23.05.2022 | Green Energy - Orange Safety, focus on PV

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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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.

Precisely for pitched roofs, because the inclination may be steep, accessing the PV system is a risky undertaking.

Curdin Erne

Installation tasks on the photovoltaic system, as well as its servicing and cleaning, represent a particular challenge. The roof form per se, in addition to its inclination exceeding 22° (attention – in Switzerland roofs with an inclination from 10° upwards count as pitched roofs), makes the working process hugely more difficult. A surface which is wet or even covered with snow complicates the situation even more. In order to minimise the risk of an accident or fall, professional fall protection systems which comply with standards must be deployed from a fall height of 3 m and upwards. In addition to slipping and skidding, breakthroughs are also amongst the greatest risks which lurk in a pitched roof. Especially when the substructures consist of materials such as fibre-cement panels, fibreboard panels, or wood cement panels, and resistance to breakthrough is not guaranteed, this also requires the implementation of appropriate safety measures. And, of course, it is also necessary to protect the access to a PV system accordingly.

 

This is how to be safe with PV systems on a pitched roof

The surfaces of pitched roofs are used to their maximum extent for power generation. And so, as a rule, little space is left here for servicing and cleaning tasks on the PV system – and, in addition, there is a further challenge: the inclination of the roof. Even on its own, that represents a safety risk. In practice there is no single optimum fall protection system for the respective situation. Instead, solutions like rail and/or lifeline systems  are combined with other devices, such as SINGLE ANCHOR POINTS or safety roof hooks, in order to make the tasks on the solar system as safe as possible, without impairing the efficiency of the solar power plant on the roof.

5 Fakten um Ihre Photovoltaik Anlage Sicher zu machen

A selection of potential fall protection systems

As already mentioned, the pitched roof area can be secured using a lifeline or a rail system. Examples of these include the AIO LIFELINE SYSTEM PASSABLE and/or the TAURUS HORIZONTAL rail system. But frequently, single anchor points are also used. For example, STA posts are installed centred on the ridge or on the roof surface. Safety roof hooks also provide optimum protection on a pitched roof. The SDH 31 or 32 can be used both as a single anchor point for personal protective equipment, and also for attachment of a roof ladder.  For all the safety solutions listed here, personal protective equipment (PPE) is also naturally required, in order to protect the installers, as well as cleaning and servicing workers.

 

Benefits of fall protection systems for PV systems on a pitched roof

Depending on the existing situation, each and every fall protection system provides quite specific benefits. In general, three benefits provided by fall protection for PV systems on a pitched roof may be noted:

 

  • The process of installing the PV system is already protected.

 

  • Attaching the fall protection system adjacent to the photovoltaic system allows the whole of the roof surface to be used to the maximum.

 

  • Safety roof hooks allow protected access over the roof surface

 

Attention: Lifeline and rail systems must be checked by a qualified person at one-year intervals. For this, in addition to thorough training of the inspector, property-specific documents are also necessary.

5 Fakten um Ihre Photovoltaik Anlage Sicher zu machen

This is how you protect pitched roofs against breakthroughs

On pitched roofs, surfaces subject to breakthrough because of their material of course also need to be provided with appropriate fall protection systems. For this, either a safety net under the roof surface or load-bearing walkways with additional guardrails should be installed. The areas at risk can also be protected by means of a load-bearing surface with circumferential side protection against falls.

Remember: Even for tasks on a pitched roof which are completed very quickly, protection of the affected working locations and of all walkways is mandatory.

 

Challenge – access to the PV system

Precisely for pitched roofs, because the inclination may be steep, accessing the PV system is a risky undertaking. Therefore in addition, the routes to the existing fall protection systems on the pitched roof must be protected accordingly. If, for example, a step-ladder is to be used for this, in order to perform cleaning or servicing tasks on the PV system, then this ascent aid must under all circumstances be secured against tipping, turning, and sliding away from the roof edge, and a safe transition to the pitched roof must be ensured. This means that it must be possible to reach the initial anchor point easily from the ladder.

 

Summary fall protection photovoltaic pitched roof

Because their inclinations may be steep, pitched roofs represent a particular challenge for the installation of PV systems, and for their cleaning and servicing. However, there are completely modern fall protection systems which, for all current building and roof constructions, are optimally suited for protecting these dangerous workplaces and their access routes. When you look for a suitable solution, you should in all cases ensure that your safety system is tested and certified appropriately for the respective substructure. Contact us immediately for further information! Our experts will be very happy to support you in finding the perfect fall protection for the PV system on your pitched roof. You can also find more information in our free factsheet!

5 Fakten um Ihre Photovoltaik Anlage Sicher zu machen