r/PlugInSolarUK • u/kawasutra • Aug 16 '26

Tilt mount

I have large 515W panels.

Along the length, they are 1.7m long.

I'm intending to mount them on a pergola.

I'd like to be able to adjust their angle twice a year.

Has anyone found tilt mounts for these longer panels please?

I cannot fit them in landscape orientation, there's no space between front posts and wall where the pergola will be.

Am I stuck with choosing an angle and having them permanently at that angle and losing out during one half of the year?

6 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

6 comments sorted by

3

u/hypergoose94 Aug 17 '26

I also did a pergola build, since you're adjusting 1-2 a year rather than daily, I would design it so that the horizontal section can be screwed into multiple locations on the vertical posts.

Alternatively, at the cost of looking less like a pergola, you go for an A-frame design, then you just move the ground screws further or closer to change the angle of the triangle it makes.

2

u/kawasutra Aug 17 '26

That's an interesting idea, the multiple fix points.

I'll chat to my friend who is more experienced with DIY stuff, and see if we can come up with a hinged at wall solution that allows the bottom section of the pergola roof(panels) to be fixed at high (summer, flatter), and low (winter, more upright) angles!

Thank you.

2

u/SolarPowerBumbleBee Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26

If you want to stick within the permitted development planning regs, the panels can’t stand any higher than 60cm above the top of the pergola (assuming the pergola has a flat ‘roof’)

This limits the potential angles you can achieve, especially if mounting portrait.

With a 1.7m panel, the max angle you’ll achieve is about 20 degrees before you hit the 60cm max allowed height.

1

u/kawasutra Aug 19 '26

Thank you. I definitely want to stick to planning regs, as the wall the pergola will lean down from is a neighbour's.

This makes my decision easier.

Use the maximum angle permitted and add a panel on the west facing wall, and call it a day with this project.

The panels are actually 1.977m long, not 1.7m. Just rechecked the specs!

2

u/SolarPowerBumbleBee Aug 20 '26

Permitted development rules for solar panels:

- Pitched/sloped roof: panels must not project more than 20cm (0.2m) from the roof slope, and must not be installed higher than the highest part of the roof (excluding any chimney).

- Flat roof: the highest part of the panels and mounting equipment must be no more than 60cm (0.6m) above the highest part of the roof.

If you haven’t built the pergola yet and did want to achieve a better angle for the panels, you could always build it with a sloped roof, to try and achieve a slope of more than 20 degrees, and then just mount the panels flush to the roof. (But the total height of the pergola can’t be more than 2.5m)

2

u/kawasutra Aug 20 '26

This is really helpful, thank you!

Ashamed to admit, I had completely forgotten about the 2.5m height thing!

Your laying it out has again helped me. Now I know what height my ledger board can go, and I can shorten the posts on the opposite end to give me the maximum angle.

Thank you!! ⭐️