The environmentally-conscious homeowner wished to have a greener approach to his power usage and to offset the energy required to run his home by supplementing with alternative, clean energy sources. In this case, solar was his choice. The home features a trapezoidal, exposed-fixed metal roof with a 7kW solar array mounted to the ribs of the roof using the S-5! PVKIT® direct-attach solar PV mounting solution and the ProteaBracket. The roof was optimal for solar due to its orientation, which receives sun from the morning all the way through to the evening, allowing the homeowner to maximize solar panel efficiency.
The S-5! direct-attach (rail-less) solar PV mounting solution along with the ProteaBracket provided the precise low-profile, aesthetic solution the homeowner desired, making it easier for installers than a traditional rail system.
The homeowner was concerned about aesthetics. He desired a sleek- looking, low-profile system that would complement the look of his roof and his hi-end, architecturally-designed home. The location of his home is considered a high-wind area. Installing rooftop solar on the edge of a cliff during high winds was extremely difficult for the solar installers and required an extensive harness system. Installers had to work from the bottom of the PV array upwards, securing the panels in place with the ProteaBracket, so that the bottom row would support the weight of the top row and prevent the panels from sliding down the roof. Therefore,
a lightweight solar mounting solution was desired.
Mark O’Shea with Frontier Electrical introduced the S-5! product to the architect who has since specified it on a number of other projects. O’Shea was familiar with the S-5! solar mounting system–the PVKIT® along with the ProteaBracket– and knew it would provide the precise low-profile, aesthetic solution the homeowner desired. The S-5! system also allowed for the maximum number of solar panels due to its ability to screw into the ridges of the roof, instead of the roof purlins, providing a vast number of potential attachment points to choose from and infinite flexible module placement and module density.
On any project by the sea, the installer prefers to use aluminum and stainless steel components to combat corrosion and the effects of salt air. S-5! uses non-corrosive materials made from high-tensile aluminum and A2-70 stainless steel that are salt-fog corrosion tested for metallurgical compatibility in accordance
with ASTM B117 standards.
The homeowner was able to achieve a greener, cleaner image for his power usage and offset the energy required to run his home with an aesthetically-pleasing rooftop solar solution.
The S-5! ProteaBracket™ is now made in aluminum. Still the most versatile trapezoidal metal roof attachment solution on the market, the S-5! ProteaBracket just got better! The bracket features an adjustable attachment base and module attachment options to accommodate different roof profile dimensions and mounting options.
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