Applications: RoofTop Systems

Commercial buildings with large, flat, unobstructed roof surfaces are ideal candidates for the development of solar energy facilities.  Roofs of this nature consist of many different types - from more traditional built-up tar and gravel to newer single-ply - and each surface poses unique challenges to solar developers.  The key to a successful solar development on flat roof buildings is the quality of the roof surface itself combined with the strength of the underlying structure.  Some of the wonderful advantages to installing solar arrays on flat-root buildings include:  Ease of construction, ease of maintenance, typically very good "sky views", and as an added benefit, the resulting arrays shade the roof surface (reducing UV damage to membranes) and the building itself (reducing air conditioning loads....)

Commercial buildings with sloped roofs can also be wonderful candidates for solar arrays, in particular if the roof surface is facing south to southwest.  Raised-seam metal roofs are wonderful surfaces to mount solar arrays to.  Asphalt shingle roofing surfaces work well as flashing the mounting structure connections is straightforward; tile roofing, however, is usually preclusive.

In all cases, shading from rooftop structures (air conditioning equipment, parapets, satellite equipment, vents, etc.) must be taking into consideration before determining the true viability of any rooftop for solar.


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