How does the new K2 Buddy for tiled roofs get planned?
Nadine Wade: The Buddy is integrated into our K2 Base planning tool. Once the single-rail system has been designed and the K2 Buddy has been added, all the additional parts required are automatically listed in the parts list – ready for the ordering process.
Where should the Buddy be integrated?
K2 Base shows the recommended position for installing the Buddy. The metering module must always be placed at the edge of the installation. Ideally, it should be positioned beneath a module in the bottom row of the solar field, since most of the snow slides down there and thus poses the highest risk of exceeding the load limit. The sensors are attached to this measuring module on the side facing the edge of the roof directly in the mounting rail.
Register now!: Webinar with K2 Systems on 14 April 2025: Simple solutions for complex PV projects
How many Buddys are needed?
For the typical pitched roof of single and two-family houses, one K2 Buddy is completely sufficient. A second Buddy should be added just in case of larger roofs.
Miguel Giménez from K2 Systems: “Significant growth opportunities”
What components are required for installation on the tiled roof?
Beneath the measuring module, two stiffening rails with EPDM protective pads are fastened. These are required to support the weight of the combined rail and module on the measuring points. This is why it makes sense to consider the K2 Buddy when installing a new system. It is possible to retrofit the system with the Buddy. But usually this requires the erection of a scaffold as modules have to be removed and additional rails as well as the measuring sensors and other hardware must be installed. The K2 Buddy consists of the two measuring sensors, whose raw data is stored in the top box. The top box can also be snapped into the mounting rail and is connected to the base box inside the building by a cable. This base box retrieves the data from the roof at regular intervals and sends it to the cloud using the house's internet connection. This data are processed in the cloud and the user can watch these data in the K2 Buddy app on hin mobile or tablet computer.
Living quarter in Malmö: High quality and service as deciding factors
And what does the installer additionally need to consider?
The base box is the communication interface to the cloud. This is linked using a wired LAN connection. A wireless internet connection by WLAN or LTE is not possible. Thanks to its top-hat rail housing, the base box can be installed in the switch cabinet alongside the power supply unit. This power supply unit is connected to the building power supply and provides both the base box and the top box with 24 volts and a maximum of 90 milliamperes. It is important that the base box is connected to the building connection by a qualified professional electrician. Using the LAN connection socket on the base box, the system is then connected to the in-house router.
The questions were asked by Nina Oral.
