As the industry has expanded rapidly in recent years, the technology used to mount solar panels to residential rooftops has experienced incredible innovation and rapid growth. Solar panel mounting systems are now available for all kinds of roofs, from asphalt shingles to clay tiles, to standing seam metal, and everything in between.
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Modern solar mounting systems consist of roof attachments (with or without flashing), mounting rails, and module clamps. These products are designed to allow workers to quickly and effectively install solar panels that will last for decades on the roof, with minimal effect on the roofing materials and no roof leaks. Ground-mounted racks are also available.
There are many options for what you need, no matter your roof style or ground mounting system necessities. Your solar installer will know the best option to get the most use out of your solar system.
Below is our expert review of solar panel mounting solutions, which highlights the top three solar panel mount brands, and discusses the pros and cons of rooftop solar systems versus ground-mounted systems.
See how much solar panels will cost for your homeSolar panel mounts and racks are equipment that secures solar panels in place.
Mounting allows the panels to be adjusted for optimal tilt, which can be based on latitude, seasons, or even time of day — to ensure maximum solar energy production. The most common locations for mounting are on the roof, using solar roof mounts, or on the ground with ground-mount options.
In terms of cost, mounts and racking typically account for about 10% of the total cost of an average solar system. For example, if your solar system cost $10,000, the racking system portion would be about $1,000 of the total cost.
The price will depend on the type of racking you use, the amount of equipment needed, and labor costs for installation.
The most common technique of module mounting is using a solar panel mounting bracket. Mounting brackets are heavy-duty equipment, usually made from stainless steel or aluminum. All solar racking and mounting products, whether for the rooftop or ground, must meet strict guidelines to ensure durability and structural integrity to withstand high winds and weather events.
Next, we will walk you through the main components that make up racking equipment so you can better understand the structure that will support your solar panels.
Solar panel racking equipment is built with 3 main components:
Roof attachments
Module clamps
Mounting rails
Each tool plays a key role in how the structure supports your panels, to ensure you get the most amount of solar power out of them.
The roof attachments are the fasteners that will be drilled into your roof in order to secure the racking system in place.
The holes these drills create will be surrounded by ‘flashing’, which is a plastic or metal shield that is inserted between shingles to prevent water from getting into the hole. However, roof attachments differ for each roof type.
To dig a little deeper, take a look at more information on installing solar panels on clay tile roofs, metal roofs, and flat surface roofs.
The module clamps attach the drilled-in roof attachments to the mounting rails. There are a few different module clamp types for each angle and corner of the solar panel.
After drilling into the roof, the roof attachments are then connected to mounting rails via module clamps that will then support the solar panels.
Although there are railless racking options available, rails are most commonly used because they can be secured to most roof angles, and because many installers are trained using rail mounting systems.
While many manufacturers produce solar panel mounts, only a handful of companies come out on top when it comes to quality. You can’t really go wrong with IronRidge, Quick Mount and Unirac, but we will walk you through the pros and cons of each brand.
The top two high-quality solar mounting and racking brands are:
Ironridge
Unirac
Originally, IronRidge supported mostly small, off-grid projects. But today, IronRidge is known for its uniquely shaped and durable XR rail series for pitched roofs. They have equally great options for flat roofs and ground mounts, as well.
Unirac sells mounts for flat roofs and fixed-tilt ground-mount frames. Unirac’s solar mounts each come with different tilts, allowing the direction of the solar array to be independent of the angle of the roof, ensuring the best productivity.
Each brand offers no obvious weaknesses, and each offers very innovative mounting and racking kits to meet most solar needs.
You can buy any option through a local solar equipment supplier for DIY projects. But if you work with a solar installer, they will buy the panel mounts for you since they know what will work best with your roof and solar panels.
Tackling a solar panel project DIY-style can make things a bit more complicated. Most of the time, you cannot go out and buy a fully-constructed solar panel mount system. You need to buy each individual part separately to then form a complete mount. If DIY is the route you want to go, buying entire solar panel kits with their corresponding racking solutions makes things easier.
If you are not purchasing a kit, you can browse racking equipment on the AltE website and purchase the different components that make up the racking system. Just make sure they are the proper size for the solar panels you purchase.
The best way to make ensure your solar installation goes off without a hitch (and uses the proper equipment suited for your specific roof) is to work with a licensed solar installer.
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Get a free quote from top-rated installers near youA problem with rooftop solar is that it’s heavily constrained by the characteristics of your roof. Homeowners who install ground-mounted solar panels do so for one of three reasons:
They have insufficient roof space
Their roof faces north - which is bad for panel output
They want to optimize the performance of their system
Solar panels produce the most energy when they’re facing south. Depending on the orientation of your house, this isn’t always an option. On a roof, there might be further limitations like shade from surrounding buildings and trees.
Options to choose from include ground mounts that can be secured into the ground or ballasted mounts. Ballasted mounts sit on top of the ground and are not secured in - but are held down by the weight of the panels themselves. Ballasted ground mounts tend to be more popular since there is no drilling required for installation.
The best options for ground mounts also come from the top brands, Ironridge and Unirac.
These are built to be long-lasting, flexible, and withstand any weather. They also come with a 25-year warranty.
Pricing is difficult to pinpoint because it will depend on the size of your solar array, costs of material at the time of purchase, and the fact that many suppliers ask that you request a quote.
The Unirac Ground Fixed Tilt is another great choice - it is durable and lightweight and also has a 25-year warranty. Unirac ensures fast shipping times and ease of construction. You can work with a licensed solar installer to determine which ground mount system is best for your terrain and solar panels.
