At the recent International Roofing Expo, sponsored by National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA), over 8,000 professionals filled the hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center to learn about new innovations and discuss issues important to the roofing industry. In the 200 square foot Silverback Solar booth with its back-lit purple gorilla logo, a crowd gathered. What caught their attention was the scale model of a commercial building in the center of the floor. On the roof of the model was a mock solar array showing how the Silverback Racking System can be effectively used to mount PV modules.
The solar array was attention grabbing because roofers are tuned in to the subject of roof mounted PV and the problems they present to the roofing industry. We learned many are alarmed at the vast number of installations taking place across the US, where proper roofing and future roof maintenance were not adequately considered. A common theme in the hundreds of conversations we had with people flowing through our booth was that the importance of access to the roof is being underestimated by the solar industry, and often ignored completely. Roofers are trying to get the message out to their customers that covering an entire roof with solar panels sitting right on the roof deck is asking for trouble and very expensive repairs and maintenance in the future.
Roofing companies are quickly coming up to speed in regards to rooftop photovoltaic installations. We met quite a few that already have solar installation divisions, and many more who are considering it. As the solar industry matures and the professional roofing community raises its collective voice, we are bound to see a much bigger role played by roofing companies and roofing consultants in setting standards and best practices for rooftop PV installations.
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