Vibrant Solar had a install featured in a magazine which I talk about the mounting height and Vibrant Solar responds to my post.
I was looking at the new Denver Home magazine that comes free in the mail, I don’t throw them out right away because they usually have amazing photos of Colorado homes.
The Jan/Feb issue had an article written by someone at Vibrant Solar Inc.
It was a good article which focused on the cost issue more than the environmental issues. I think that is key for the solar industry is to work the cost benefits a lot more that the environment issues so more people get on board when they see the long term savings.
The photo of the main Vibrant Solar home was a little odd. The image shows the panels mounted 2″ to 3″ off the roof. I thought if the panels are mounted less than 4 inches off the roof can reduce the efficiency of the panels.
Thank you for your positive comments. I agree that most consumers are already aware of the environmental benefits of Solar, but don’t know about its affordability.
As far as the placement of the panels, you are correct about a standard mounting of 4″ above the roof. Panel efficiency is effected by heat, and it is good to have some “breathing room” to keep panels cooler and more efficient.
The upper picture on p. 33 of the article shows the installation in progress. By the installers’ feet you can see the racking system which does hold the panels at 4″ above the roof.
For this particular installation, we removed the tile roof, installed a shingle roof under the panels, and replaced tiles on the upper and side edges for aesthetic reasons. This may cause it to appear lower than 4″, which was the desired effect.