Solar energy has numerous benefits for those who use it, for example, in residential, commercial and industrial buildings. Being able to reduce the electricity bill and also promote sustainability are some of these advantages.
However, to achieve these objectives, care must be taken when installing a photovoltaic system. THE Canal Solar interviewed experts in fixing structures who pointed out that structural analysis, among other factors, is essential to not compromise a project.
“I often say that the issue of structural reports is always very important. In other words, evaluate, for example, the type of tile, whether the tile can be fixed or whether you will have to look for the beam underneath. If you look for it, what type? Today, there are prestressed concrete beams. You can’t break it”, said Júlio Tavernaro, commercial manager at Spin.
“I have a steel beam. According to the structural report, can I drill a hole? Will I compromise its structure? We are unable to deduce this, guesswork. We always have to look for a professional in the field who can carry out this type of assessment, who can indicate that the system will be safe”, she explained.
“We at Spin can say this with certainty, as we have already completed major projects in Brazil. I have seen many integrators wanting to do the right thing, dedicating part of their money to the structural engineer. We have even had cases where the roof was sloped and, therefore, an adequacy analysis was carried out,” pointed out Tavernaro.
“This happened at Confins airport, in Belo Horizonte (MG), where we have a project. The entire roof beam was readjusted so that it could receive a system with around 300 modules,” he reported.
Still according to the executive, a photovoltaic system cannot compromise a structure. “It doesn’t make sense to build a plant if it will put people’s businesses and lives at risk. Installing a solar project requires a larger square area. It has a significant weight per square meter, including cables, structures, modules. Furthermore, when you have a photovoltaic system with microinverters and inverters, you have to factor in all this weight per square meter as well,” he concluded.
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Raphael Vaz, product engineer at 2P órios, also highlighted the importance of carrying out a structural analysis. For the specialist, the price to protect the client and the building is negligible compared to the loss that could be incurred if adequate supervision of the project is not carried out.
“The installer is responsible, firstly, if it is a small residential building, to carry out a visual inspection, to see if the wood is in good condition. As for medium and large projects installed, for example, in a metal warehouse, an analysis must also be planned. It is necessary to have a report certifying safety for the client. It is necessary and secures all sides: the customer, the company that will carry out the installation and the company that sold it”, he highlighted.
Types of installations
Vaz comments that, generally, residential roofs are ceramic ed on wooden beams. “These facilities are the safest, but a visual assessment is appropriate. Wood, as it is fibrous, can be attacked by fungi and bacteria, and as residential houses are sometimes old, 20, 30 years old, the structure can be damaged and this will harm the photovoltaic system”.
Regarding commercial and industrial installations, the expert pointed out that it is more common for them to be built in carbon steel warehouses. “Any roof that is made following warehouse regulations will have no problems installing a solar project. The problem starts when the shed is built at the locksmith, in a company that does not meet all the requirements”.
“In some cases, they don’t consider that someone will walk on the roof, let alone have equipment there, that’s why we end up seeing warehouses giving way due to unforeseen load on the roof. When building these warehouses, companies do not plan that there will be a photovoltaic system on the roof, for this reason they do the minimum just to avoid rain inside, and when the installation is carried out this structure may fall”, he concluded.
