Installation Guide

2635 W. 7
th
Place, Eugene, Oregon 97402, USA 6 Valid from March 2017
www.grapesolar.com
Tel: [phone] (toll free), 1-541-349-9000, Fax: [phone]
PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULES SAFETY
AND INST
ALLATION MANUAL Rev.
O
VALID IN NORTH AMERICA ONLY
4.3 For roof installation, PV modules should be mounted over a fire resistant covering which is
rated for the application.
4.4 Do not install modules near equipment or locations where flammable gases can be generated or
collected.
4.5 Grape Solar recommends using components such as earth ground fault circuit breakers, fuses
and circuit breakers in the PV system for fire prevention.
III. MODULE INSTALLATION
1. Installation Site Selection
1.1 The site for PV module installation shall have an environment temperature within Grape Solar’s
PV module operating temperature range -40°C to +85°C (-40°F to +185°F).
1.2 The site shall allow all modules to be exposed to sunlight without obstruction all year round
(shadows generated by trees or buildings, even partial shading, on the module array will result in
reduction of PV system yield).
1.3 The site shall have adequate ventilation of the module backside to avoid heat build-up, which
can cause module performance degradation and system yield reduction. For roof mounted
systems, at least a 4 inch clearance is required between the module back surface and roof for
rear ventilation and module cooling.
1.4 The modules have been evaluated to sustain a positive or negative mechanical loading of 30
lbs/ft
2
(1600 Pascal). To avoid exceeding the 30 lbs/ft
2
mechanical loading limit, site specific
loads such as wind and snow should be taken into account.
1.5 The site should not have exposure to extremely corrosive chemicals (e.g. emissions from
manufacturing facilities).
2. Module Orientation & Tilt Angle
2.1 To obtain maximum yield from the PV system, the direction and tilt angle for the modules shall
be set to receive the incident sunlight perpendicularly to the module surface. To avoid
performance degradation in serial connected module strings, all modules shall have the same
orientation and tilt angle.