RV, off-grid and 12V systems

Before Adding Solar to a Mobile or Manufactured Home, Where Do You Look First?

Published · By the SolarPanelX editors · Prices and specs as of that date, from the pages under Sources

Summary

At the data plate, a paper label fixed inside the home. HUD rules require it to state the roof load zone and wind load zone the home was designed for. HUD also warns that structural alterations may need local permits and could take a home out of compliance with the HUD Code, and it tells owners to consult the appropriate state, county, or local agency before making such a change.

Mobile home or manufactured home?

The two terms get used interchangeably, but HUD separates them by date. Factory-built homes built after June 15, 1976 to HUD's Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards (the HUD Code, 24 CFR Part 3280) are manufactured homes. Those built before that date are mobile homes, and they were not built to the HUD Code.

Every transportable section of a manufactured home carries a red certification label, the HUD tag, on the outside: an aluminum plate about 2 by 4 inches, etched with a three-letter prefix and six digits, such as RAD 000001. The label and data-plate system described here applies to homes built after June 15, 1976.

What the data plate tells you

The data plate is letter size (8½ by 11 inches) and sits in one of three places: on or near the main electrical panel, in a kitchen cabinet, or in a bedroom closet. Federal rules list what it must show, including the plant's name and address, the serial number, model designation and manufacture date, the certification label numbers, and the roof load and wind load zones the home was designed for, along with zone maps. HUD says a manufactured home should never sit in a more restrictive wind, thermal, or roof load zone than the one it was built for.

HUD adds that the manufacturer is not responsible for damage or latent problems caused by alterations, and that changes to the home could affect the warranty. Whether bolting racking and panels to the roof counts as that kind of alteration is part of the question for the state, county, or local agency.

Sizing, and what happens in an outage

The size of the array follows from electricity use, not from the type of home. NLR's PVWatts estimates production for grid-connected PV systems from a few simple inputs, including location.

If backup power is part of the plan, grid-tied panels alone will not provide it. The Department of Energy explains that home solar systems are designed to switch off when grid power cuts out, for safety reasons, and that producing power on their own takes two things: a properly configured inverter and storage.

Shopping for one? Browse RV and off-grid solar panels →

Sources

  1. HUD — Manufactured Housing Homeowner Resources
  2. HUD — Manufactured Housing HUD Labels (Tags)
  3. HUD Housing Counselors — Glossary (updated May 2024)
  4. National Laboratory of the Rockies — PVWatts API
  5. U.S. Department of Energy — Solar and Resilience Basics

We have not tested these products. Specs, prices, stock and terms are as published on these pages on the date above and can change; check the manufacturer or retailer before you buy.

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