Kinetic Solar
Kinetic Solar specializes in racking for roof and ground mounted solar panels. Their revolutionary racking system is an excellent option for your mounted PV system. Made entirely of structural grade extruded aluminum and stainless steel, their lightweight, products offer an attractive, yet extremely durable, mount that will withstand exposure to the elements for decades.
Kinetic solar is an Ontario-based family business that has been manufacturing since 1980. Its constantly expanding K-Rack product line has become quite a favourite within the solar industry due to its innovative design, quality materials, and easy installation. Kinetic racking is very cost-effective, and they make solutions for sloped roofs, flat roofs, as well as ground mounted racking.
Solacity stocks all the Kinetic racking components, and we will be happy to help you figure out exactly how many rails, clamps, L-feet and such you need for your project.
Useful Links
- Kinetic Website
- YouTube installation videos for K-rack
- Kinetic racking installation guide (for various roof types – pdf)
- Kinetic KRGM/KLGM fixed ground mount installation manual (pdf)
- Kinetic KAGM Adjustable Ground Mount brochure (pdf)
- Kinetic KAGM Adjustable Ground Mount installation guide 2.0 (pdf)
- Kinetic KAGM Adjustable Ground Mount stamped drawings (pdf)
- Kinetic KAGM Adjustable Ground Mount ballast table (pdf)
- Kinetic Solar Awning KWNxxP-G installation guide (pdf)
- Kinetic Solar connection engineering drawings (pdf)
- Kinetic Solar KWN60P-G installation guide (pdf)
- Kinetic Solar KWN60P-G dimension drawing (pdf)
Note: For wind loads the wind value for the Ottawa area is 0.41 kPa
Some useful short-notes regarding Kinetic racking installation:
- Rails go under the PV modules, NOT on the edges.
- Rails are ideally about 1/4 of the module width in from the edges, but anything from (nearly) at the edge to 1/3 in from the edge works fine.
- Torque setting for all bolts on rails is 12 ft-lbs (144 inch-lbs).
- Maximum cantilever for the rail (between the last L-foot and the end of the panels) is 16”.
- Maximum spacing between L-feet is 4 feet.
- Because the WEEB clips between panels and rails bond all the metal parts together, only a single ground lug for every row of panels (on one of the two rails) is needed. From the ground lug run 6 AWG copper wire to the other lugs, and onward to the equipment ground.
- Each rail splice uses a single splice bar (they come in packages of two because you almost always need an even number of splice bars).
- Strictly speaking code does not require this, but we have seen inspectors ask for a WEEB clip between each Ground Lug Mount and the rail. It’s easier to just install them than to wait for the inspector to complain.
- End-clamps take up 1”, mid-clamps are ½” each.
- Hanger bolts are 5/16”, predrill with 7/32” for the length of the thread.
- Hanger bolts need sufficient wood to fasten into, that means they should go at the intersection of truss/rafter and the strapping of a corrugated metal roof.
- Put small amount of caulking (Proflex) under the EPDM grommet of hanger bolts before tightening down.
- Kinetic flashing uses two 5/16” stainless lag screws, predrill with 7/32” to avoid splitting truss.
- Put some caulking (Proflex) under foot of flashing before installing it.
