Solar Power World

  • Home
  • Top Solar Contractors
  • Solar+Storage
  • Articles
    • Most Recent Posts
    • News
      • Latest News Items
      • Solar tariffs
      • COVID-19 News
    • Featured
      • Latest Feature Stories
      • Contractors Corner
      • Installation Practices
      • Trends in Solar
      • Folsom Labs Solar Boot-Up
      • The Solar Explorer
  • Products
    • 2020 Top Products
    • Batteries and Storage
    • Inverters
      • Manufacturing Locations
    • Racking and Mounting
    • Software
    • Solar Panels
      • Manufacturing Locations
  • Leadership
    • 2020 Winners
    • 2019 Winners
    • 2018 Winners
  • Subscribe
  • Resources
    • About SPW
    • Digital Issues
    • Event Coverage
    • Podcasts
    • Product Databases
      • Solar Inverter Models
      • Solar Panel Models
      • Solar Racking Models
      • Battery Storage Models
    • Product Manufacturing Locations
      • Global Inverter Manufacturing Locations
      • Global Solar Panel Manufacturing Locations
    • Suppliers
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • Whitepapers
  • COVID-19 NEWS

Reducing penetrations to preserve roof integrity
2019 Trends: A Solar Power World special feature

By Billy Ludt | June 7, 2019

Share

Every time a solar installer drills through a roof covering, it’s another risk for immediate or future roof damage.

For flat rooftops with enough load-bearing capability, concrete ballasts are an option. But even ballasted systems, if not properly contained, can damage a flat roof covering and may still require some penetrations.

Quick Mount PV

Solar mounting and racking manufacturers are developing product solutions to minimize roof penetrations, save time and avoid leak risks. The challenge is striking a balance between too few and too many roof-mount points.

“The more roof penetrations, the bigger chance it is that one of them will leak into the roof. That means increasing costs of more sealant. A leak can lead to roof damage, water pouring into someone’s attic or interior damage,” said Moti Atia, CEO and president of SolaRack. “I know companies say their equipment has been tested under rain tests not to leak, but at the end of the day there are end users that install this product and, like any other field, there are human errors.”

Each penetration is another bit of time added to an installation. Installers need to mark drill points, make penetrations, insert the mount, seal the penetration and preferably add flashing. On a pitched residential rooftop, drilling into a support beam is often necessary to anchor a mount. Individually, it might not be much time, but together, penetrations add up.

One solution SolaRack found to cut roof penetrations by 25% was developing a shared-rail racking/mounting solution. Using a shared rail reduces a typical eight-panel block from 12 penetrations to nine and helps keep the panels flush and level.

“It really comes into cost of labor, finishing a job a lot faster, having a cleaner installation,” Atia said.

About The Author

Billy Ludt

Billy Ludt is associate editor of Solar Power World.

Tell Us What You Think! Cancel reply

Related Articles Read More >

ICAST enlists Nikola Power modeling software for low-income multifamily housing solar + storage initiative
Construction begins on 300-MW solar, 561-MWh storage project in California
Foundations are the linchpin of proper solar carport installation
Solar FlexRack supplies single-axis trackers to Connecticut project portfolio

Stay Informed With Great Solar Power Content

Videos Podcasts Webinars Whitepapers

SPW Digital Editions

Solar Power World Digital EditionBrowse the current issue and archived issues of Solar Power World in an easy-to-use, high-quality format. Bookmark, share and interact with the leading solar construction magazine today.

Solar Policy Snapshot

Solar policy differs across state lines and regions. Click to see our monthly roundup of recent legislation and research throughout the country.

Read More >

Popular Posts See More >

Solar investment tax credit extended at 26% for two additional years
Think before trashing: The second-hand solar market is booming
The changing state of retiring solar panels
The winners and losers in U.S. solar manufacturing in 2020
Tweets by @SolarPowerWorld
Solar Power World
  • Top Solar Contractors
  • Solar Articles
  • Top Products
  • Leadership
  • WTWH Media
  • About/Contact Us
  • Advertising
  • Subscribe
  • Windpower Engineering & Development

Copyright © 2021 WTWH Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Site Map | Privacy Policy | RSS

Search Solar Power World

  • Home
  • Top Solar Contractors
  • Solar+Storage
  • Articles
    • Most Recent Posts
    • News
      • Latest News Items
      • Solar tariffs
      • COVID-19 News
    • Featured
      • Latest Feature Stories
      • Contractors Corner
      • Installation Practices
      • Trends in Solar
      • Folsom Labs Solar Boot-Up
      • The Solar Explorer
  • Products
    • 2020 Top Products
    • Batteries and Storage
    • Inverters
      • Manufacturing Locations
    • Racking and Mounting
    • Software
    • Solar Panels
      • Manufacturing Locations
  • Leadership
    • 2020 Winners
    • 2019 Winners
    • 2018 Winners
  • Subscribe
  • Resources
    • About SPW
    • Digital Issues
    • Event Coverage
    • Podcasts
    • Product Databases
      • Solar Inverter Models
      • Solar Panel Models
      • Solar Racking Models
      • Battery Storage Models
    • Product Manufacturing Locations
      • Global Inverter Manufacturing Locations
      • Global Solar Panel Manufacturing Locations
    • Suppliers
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • Whitepapers
  • COVID-19 NEWS