16.02.2023 | PV/flat roofs

Elektro Scherer puts its trust in the TAURUS rail system from INNOTECH

In its practical implementation, the roof installation of PV systems together with their associated fall protection repeatedly creates specific challenges. In the case of Elektro Scherer, a TAURUS rail system from INNOTECH was attached directly to the K2 substructure of the solar power plant.

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Specialist series: Absturzsicherung auf PV-Anlagen

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Guide for PV systems on the roof

Guide: Fall Protection Photovoltaic (PV)-System

This ultimate fall protection guide will help you to achieve a safe PV system on the roof. In the following, we summarise the danger areas on the roof, the liability issue and the safety solutions in a compact way. In addition, you will learn how you can generate more turnover as a solar installer.

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Elektro Scherer puts its trust in the TAURUS rail system from INNOTECH

In its practical implementation, the roof installation of PV systems together with their associated fall protection repeatedly creates specific challenges. In the case of Elektro Scherer, a TAURUS rail system from INNOTECH was attached directly to the K2 substructure of the solar power plant.

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How roof surfaces can be optimally used for the planned PV installation

With regard to PV installations on roofs, the question of competition for area often arises. This refers to competition between various types of use for the available area. The reason is that in principle all PV system operators want to free up the maximum possible amount of space for their solar power plant.

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Why should you, as PV installers, also offer the fall protection system?

We invited experts to a discussion on the subject of fall protection for PV systems on flat and pitched roofs. In this blog post we go into the most frequently asked questions related to this topic.

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Individual or collective protection? Which system is used when for PV installations on a roof?

While dangers like break-throughs or an increased fall risk close to the roof edge lurk on a flat roof, on a pitched roof the inclination itself is the greatest challenge. Discover in the following article how you can professionally protect your maintenance and cleaning staff.

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A professional safety concept for PV installations protects the wallet and the nerves

As a solar system installer, you naturally know every detail of the legal safety provisions relating to PV systems on a roof. In contrast, your clients may well be entering completely new territory which probably raises a number of additional questions. It is therefore all the more important from the outset to integrate the subject of safety into the planning of the PV system, and to create a substantiated and professional safety concept.

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Successful solar system installers are those who offer PV fall protection at the same time

Solar system installers who, in addition to the optimally appropriate PV systems, can also provide the best possible fall protection, not only have a better image than their competitors – they can also use this to create increased turnover.

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Safety increases business for solar system installers as full service providers

PV systems on the roof have been booming for quite some time. No wonder, because having your own solar power plant on the roof not only gives you much more independence in terms of energy supply, but also makes a significant contribution to the energy transition as a whole. If you also focus on the issue of safety on the roof, then as a solar installer you can leave the competition behind. In this article, you will discover how you can achieve this.

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Supporting multiple PV customers simultaneously can often become a huge challenge

Not only private households, but also businesses and companies, are relying increasingly on generating their own solar energy. The presently escalating energy prices will hasten this trend even further. For solar system installers, this creates enormous potential for winning new orders. It can then very easily happen that multiple projects or construction sites have to be managed simultaneously. And that creates a number of challenges.

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Work on a PV system on a roof

Installing one’s own PV system on a roof makes sense for a number of reasons. So that it always provides the best possible performance, workers regularly have to access the solar power plant in order to perform servicing and cleaning tasks. Who is responsible or liable for the consequences of accidents?

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PV systems on a roof – consider all danger areas, in order to protect against falls effectively

The circumstances and conditions of every single order for a PV system on a roof must always be analysed very closely, in order to implement the correct safety precautions. Solar system installers who recognise all risks and can at the same time also propose the appropriate professional and certified solution to their customers have the opportunity to position themselves as a responsible absolute expert in their area. In the medium and long term, this also has a positive effect on the sales performance of solar system installers.

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6 tips which help solar system installers to gain increased turnover from their PV installations on roofs

Even if the connection isn’t obvious at first glance, solar system installers and PV installation companies can acquire significantly more new customers with a partner who is a certified and professional manufacturer of fall protection systems for PV installations on roofs. The reason why is very simple: They are able to cover the subject of safety in the very first meeting with the customer, thereby relieving their potential clients of a large amount of research work.

