Advanced Roofing and Advanced Green Technologies
As residential, commercial, industrial and governmental solar installations continue to explode into the Florida market, the growing need for owners, solar developers and roofing contractors to understand each other’s individual goals is now more important than ever.
When looking to invest in a potential solar installation, owners are contemplating financial investment decisions that are modeled over 25 years or longer. Deep analysis of the tax benefits, long-term cost escalation of utility-supplied power, operation and maintenance expenses of the array required to maintain peak output of the asset, insurance costs and potential equipment replacement over the system’s life are all critical to the decision-making process.
All these metrics are essential to make a sound decision on whether or not a solar array meets the investment requirements for a business. However, what we consistently see underrepresented in the analysis is the potential cost impact of a rooftop solar installation regarding the roof itself, potential business interruption from roof-related installation problems and unexpected roofing costs.
Solar installers and developers are often focused solely on selling as many kilowatts on a rooftop as possible without regard to the impact that the decision could have on the occupant, owner or tenants of a building over the long term.
Poorly planned, executed or maintained solar installations can lead to a negative owner experience towards their newly acquired solar asset. Left behind are unexpected reactive maintenance expenses, removal and reinstallation of the solar asset and, potentially worst of all, premature roofing system failure.
Roofing contractors and manufacturers have long been able to successfully manage just about any imaginable flashing detail, equipment installation or usage of a roof that owners and specifiers have been able to throw at us. But their knowledge was developed over centuries of experience, product evolution, installation methods, contractor training and certifications.
The hurdles that solar installations pose are no different than what the roofing industry manages every day, except that by and large the companies selling and installing them are not trained in the performance specifications of roof materials, application of the roofing materials and they fail to understand or
acknowledge the life cycle of a roof.
Too often, we see examples of installations over roof systems that are in the mid-to-end of a life cycle, where there is a high cost to remove the solar array
for the reroofing process that was never modeled in the financial model of the system. A situation is easily avoidable by means of repair, restoration or replacement, depending on the current state of the roofing system.
Nearly all major roofing manufacturers in today’s market have well-documented intake processes when an existing roof warranty is in place. The steps required to ensure the warranty remains intact post solar installation are typically easily met with today’s pre-manufactured commercial roof mounts that integrate seamlessly with solar racking assemblies and are designed to flash into nearly all roof systems. The popular Power Grip series from OMG Roofing Products and U-Anchors from Anchor Products feature thermoplastic membrane (PVC and TPO), EPDM and modified skirts bonded over a structural attachment. These attachments can be ordered with the specific membrane manufacturer’s skirt for your project and will generally meet NDL warranty requirements with no modification. For specifications where additional coverage may be required, these skirts can be combined with fluid applied fabric reinforced resins for double coverage to meet the most stringent manufacturer or owner requirements.
Panel layout can be easily manipulated to provide adequate maintenance activities and walkway protection pads can be installed for high-traffic areas. Interestingly enough, we typically see rooftop solar
arrays limit foot traffic in areas where panels are installed and provide protection from UV degradation,
potentially extending the life of membranes in the areas where solar panels are installed.
When properly planned with a qualified roofing contractor, solar installations can meet all the stakeholder needs and, most importantly, can be done while maintaining roofing warranties and ensuring a high level of performance for the system’s life.
Advanced Green Technologies a division of Advanced Roofing is an experienced, award-winning commercial solar energy contractor specializing in the design, procurement and construction of rooftop, carport and ground-mounted renewable energy solutions for clients in high-wind zone areas like Florida and the Caribbean. From initial project planning and construction to ongoing operations and maintenance, we can deliver a comprehensive turnkey solar energy solution that will guarantee your satisfaction from start to finish.
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