Commercial Rooftop Solar

A large industrial roof is a valuable asset, and rooftop solar is one of the best ways to put it to work, turning otherwise unused space into lower energy bills and a smaller carbon footprint. The catch is that solar is only a good investment if the roof underneath it is sound and stays watertight.

Roof first, panels second

Panels are designed to last decades, so it makes no sense to mount them on a roof that is near the end of its life. We start with a roof condition survey. If the roof needs attention first (re-sheeting, overcladding or coatings), it is far cheaper to do that before the array goes on than to lift panels off later.

Protecting the roof and the warranty

The most common problem with rooftop solar is penetrations and fixings that compromise the weathering and void the roof warranty. As roofing specialists, we fit mounting systems in a way that keeps the roof watertight and the warranty intact, with the detailing done properly around every fixing.

One contractor for the whole job

Bringing the roof and the mounting under one team avoids the gap where roofers blame installers and installers blame roofers. We coordinate the roof works and the array so responsibility for keeping the building dry sits in one place.

Weight, wind and roof loading

Solar arrays add weight and wind load to a roof that was never designed with them in mind. On lightweight profiled metal roofs in particular, the fixings, the spread of load across the purlins and the uplift in high winds all need to be considered, not just the watertightness of each penetration. Getting the roofing specialist involved early means the mounting approach suits the roof structure rather than being forced onto it.

Maintenance access afterwards

Once an array is installed, the roof underneath still needs to be reachable. Gutters still block, laps still weather and the occasional repair will still be needed over the panels’ long life. We think about safe access and future maintenance when the array is planned, so a roof repair years down the line does not mean lifting half the system off to reach it.

Talk to us about your roof

If you’re considering rooftop solar, get in touch and we’ll survey the roof, tell you honestly whether it’s ready, and set out what needs doing first.