Including racking and mounting, an average 6kW solar system would cost about $18,000 given the US average solar panel cost of about $3.00 per watt as of January . After applying the federal solar tax credit of 30%, that works out to $12,600.
It is up to you and your energy needs whether or not you want to install solar tracking systems, but generally, installing either roof or ground-mounted solar panels will work for any home.
Working with licensed installers is the best way to determine which solar panel mount system will work best for your roof. If you research mount brands and have a preference, you can discuss your options with your solar installer. Enter your zip code below to find out the potential savings for installing solar panels with solar panel mounts on your home.
You'll generally only see the shiny new panels when you install a rooftop solar panel system. But right under those panels is racking equipment, which is key to keeping them secure and in place.
The right racking equipment for your system primarily depends on your roof type. From there, you'll have a few brands to choose from––but usually, your installer will have preferred racking equipment that they'll select for you.
High-quality solar companies build systems meant to last. So, as long as you're confident in your installer, you should feel confident in the racking equipment they suggest. We'll explain some of the top brands you'll see in quotes from top installers, and how to make sure you're getting the right racking equipment installed.
A solar racking system safely affixes solar panels to different surfaces, such as your roof or yard. Solar companies use racking products to hold equipment in place during an installation. Solar racking, also called solar mounting, is usually made from aluminum, which works well for rooftop installations due to its strength and low weight compared to other materials.
Solar racking is a vital part of any solar installation, but represents only a small percentage of total system costs––right around 3%, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). For an average-priced 11 kW solar panel system ($31,460 before incentives), that comes out to $1,068 for racking equipment.
Installing solar panels on a roof involves drilling holes susceptible to leaking if they're not adequately covered. Flashing is a material that stops water from leaking through your roof, usually as a thin, rectangular piece of aluminum sheeting. An installer will insert flashing underneath shingles on a traditional asphalt tile roof. For roofs made with tile, metal, rubber, or wood, your installer will use specially designed flashings that fit the unique shape of your roofing material.
Solar panel systems are attached to your roof with mounts. Mounts are sometimes referred to as "feet" and are usually attached to your roof with a bolt through the flashing and into a rafter, securing your whole system. There are many varieties of mounts used in different racking systems. Solar installers need access to your attic or the underside of your roof during an initial site visit to ensure that your rafters are structurally intact and appropriately spaced to accommodate the mounts for your solar panel system.
Mounts hold up rails, the component of solar racking that your solar panels sit directly on top of. They are often long aluminum tracks installed vertically or horizontally on your roof plane. Several alternative rail setups exist to standard rails, such as rail-less or shared-rail. An added benefit of rails is that they provide a clear space to run the wiring of your solar panel system, helping to reduce clutter and improve the safety and aesthetics of your installation.
To keep solar panels secured in place on racking, installers use clamps, which link solar modules to the rails below. Installers will often use both mid-clamps and end-clamps on an installation. Mid-clamps sit between solar panels and them in place on two sides, while end-clamps sit at the ends of the full system and are typically larger.
Most installers have preferred racking equipment that they typically work with. We'll dive into the top brands you may come across when getting quotes. Many of these brands offer standard "penetrating" rooftop racking, which works with traditional asphalt roofs. The right racking equipment for you will depend on your specific roof type.
SnapNrack is a solar racking company based in California that specializes in making a snap-in racking solution. Their Ultra Rail Roof Mount System uses snap-in brackets for attaching rails, making any installation easy. They also produce ground-mounted racking systems and more traditional penetrating rooftop solutions without snap-in rails. To minimize risk and reduce time spent on the roof, they also offer a mounting system that allows most of the installation process to be performed on the ground.
Unirac has several product lines, all catering to different types of residential and commercial solar panel systems. Unirac offers racking equipment that can be installed on various angles of pitched roofs, flat roofs, and ground-mounted systems. According to the company's website, Unirac has been included in over 2.5 million installations.
Generally thought of as making some of the physically toughest racking products, IronRidge offers pitched roof, flat roof, and ground-mounted racking solutions. IronRidge also tested components of their pitched roof systems in extreme environments, including Florida's high-velocity hurricane zones. IronRidge is based in California and has been operational since the mid-s.
You can install solar on most roof types, but penetrating roof mounts aren't the best option for every roofing material. Quick Mount PV and EcoFasten are two solar panel rack manufacturers that have developed more specialized products for specific roof types, including standing seam metal roofs and clay and Spanish tile roofs.
If you have a standing seam metal roof, your installer can use Quick Mount PV and EcoFasten mounting systems to clamp onto the roof's seams without making any holes. Drilling holes in the roof is a time-consuming process that has to be done carefully so your roof remains watertight after installation. Your installer can speed up the installation by using Quick Mount PV or EcoFasten racking on standing seam metal roofs.
Clay and Spanish tile roofs are more brittle and easier to break than asphalt, composite, or metal roofs. Quick Mount PV has developed a Tile Replacement Mount to make installing solar on clay and Spanish tile easier. Tile Replacement Mount products are shaped like roof tiles and can be swapped with existing tiles on your roof. In addition to making the installation process easier, they ensure your solar installation is watertight since your installer isn't making holes in your roof to mount your panels.
Tracking mounts are more expensive than stationary ground mounts or rooftop mounting systems–but they can be a good investment if your primary goal is to maximize your energy production.
It can be easy to overlook your solar mounting hardware since it's mostly hidden under your solar panels. And honestly, that's often OK. While this equipment is integral to your solar panel system, quality installers will install quality racking equipment, so you don't need to focus on it too much. But if you do want to be involved in deciding which racking equipment you get installed, here are some of the top factors to consider:
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