QA

From a friend:
Congratulations on the successful solar project. It was a good reminder to check in on your blog. That new site is cool, too.

I meant to ask a few questions earlier but I'll ask now.

1. What sort of bracket holds the panels on and is it just nailed screwed through the shingles into the roof with some patch or rubber seal around the hole?

2. In 20, 30, 50 years when the roof needs replacing, do the panels come down for that and then go back up? Does the installer do that or the roofer or Joe's nephew?

3. Does having solar panels on the southern roof affect the passive solar qualities of the building (does it make a building hotter or colder and would it depend on the type and color of roof)?

Congratulations again.

1. Our brackets are roof mounted prior to the shingles. It lifts the panels off about 6 inches. The distance should help with cooling airflow in the summer, a good thing since panels run more efficient when cooler.

2. The panels and racking material come off the roof for roof work. Likely extends a reroofing job by a week or so. Hopefully a solar company does this.

3. Solar panels should make the building cooler as they are the object that receives the heat. The shingles beneath them should be in the shade and cooler. As a side note, we went with light colored shingles to enhance the new building looking like our house and also to keep the panels cooler.