What to Know Before You Commit To A Rooftop Solar Array

Monday, October 25th, 2010

If you’ve been thinking about renewable energy systems and want to take advantage of tax incentives, grants, and current pricing available for rooftop-mounted PV (photovoltaic) systems, there are several factors to consider before you act.

Have a comprehensive strategy that considers the roof membrane, type of Solar panel system, electricity generation, maintenance, and provisions for downtime.

Carefully review existing roof and future maintenance needs. The roof may possibly only last half as long as the PV system you’re about to install. Also, to maintain the PV system efficiently, the roof will be accessed more than a standard roof – it will have different heat patterns, drainage runoff, expansion and contraction, and racking system concerns.

Know your PV Financing agreement. Most require a constant power feed from the PV Panels, and contain penalties if the power is interrupted for maintenance, roof repair or equipment failure. Penalties, lost incentive payments and replacement costs can be extremely high, and need to be factored into the analysis for any rooftop PV system.

Have the right team. It is advisable to hire the right team to work with before, during, and after the PV system installation. Qualified solar professionals, architects familiar with renewable energy systems, and roofing industry professionals are just some of the consultants who could be on a building owner’s team for a large rooftop PV project. There could also be financial and legal professionals involved for many projects.

Keep in mind that some technical factors could affect the PV system’s performance, such as the module orientation, including solar declination and panel tilt angle (which should equal latitude), the site’s solar insolation level, and the potential degrading of the particular PV panels selected.

Make your choices carefully. While it can be a lucrative business decision to place a solar array on an existing empty roof, it is critical to make sure your roof and PV array are compatible for the long term. Getting knowledgeable architects such as those at Frederick Ward Associates and/or roofing professionals involved could be wise considering the nuances involved. Racking system options (including weight on the existing building’s structure), potential roof membrane failure, and roof maintenance and replacement all need to be considered prior to beginning a rooftop solar power generation project.

Frederick Ward Associates is currently working on four photovoltaic projects in Maryland – three rooftop arrays and one ground-mount array.

CCooper   Architecture, Frederick Ward, Sustainability
Frederick Ward Associates, Sustainability
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