roof and pavement consultants

Rooftop Solar. Is Your Roof Solar Ready?

Rooftop Solar Webinar

Benchmark President Ron Harriman and Joe Cain of Solar Energy Industries Association discuss the growing use of rooftop solar, changes to the I-Codes, and real-world experiences in the design and integration of rooftop solar. While the idea of incorporating solar on your rooftop may be appealing from a financial and/or clean energy standpoint, careful consideration must be made before an abrupt decision is made to install a 25-year solar array on a potentially aged roof system.  Before a decision is determined, careful thinking is required by all stakeholders. Is the roof membrane less than five-years-old? Is the membrane in good condition? Does the system support the demands of solar? Only if the response is “yes” to each of these questions, are you considered solar ready.

 

 

 

When Roofs and PV Solar Installations Collide

If you want to learn more about rooftop photovoltaic installations,  we recommend Jeff Evans’ article “When Roofs and PV Solar Installations Collide”. In this article, Jeff discusses four case studies outlining ways that rooftop photovoltaic systems have been installed over existing roof systems. Jeff states “In a perfect world, a new solar array would be installed over a new roof with an expected design life matching the solar panel warranty (often 25 years). It would also be best if the new roof was truly “solar ready”; a roof system design geared toward durability and requiring little maintenance for long-term performance.” The case studies Jeff discusses had solar systems years after the last re-roof.

 

Want to learn more?

We would love to discuss your project and what steps can be taken to make sure you are solar ready. Feel free to give us a call at 319.393.9100 or by sending us a message! If you have an idea for a future webinar, we also encourage you to let us know!

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