46 july 2019 ACEARCHITECTURECONSTRUCTIONENGINEERINGUPDATE
vegetation, solar exposure and other factors often requiring
professional architectural services. However, a basic understanding
of these issues can have a significant effect on the energy
performance of a building. For India the need of the hour is
going back to traditional method of design with use of modern
technology, making building more passive and less active,” said
Anchuri.
Solar rooftop systems are not dependent on the architecture or
the interiors of a building unlike the concept of passive solar
buildings. Hence, considerations for installing a rooftop system
would remain the same for a normal building and also for passive
solar buildings.
According to Pranesh Chaudhary, Founder and CEO, ZunRoof
Tech, there are certain set of parameters to be considered before
any solar rooftop installation:
• Rooftopareaavailable: 1 kW solar rooftop systems require
approximately 100 sq. ft of rooftop area.
• Directionof thePVsystem: Since India lies in the Northern
hemisphere and the sun apparently moves from east to west
from the south portion of the sky. So, solar panels should be
placed in the direction of true South.
• Shadowanalysis: It is important to perform shadow profiling
to avoid loss of solar irradiation on solar panels due to any
obstructions like buildings, tall trees etc. near to the rooftop.
• Elevationof PV system: The height of the PV system generally
varies from 0.5m to 3m depending upon the location of the
rooftop and the availability of rooftop space. The height of
the structure should not be increased beyond a certain point
as it will make the system vulnerable to high wind speeds.
• Inclinationof PVsystem: In order to maximise the solar
irradiation, it is important to select the right angle of
inclination for installation PV system. The tilt of the solar
panel needs to adjust to make sure the sunlight strikes at 90
degree with the panel.
• Strengthof structure: All the structural components such
as columns, rafters, purlins, bracing and base plate need
to appropriately be chosen in order to minimise the cost
without affecting the strength of the structure.Green ZoneI ISolar deSign