How to Install Solar Panels on Asbestos Cement Sheet Roof?

A roof made up of asbestos cement which is a mixture of cement and asbestos is known as an asbestos roof. Asbestos fibers are added to the mixture to form a hard material. Asbestos is used for roofing for its insulation, fireproofing, and weatherproof properties. It is very common to find asbestos roofing in sheds, garages and farm buildings. They are very durable and can last for decades.

Step-by-Step Installation Process

To install solar panels on cement sheets, some important equipment is required which is given below. 

This installation process is made in 10 steps, so you will find it easy to install this type of solar panel.

Step 1: Material Check

A solar system comprises of different components such as solar panels, inverters, batteries, solar panel stand, solar wires, earthing kits, DC/ DV, etc. Check the individual components to ensure the right product was delivered to you.

Step 2: Roof Inspection

Solar panels can be installed on asbestos/ cement rooftops. However, it is important to inspect and replace older sheets before any solar installation. Make sure that the roof is strong enough to hold the panels in place. Asbestos roofs are very sturdy and people can easily walk on it for installation purpose. However, it is comparatively harder to install solar panels on slanting asbestos rooftops than on flat concrete roofs. But it is doable. Also, remember to use a double-sided EPDM tape to ensure water proofing for leakage of rainwater. Suppose you are installing solar panels in Delhi-NCR region, the structure should have a tilt of 20 degree and panels should be south facing.

Step 3: Materials Lifting on rooftop

One of the toughest steps is to get all materials for installation on the rooftop. You can either pass the materials directly from the ground to the roof in case of low height structures or use a ladder for transporting materials up to the rooftop.

Step 4: Panel Stand Fixing

The solar panel stand should be light-weight but strong enough to hold the panels in place. A solar panel stand having aluminium mono rails adds to the light weight.

1. Existing J-Clamp - Open Nut & Bolt of the exiting asbestos sheet on the rooftop. If the nut bolt is rusted (in case of old installations) you may even have to cut them.

2. Extension of Railing using Jointer - Once the nut bolt of the sheet is loosed you can add the holding clamp of the stand and jointer to extend the rails.

3. Tighten the Holding Clamp

4. Tight Holding Clamp with Railing using Drill Machine – With this step, panel stand installation is complete.

5. Mounting Solar Panels One-by-One (Carefully) – Bring the solar panel on the roof and check for proper alignment on the roof. Use screws to tighten the panels.

6. Solar Panel Direction (+, -) – Since the distance between the roof and the panels is very less, we need to complete the wiring of panels (either in parallel or series) along with the solar panel installation.

7. Make Proper String of Solar Panel according to solar inverter data – Once you know the location of the inverter battery and make proper alignment of the inverter with the help of scale and drill. You can easily mount inverters on the wall eg. Fusion 5KV inverter. Secure the wiring connections with the help of markings.

8. Finally Done

Step 5: Solar Panel Lifting for Proper Panel Stand Fixing

As already mentioned, tilt of solar panels is very important for proper functioning of the solar system. In order to fix the stand, solar panels will need to be lifted and then fixed on the stand properly. Care should be taken while drilling holes on the roof to fix the stand as it will give out a lot of dust which might be harmful for the installers.

Step 6: Mounting Solar Panels

Use light weight solar panel stands on the rooftop to install the solar panels. Make secure connections as described in the steps above. Complete the process with remaining number of panels.

Step 7: Inverter Battery Installation

Once the inverter is installed on the wall you can make connection with battery using the marking on the inverter. You can put the battery on a table/ cabinets etc. Then a hole of the required radius is drilled in the wall to bring multiple solar panel wiring and using a PVC pipe these wires can reach the inverter battery for proper connection. The PVC pipe will give a good look to the overall installation. Also, install the DC DV box.

Step 8: Earthing Kit Installation

Earthing is very important to safeguard your solar panel system in case of thunder and lightning. You can use two earthing one for lighting arrester and the other for the inverter.

Step 9: Solar Wiring

Complete all the wiring and secure the connections of solar panels to inverter battery, earthing, etc. According to the configuration of the inverter the connection of solar panels can either be in parallel or in series.

Step 10: Load Testing

Finally connect the whole set up with the load and check the working.

Conclusion

It is a common myth that solar panels cannot be installed on asbestos rooftops. But the reality is that installing solar panels on the asbestos rooftops will add to the strength and structure of the roof. Always get an engineer visit before and during installation. We hope our detailed video and article help you in your future installations.