Use of Zip Ties?

[Zeigh]

Are standard zip ties recommended for solar panel installation on a roof?

I had 52 panels installed professionally about 18 months ago. While doing some unrelated work on the roof, I see that a couple of zip ties used for securing the cabling to the rails (IronRidge) have failed. Looking closer, I see that these were exposed to the afternoon sun on the ends of the array and simply degraded from UV exposure. No sign of rat or bird damage. Considering that these panels are to last 25 years maintenance-free (other than washing off dust) and IronRidge has specialized clips to hold wiring, do all of these zip ties need to be replaced? Is this professiional?


Peace,
Dr. Z.

[solarix]

Do not use zip ties (or anything else plastic) as part of a solar installation. Maybe in other parts of the world they last a long time, but not here in Arizona (and even under the best circumstances are never going to last as long as a solar panel). Even the so called "UV stabilized" black ones just dry up and fall apart in a year or two (even when they are totally shaded). I see them a lot on systems we repair though (we see a lot of "stuff" on system we are repairing...) I know its tempting to use these convenient devices, but don't. You can find stainless versions (though at much higher prices). Definitely not professional to use plastic zip-ties.

We did a roof restoration removal on a residential array today that (I kid you not) had a 6in gap between two array connectors. Six panels had not been working since the array was installed. The original installer must not have planned out the wiring well, and when the connectors didn't quite reach - just forgot about it. Unbelievable....