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Subsequent installation of a fall protection system for PV installations on the roof

It is never too late to make the right decisions and implement them! This means that even operators of PV installations on the roof should consider whether the subsequent upgrade of their solar power plant with a professional and certified fall protection system is feasible and sensible.

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360° solutions as a guarantee for success

Solar system installers capable of including a safety solution with their PV systems hold a clear edge over the competition. You can find out why this is the case in the following article.

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4 steps are necessary for professional fall protection on the PV system on the roof

Discover all the necessary information here. In this article, we explain in summary the four steps that will lead you to your fall protection for PV systems. This much in advance, everything starts with a plan...

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The right fall protection creates more space for the PV system

Here is an example from practice. ADREX relies on its proven one-stop-shop principle, in order to largely relieve its customers of all tasks related to their own roof-mounted solar power plants. This obviously also includes the selection and installation of a professional fall protection system for the PV installation.

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Correct servicing and inspection of your PV fall protection system protects you from many problems

The fall protection for your PV system on a roof is 100% safe only if it is also inspected regularly for signs of potential wear and tear, damage, or corrosion, and for loose mounts. Discover what matters.

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The professional way to install a fall protection system for your PV system on the roof

The detailed planning of the fall protection system for your PV system on the roof is followed by what is probably the most tantalising moment of the endeavour to make your solar power plant as safe and efficient as possible: the installation; the project is finally taking concrete shape. Discover what matters in the process.

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The installation of a fall protection system for your PV system on the roof requires a certain amount of expertise!

The same rules that apply in all other areas of life and work also hold true in the area of fall protection systems for PV systems installed on a roof: Solid initial and further training are of pivotal importance, especially when it comes to the correct installation and proper servicing / cleaning of the system and its individual solar panels.

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The aspects to focus on when planning a fall protection system for the PV system on your roof

The goal to harvest as much power as possible from your own solar power plant therefore hinges on the ability to maximise the utilisation of the roof surface, while securing the trouble-free operation of the solar power plant for the long term. This requires a comprehensive plan which factors in all details and also includes a professional system that protects against falls from a height.

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Fall protection systems for your PV system installed on the roof

There are questions that come up again and again when it comes to the safety of PV systems on the roof. We have summarised the 6 most frequently asked questions by installers and solar technicians and also show the challenges of PV systems on flat and pitched roofs. The focus is always on possible safety solutions to mitigate these.

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PV systems on a flat roof can be efficient and safe at the same time

In the examination of current practice below, we show you two individual solutions for flat roofs, together with the respective challenges which may be created by one’s own solar power plant. Discover the TAURUS rail system and the AIO lifeline system using Autohaus Nägele & Sohn GmbH and Autowelt Reibersdorfer as examples.

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5 tips relating to your PV system on the roof

How to save time and money. Installing a photovoltaic system on your own roof is always a good idea, because in this way a previously completely unused surface is availed of for the sustainable production of electricity for your household or company. But so that this success story really comes into being, as early as the planning phase of your PV system you should also create a professional safety concept, or get one created.

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Professional fall protection for your PV system on pitched roofs

Installation tasks on the photovoltaic system, as well as its servicing and cleaning, represent a particular challenge. An selection of possible security solutions including advantages can be discovered in the following article. In addition, the topic of access to the PV system on the pitched roof is also covered.

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Fall protection photovoltaics

Not all roofs are the same. In the same way that roof forms differ greatly, the dangers concealed during installation and servicing and cleaning tasks on PV systems are just as variable. For this reason, we present solutions for all cases here.

For my PV project, it was enormously important that the overall construct was as safe as possible.

Christian Scherer

For this project, solar panels had to be installed on two roofs simultaneously. Specifically, these were the main roof of the high-rack warehouse of a German company and the associated subsidiary roof, which is a number of metres lower. In addition, these two roofs were connected by a bridge, which of course also had to be provided with an appropriate safety solution. Here, the greatest challenge was the height difference between the two sites. 

 

Technical details

For the roof of the high-rack warehouse, a total length of 198 m of TAURUS rail system was installed onto K2 D-Dome solar system material. On the subsidiary roof at the lower level, 53 m of the safety solution from INNOTECH were installed in total, permanently mounted on the PV system. A further 98 m of TAURUS were required for the connecting bridge. In addition to that, eight EAP single anchor points were attached to the K2 substructure at the fall edge between the roof of the high-rack warehouse and the subsidiary roof.

