Austrian mounting system provider Aerocompact has unveiled a new mounting system based on a 5.8m long support rail that does not lie on the roof but is connected directly to a purlin placed below with self-drilling support screws. In this way, the manufacturer said, the panels are neither stressed nor damaged, as all compressive and tensile forces from wind or snow are directed into the roof substructure.

The roof substructure is screwed with thin sheet metal screws directly onto the top layer of the panels. Spacer sleeves and additional supports guarantee that the distance between the rail and the roof is maintained evenly and that good ventilation is ensured. A pre-assembled rubber seal prevents moisture from entering the raised beads. A patented structural algorithm regulates the optimal distribution of the support points on the roof, in the Aerocompact planning software.

The carrier rail is connected directly to the purlin below with self-drilling support screws. Image: Aerocompact

“As a rule, photovoltaic systems are mounted directly on the roof skin with self-tapping screws, so that compressive and tensile forces act on the panels and damage them,” explains Marco Rusch, group head of corporate communications at Aerocompact. “With our concept, damages are almost impossible.”

The company specified there is no need for any approvals or additional certificates from the manufacturer for the installation, which makes retrofitting photovoltaic systems significantly easier. The mounting system may also be installed on a rooftop system with different types of solar modules. “Because the roof substructure absorbs all the forces, it is irrelevant which panels were installed and which forces they can withstand,” explains Rusch.

Aerocompact has integrated a fastening solution which is suitable for wood, steel and aluminum purlins, into the in-house planning tool Aerotool, and project planners will find automated faetures for optimal load distribution. The mounting system comes with a 25-year guarantee.