Raising height of roof mounted solar panels

[Cliffside]

I have solar panels installed on a flat roof in the back of my home, which faces west, which was great during the spring and summer with the sun high overhead. The problem is now in the winter, the panels are lower than my front roof line to how the sun tracks across the sky, so I only get the benefit of a few hours of sun each day during the season. If I (or my original installer) could simply raise the panels up higher, say 2' more, I could catch much more direct sun, which would also likely offset the cost of raising those panels too. Can anyone suggest a way, or equipment, to retrofit the system by raising the panels straight up from where they sit now? Thanks!

[f1b]

Can anyone suggest a way, or equipment, to retrofit the system by raising the panels straight up from where they sit now? Thanks!

I think it depends too much on what you have for anyone to answer intelligently on a message board.
If you already have a large number of panels in a windy area, raising them higher (and catching more wind) may cause you problems.
If your roof already has a lot of weight for how it was designed, adding more weight (with metal or wood to raise up the panels) is going to cause problems.
I would guess it's possible to raise the panels by creating a structure to do that - but those two issues are the first items that I'd be looking at - and there are probably more.

The one thing I can think of that I could feel comfortable suggesting is "Can you create a new roof 2' higher than where the roof is now?"

[emartin00]

It would depend on how they are installed. Some systems have a few inches of adjustment, others have minimal adjustment.
I think you my underestimate the cost to raise them as well. You are probably talking a full day of work, and probably well over $1000 of labor.

[J.P.M.]

Most roofs are flat. Is yours also horizontal? What is the current orientation of the panels - horizontal or tilted ? If tilted, what angle and what orientation (azimuth) ?

To increase the distance to the roof of a horizontal array on a flat roof to avoid shading by, say, a parapet, etc., will usually take some design work and some consideration of the slight increase in dead load, and the increased loading from wind/seismic and other occasional loads. If the array is tilted off the horizontal, and /or non parallel to the mounting surface, the same considerations apply but probably in somewhat different ways, depending on the application. In any case, the new, expected loadings will need to be checked as part of any design modification(s) as will the modified array support structure. Check with you AHJ for correct direction and requirements.