 

Innovation and quality

In 1952 master electrician Karl Scherer founded the company Karl Scherer Elektrische Anlagen in Dellmensingen, southern Germany. The company now operates under the name Elektro Scherer, and has always insisted on innovation and quality. In order to become somewhat more independent in terms of power supply in future, one of the customers of the specialist in electro-technical solutions decided to install its own PV system. In addition to the legal obligation to achieve maximum safety on the roof as a workplace, the customer was above all concerned about the safety and well-being of its employees. The answer was therefore a professional fall protection system which did not impede the optimum performance of the solar power plant. 

In addition to servicing and cleaning the PV panels, the TAURUS rail system now makes it possible to optimally and above all safely maintain and clean all elements on the roof of the high-rack warehouse and the subsidiary roof. This includes the smoke and heat extraction domes. Elektro Scherer has already implemented a number of projects together with INNOTECH. This is why, for fall protection for PV installations on a roof, the management of the German company also relies on the experts from the Austrian family undertaking.

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Special solutions which can be relied on

The wide range of products for fall protection, and especially the safety solution installed directly on the PV substructure, finally convinced Elektro Scherer to rely on INNOTECH for this project as well. In this case, installing the TAURUS rail system directly onto the substructure of the PV system was absolutely essential, because the roof’s load-bearing capacity is restricted, and attachment in the roof cladding was not possible. This approach also has the advantage that the fall protection system itself creates no shadowing whatsoever, which in turn would negatively affect the performance of the panels.

As well as that, the rail system provides the workers with continuous protection in all critical areas on the roof – and in fact without having to detach and re-attach themselves. Christian Scherer also indicates that he is very impressed by the know-how of INNOTECH’s in-house and field service team, and also by the dependability and pace in the delivery of the parts required for the fall protection system. 

Christian Scherer
Head of Photovoltaics Department
 ‐ 
DE
Erbach Dellmensingen

For my PV project, it was enormously important that the overall construct was as safe as possible. The systems from other manufacturers were usually far too elaborate and complicated.

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Installation video TAURUS rail system on the photovoltaic substructure from K2 Systems

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Service and expertise

From the outset, the project was therefore planned together with INNOTECH’s in-house service team. In the course of a number of visits, the field service team adapted the fall protection system directly onsite. “Once again, I was convinced by the service orientation of INNOTECH’s entire team. I was able to access them at any time and for any question, and they proved themselves to be very knowledgeable. In addition, not just INNOTECH’s employees, but also its products are extremely flexible”, Christian Scherer recalls about the implementation. And the Elektro Scherer boss also indicated his great satisfaction with the rapid, user-friendly application of all tools and elements of the fall protection system, because not only will it always have to be accessed at least every three months, but also on occasion for unplanned maintenance events or possible malfunctions. 

 

About Elektro Scherer

In 1952 master electrician Karl Scherer launched his own company, Karl Scherer Elektrische Anlagen in Dellmensingen. In 1995 his daughter Anna Scherer eventually took over the business. Her two sons Karl-Heinz and Jürgen Scherer followed her footsteps and led the company into the next century. Today the company operates as Elektro Scherer e.K. and has long been established as a modern specialist business for electrical installations, data technology, industrial automation, building services (EIB), and lighting.

The team consists of 50 employees – all of whom are masters, technicians, senior fitters, or fitters, as well as commercial staff, and trainees. They advise and support their customers, from planning, to project management, to fabrication and installation of electro-technical solutions – flexibly and with comprehensive know-how. The greatest premise is always maximum quality.

 

Summary

In practical implementations, the installation of a PV system in combination with its fall protection generally creates numerous challenges. For Elektro Scherer's customer, two roofs with a difference in height were equipped with solar panels. A further challenge was the roofs’ reduced load-bearing capacity, which required the fall protection system to be installed directly onto the PV substructure. Christian Scherer and his management team therefore relied on INNOTECH's TAURUS rail system, because it fulfils all relevant requirements and is very flexible in its installation. Contact our experts right away. Together we will find the most suitable fall protection system for your PV installation on a roof.

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