Here are a few things to consider and prepare for before installing solar
More and more buildings in America are realizing the benefi ts of solar photovol- taic (PV) systems. According to the “U.S. Solar Market Insight” a quarterly publication of Washing- ton, D.C.-based Solar Energy Industries Associa- tion (SEIA) and GTM Research, the United States began 2012 with the second highest quarter for PV installations ever. More than 18,000 photovoltaic systems totaling 506 megawatts came online in the fi rst three months of the year. Reduced elec- tricity bills, solar rebates, tax credits and net meter- ing are the contributors to this solar boom. What can be done to a metal roof to prep it for successful PV installation? Not a lot is really
26 METAL CONSTRUCTION NEWS September 2012
Is Your Roof Solar Ready? By Mark Robins, Senior Editor The PV installation on this saw-toothed roof faces south to harness the sun’s full force. (Image courtesy of Tecta America Corp.)
necessary. One reason is metal roofs are the most compatible roof format for PV installation. A modern standing seam roof system is easier, faster and less expensive to mount solar on than any other roof type. Not only can it be “direct-attached” and penetration-free using seam clamps and PV kits, but metal is the only commercial roof type that offers a service life in excess of the solar PV. “All other commercial roof types will re-
quire replacement before PV life expires—a very expensive proposition when the roof is covered with a solar array,” says Jerry Heininger, environ- mental products coordinator for Englert Inc., Perth Amboy, N.J. “In the residential market, slate and
clay tile may offer similar service lives to standing seam, but the array cannot be installed without some roof disassembly and/or penetration of the roof. So the preferred ‘solar ready’ roof is clearly standing seam metal. This advantage is so com- pelling that often asphalt shingles are replaced with standing seam prior to solar installation.”
Before installation
Before installation, every PV project begins with a site and roof evaluation to determine factors such as solar orientation, wind loads, roof warranties, useful life remaining in the roof system, usable roof area and location of the building’s electrical service. A