Probably the most important consideration when it comes to installing your solar energy system is the construction and selection of solar panel mounts. The success of a solar system depends on having enough exposure to sunlight in order to trap enough usable solar energy for conversion to usable energy.

If your system does not have the correct mounting, you will not get enough sun exposure to make your investment feasible. There are generally two types of solar setups: mobile and non-mobile solar energy setups. The key for solar panel mounts is to have equipment that will last several years and stand up to different weather conditions.

There are four common materials that are used in solar panel mounts: aluminum, angle iron, wood and stainless steel. Aluminum is lightweight and resists corroding, while it is easy to work with it is difficult to weld. Angle iron works well but corrodes quickly, if you live in a damp environment you want to avoid this material. Wood is cheap and easy to come by, while it works easily it might not take the weather for extended period of time. Stainless steel is great for longevity but expensive to work with. It's good in areas with lots of different weather types.

A good mount takes into account the wind load for the particular angle at which you are going to mount your solar panel. Good advice from a local contractor can give you direction in this area so you can account for this factor. In general, plan for the worst type of weather possible in your area and account for that with the type of mount you purchase and install.

If you are going to use a tracker with your solar panel, you want to ensure that it requires little energy and power, like a single axis tracker. Trackers allow you solar panel to shift and get most of the sun's rays for energy. It is recommended to use concrete with anchor bolts to securely hold your tracker in place.

Solar panel mounts can also be placed on the roof but it is more complicated than putting them on the ground or a pole. You are bound to get roof leaks with a roof mounted solar panel, so consider the weather in your area prior to installing this kind of mount, continued water leakage in the roof of your home can cause some serious damage over time. The advantage of this type of setup comes with the less space required to devote to solar energy generation because the roof is already allocated space on your property.

In the end, when it comes to solar panel mounts you want functionality and durability. You are going to plan in advance where you need to put the solar system, and anticipate the different types of weather in your climate. Then making the choice of materials will correspond to that, and your type of mount will follow. Once you have all the details, selecting your mount will be easy.

Jakob Jelling runs http://www.solarpanelmanual.com which focuses on solar panels and solar energy in general. Please visit the site to learn more about solar panel mounts