Activate Energy were contacted by this client in Leicestershire. The property was a converted barn which the client had completed himself. The roof structure utilised the original Oak timbers and Rosemary tiles which added to the rustic appeal, but didn’t lend it’s self very well to the straight parallel lines of a PV system. The roof undulated significantly so a solution needed to be engineered in order to ensure the ascetics were maintained for such a beautifully renovated property.
A structural engineer was consulted to ensure the roof could take the added weight of the PV system which numbered 21no Phono Solar modules. In order to overcome the undulating rafters, the system was ‘cross-railed’. Although cross-railing in effect over engineers the system strength of the mounting system which wasn’t required in this case, it also has the added benefit of ironing out an uneven roof by way of the cross rail members – which is the benefit we wanted to utilise in this instance.
The property had a small porch. This needed to be removed to facilitate the installation and made good.