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  • Water Seal between modules

    Has anyone done water sealing between modules?

    I was looking at Sunmodo gasket product (https://sunmodo.com/wp-content/uploa...sket-Flier.pdf). I am wondering if anyone has used that or another product to accomplish the goal of reducing the amount of water under their canopy or carport?

    With the Sunmodo gasket being installed from the top side, this sounds a bit easier said than done, since you can't just walk on the modules or even using a lift, would seem to be a bit challenging to be close enough to touch the module with hitting the modules with the lift.

  • #2
    I havent used it but have heard of past products that work similarly but its not a common product. A top mounted spline type arrangement like this sure looks like the best option. As for actually applying it, my guess is its very specific to the install. My guess is liberal amounts of soapy water would make it go in better. The other question is long term durability, EPDM is pretty good for UV (its a common roofing material ) but it does " bake out" eventually..

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    • #3
      The water proofing functionality is actually a secondary benefit. My panels have aluminum frames, would mute the aluminum lines a bit.

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      • #4
        Running concurrent with your other thread but sticking with reducing water drip under the canopy/carport for this thread, even if a tight seal between panels can be maintained, moisture will still be dripping from the array, although probably at a reduced rate and probably at times when it won't matter if you're under it.

        Reason: Moisture condensation. On occasions such as when the dew point is close to the dry bulb temp. and with coincident low wind velocities and clear skies (which may well make the effective radiant sky temp. lower than the dew point temp. which happens fairly often in my area), much like condensate on a vehicle windshield when you leave for work in the early A.M., moisture will condense on panels. Sometimes, my rain gauge at the array will record as much as 0.01" or 0.02" of precip. that's actually dew. Anyway, the deal on the wet underside of the array is explained by the panels being relatively thin and offer little resistance to heat transfer through their thickness. So, the backside and the frontside of a panel will be close to the same temp., particularly when it's night time. If condensate forms on the front (top) side because the panel's temp. is below the dew point temp., it will most likely form on the back (under) side as well. As I mentioned before in your other thread, I can get under my array. Doing so shortly after dawn on occasion, I've found moisture present on the underside of the panels and the only way it could have gotten there is by condensation. Using my IR thermometer to measure front (top) sides and back (bottom) sides of the corner panels in the same location, the front (top) and back (bottom) have the same temp.

        Take it FWIW.

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        • #5
          the sunmodo gasket should be applied during the install. As you guessed trying to apply it afterwards is very hard. a cheper option woudl be to use BUTYL tape between the modules and clamp or bolt the modules together to keep the water tight seal.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by khanh dam View Post
            the sunmodo gasket should be applied during the install. As you guessed trying to apply it afterwards is very hard. a cheper option woudl be to use BUTYL tape between the modules and clamp or bolt the modules together to keep the water tight seal.
            Without considerations for thermal expansion, clamping or bolting panels together can cause problems which are supposed to be handled by racking but may not be as the assumptions associated with most racking designs may be violated by removing/eliminating any assumed flexibility in the whole array.

            Besides probably voiding any warranty, what may develop by your clamping idea are stresses not planned for by the racking design, leading to things like cell cracks and other situations brought on by thermally induced cyclic thermal stress, as well as the unknown, but perhaps/likely higher probability of fatigue failure that comes with it.

            IMO engineering opinion, your advice is bad. I'd advise Heimdm and others to ignore it.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by khanh dam View Post
              ....... and clamp or bolt the modules together to keep the water tight seal.
              VERY BAD idea. It's possible that simply 2 panels would survive this abuse. 3 panels - where one is sandwiched between others, almost a sure thing one will break from thermal expansion stress

              Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
              || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
              || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

              solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
              gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister

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              • #8
                Based on the feedback, it sounds the proper solution is either a racking solution that catches the rain water, or to put gutters as part of the sub-frame structure on the solar canopy/pergola. Without a gap between the solar panels, its like why there is a gap in wood floors.

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                • #9
                  I talked with Solar Rain frame that has racking that includes guttering under the gaps of the solar panels. The guttering is part of the racking system. Like all cool things is comes with a price. Their price was over 30k for my array. Traditional no-frills racking is under 4k, definitely not worth over 25k.

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                  • #10
                    using butyl tape and bolting panels together will not cause them to crack if they are allowed to move freely in racking system designed this way.
                    https://www.pvracking.com/ recommended this to me. but what the hell do they know? they just run a business selling a racking solution that does what you want.
                    Last edited by solar pete; 02-08-2021, 06:26 PM.

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                    • #11
                      I will definitely take a look at pvracking's system. Replacing clamps with slide in rails could make my project installation a lot easier. According to PVracking.com some of their racking is even available in a black finish.
                      Last edited by heimdm; 02-09-2021, 08:14 AM.

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                      • #12
                        The pricing I got from Sunmodo's stripping is just under $90 per 26 ft strip. Still waiting to get a response back from PVRacking.com.

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