Solar panel support structure

A solar panel support structure for mounting between two parallel horizontal beams;

• a first main member and a second main member, wherein each main member has an upper head with an upwardly opening channel, and wherein each upper head has upper holes and lower holes which extend into the upwardly opening channel, and portions of each main member head define a lip disposed to underlie a solar panel;
• a first clamping member and a second clamping member, wherein each clamping member has a base with a web extending therefrom to an upper flange, the base having an inclined lower surface and an inclined upper surface above the lower surface, wherein the base of the first clamping member is received within the upwardly opening channel of the first main member, and the base of the second clamping member is received within the upwardly opening channel of the second main member;
• and
• a plurality of set screws with conical interior ends engaged within the lower holes or the upper holes of the main members, wherein when the set screws are positioned in the lower holes, the set screws engage against the inclined lower surfaces of the clamping member bases, and the clamping members are supported with the clamping member flanges spaced above the main member lips to define gaps for the engagement of a solar panel therebetween with the flanges spaced from said solar panel, and when the set screws are disposed in the upper holes in the main members, the set screws engage against the upper inclined surfaces of the clamping member bases such that the clamping member flanges are secured against the solar panel.

A method for installing solar panels to two horizontal beams which are parallel to one another and at different elevations, the method comprising:

• fixing a first main member between the two horizontal beams, such that the first main member is inclined from the horizontal;
• fixing a second member between the two horizontal beams to be parallel to the first main member, wherein each main member has an upper head with an upwardly opening channel and an outwardly extending lip, and wherein each upper head has upper holes and lower holes which extend into the upwardly opening channel;
• mounting a first clamping member to the first main member and a second clamping member to the second main member, each clamping member having a base which is received within one of the upwardly opening channels, wherein each base has an inclined lower surface and an inclined upper surface, and wherein each clamping member has an upper flange;
• advancing set screws into the lower holes of the first main member and the second main member such that ends of the set screws engage the lower inclined surfaces of the bases of the first clamping member and the second clamping member to support the clamping member flanges spaced above the main member lips to define gaps between the first main member lip and the first clamping member flange and between the second main member lip and the second main member flange;
• inserting a plurality of solar panels into the gaps, the solar panels extending between the first main member and the second main member supported on the lips and spaced from the clamping member flanges;
• removing the plurality of set screws from the lower holes and inserting set screws in the upper holes;
• and
• advancing the set screws within the upper holes to urge the conical ends of the set screws against the upper inclined surfaces of the clamping members to engage the clamping member flanges with the plurality of solar panels.