Not All Roofs Are Ideal For Solar Panel Installs.
Summer may be on the way out, but these recent months of sunshine (and high electric bills) have sparked something in many of your customers—curiosity. You see, the summer heat has been a constant reminder of something they’ve always wondered about—the power and benefits of solar panels—and now some of them are seriously considering making a change.
As a roofer, this directly affects you and your business—after all, the roof is the foundation of the solar panel system. So, you should be prepared when questions pop up.
As the solar mounting platform, the service life of the roof should always exceed the service life of the solar panel system. If a roof fails before the solar system, it causes all kinds of problems including the decommission, removal, and reassembly of the solar panels. This is expensive and time-consuming. So as a roofing professional, you should be able to counsel your customers on the types of roofing and how well they perform as the mounting platform for solar panels. Here’s the short answer:
Asphalt: Solar panel systems have an average lifespan of 25 years or more. That leaves out a lot of asphalt roofs, as basic three-tab asphalt shingles typically last 15–20 years. Only the highest-quality asphalt options will last as long as the solar panel system. If an asphalt roof is used, stand-off mounts secured into the roof trusses with lag screws are what you need for solar panel installation. Special flashing kits are available to combat water leakage around penetration site.
Tile: A well-maintained tile roof has a much longer lifespan than shingles, so it wins there. However, there is a real (and potentially expensive) danger of tile breakage during installation. With tile roofs, a sub-flashing is required underneath along with a special top flashing, and mounting hardware.
Metal: It’s probably no surprise to you, but metal roofs are the ideal partner for solar panels. Their strength and durability mean they will long outlast the solar panel system, and their weather-tight (or should we say “Weather-Tite™”?) performance offers exceptional protection for your customer’s solar panel system investment. Not only do metal roofs last 50+ years, solar panel systems can be mounted on metal without any perforations in the roof. This, of course, reduces the possibility of leaks and increases the speed of installation.
It’s important for you to know this information so you can share it with customers interested in solar panel systems. It would also be smart to talk with solar panel companies in your area. A partnership could be beneficial to your business—and theirs!
While we at Marco aren’t in the solar panel business, we do offer the best closure, ventilation, fasteners, flashing, sealant, underlayment, and accessories in the roofing industry. So, we’re ready and able to provide what you need to give your customers the best foundation for their new solar panel system. To learn more about Marco, visit www.MarcoIndustries.com. To contact us directly, you can email or call 1-800-800-8590.
