll breakers, surge protector), Zomeworks (two-UTRF-168) 9 panels on each,  2 fixed pole arrays with 6 panels on each, 24 Rolls Surrettes S-1660 (2 v) for a 48 v battery bank, various MidNite circuit breakers, combiner boxes, Zephyr Power Vent, Hydrovolt, MidNite Solar surge protector for AC/DC circuits.  Honda generators; 800, EU2000i, EM3500sx, EM6500.  Generac 8000.

    Off road Jeep trailer M416 conversion.  4 Kyocera 40 watt PV panels, Outback FX 2012 MT, Trimetric 2025 RV,  4 Optima Blue Tops, 400 watt AirX wind turbine (12 v), Morningstar Sunsaver S20 w/LVD disconnect , MidNite battery capacity meter, various fuses,.

    NEW 12/21:  Sold the Jeep trailer, so that's gone.  The Home system is I am redoing completely, retiring the "old" home systems except still using Kyocera solar panels, etc.  New permitted system:  roughly 16,000 watts of solar panels (54 panels, Kyocera and REC), spread out on 2 Zomeworks, 2 Powerfab pole top mounts, and a large Snap N Rack ground mount (8000 watts with grade beam footings)..  2 Outback 8048A with load centers, 4 Outback flex 100 charge controllers, 4 combiner boxes, multiple surge protectors, Mate 3s, HUB 10, FNDC, 2 Lynx 1000 amp bus bars, 6 Fortress E Flex 5.4 Lithium Batteries, Square D Stu 223 disconnect, lots of matched battery cables, circuit breakers, fuses, etc.  Still finishing ground mount, inspector said to finish system and then final, estimate 2-3 weeks, no anticipated problems going well.  Kohler 14kW RESA, Honda EM6500, etc.


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  • rdgoods
    rdgoods Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭✭
    #7
    Being rural, and fifty-somethings ourselves (aside from there being no young people available); I stood at the top of the extension ladder upon our single-story roof while my wife tilted the panels up to the ladder at the base, then she lifted the panel from the bottom while I bend over (holding onto the ladder of course) and grabbed the top of the panel and lifted it onto the roof. Being an off-grid system, we only had to do 5 of these (though BIG panels!). Once you're done, take two Aleve, a shower, drink a beer, and go to bed !
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  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,902 ✭✭✭✭
    #8
    I'm 58. Just carried four 75 pound panels over 50 yards then hoisted them unto the roof. Had a glass of cold water and a game of computer Monopoly in celebration. Takes about 18 minutes to win on the computer. Used to take 4 1/2 minutes with a high speed controller on a 1989 Sega set. What happened to technology?
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
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