Lesson 4 – Preparing Solar Panels

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Slope in solar panel array

As water is sprinkled along the top edge of each row, the panels should have a minimum three-degree tilt to allow water to run off. Less than three degrees will not provide enough slope to properly remove water and dirt from the solar panel – water and soil will build up at the bottom edge of the panel.

Spacing for multiple rows

If you have just a single row of solar panels as in the first photo below, you can skip this step and move onto the next section, where you start rolling out the pipe along the length of the row of panels.

For panels arrayed in rows and columns as in the second photo below, there must be a 2” gap of separation between panel rows (not columns). The gap will provide the space needed for the placement of the water pipes to be run horizontally along the length of the rows, and the attachment of sprinklers.

For a retrofit installation, as shown below, spacing can easily be obtained by loosening mid-clamps and moving panel rows. For other flush-mounted installations, extra hardware may be needed to create the gap.

If mid-clamps are on the top and bottom of the panels, such that the panels can only be adjusted left and right, the RST system can be set up on the right and left sides of the panel.  Call RST Cleantech for further consultation if required.