WSRCA Informational Bulletin 2018-LSI3: Roof-Mounted Solar Photovoltaic Systems

June 28, 2018 at 10:30 a.m.

WSRCA believes coordinated collaboration between the roofing and solar photovoltaic industries is paramount for shared success.

As the roof-mounted photovoltaics (PV) industry continues to expand with new products and attachment systems routinely getting introduced as the next best thing, it is imperative that roofing industry associations, such as the Western States Roofing Contractors Association (WSRCA) take a leading position and remain keenly involved to provide clear direction and recommendations for proper integration of PV systems with various roofing assemblies. WSRCA believes coordinated collaboration between the roofing and solar photovoltaic industries is paramount for shared success.

Within the collaborative environment, one of the main questions to ask as a PV system is first being considered is: "What is the condition of the existing roof system"? It may not be appropriate to install a PV system unless the anticipated life expectancies of the systems are coordinated with installation of a new roof system or a new roof covering (e.g., shingles, membrane, tile, etc.) as well. You do not want to install a new photovoltaic system over an old roofing system, only to realize a few years later that a new roof is needed and the PV system must be dismantled and removed in order to reroof. The warranty status of, and the remaining service life of an existing roof membrane system, and new Building Code requirements also need to be evaluated early in the PV system design process.