Solar and Metal Roofing

by Paul Deffenbaugh | February 1, 2022 12:00 am

The clean energy sector is not much different. However, if the president’s Build Back Better Act passes, it should offset price increases and likely increase the level of support for solar photovoltaics (PV) and other renewables, extending and possibly increasing investment tax credits (ITC) to 2019 levels.

The legislation currently includes a 10-year extension of the solar ITCs with direct pay, significant domestic manufacturing incentives, tax credits for energy storage and transmission, workforce development provisions and additional policies that promote a clean energy economy. It also includes incentives for domestic production of the raw components. But it is all yet to be determined as this bill works its way through the U.S. Senate.

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association[8] (SEIA), the latest U.S. Solar Market Insight shows that passing the Build Back Better Act would trigger an avalanche of solar development in every state across the country. The number of states with more than 1 GW of solar installed will double from 21 to 42. States such as Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Kansas, Iowa and Montana will see their small solar markets grow into robust industries, while large solar markets such as Texas, California, Nevada and New York will continue to flourish. The report forecasts that the amount of solar deployed in the U.S. will triple to 300 GW in the next five years if the bill becomes law.

Most alternatives [to metal] roofing will expire long before the life of the PV system, leading to costly disassembly of the PV array, re-roofing and re-assembly.

With that being said, the use of renewables and solar PV, in particular, were already on the rise, despite the pandemic. The interest in solar continues to increase primarily because it makes good financial sense, with the cost of solar significantly decreasing over the last decade improving return on investment (ROI), and internal rate of return (IRR) metrics. It’s what I call “environmental capitalism!” So, how do metal roofs play into the equation?

Metal roofing provides an ideal platform for mounting rooftop solar as it is the only roof type with a service life (in the range of 50-70 years) that actually exceeds the service life of a solar PV system (an average of 32.5 years). It is also the most sustainable roofing type and is conducive to lower solar installation costs. Most alternative roofing types will expire long before the life of the PV system, leading to costly disassembly of the PV array, re-roofing and re-assembly. This expense erodes the otherwise attractive financial metrics of roof-mounted PV. Simply put, when all the facts are known, the standing seam metal roof is the roof type worthy of consideration for solar PV.

The Metal Construction Association[9] (MCA) recently published a three-part white paper series on solar PV and metal roofing. Part one focuses on solar/roof service life comparisons. Part two explains the common types of mounting systems for metal roofs, associated risks and pros/cons of each. Part three digs into more detail and the critical technical factors for solar PV systems specific to mounting on metal roofs.

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Rob Haddock is CEO and founder of S-5!, Colorado Springs, Colo. He is a former contractor, award-winning roof-forensics expert, author, lecturer and building envelope scientist who has worked in various aspects of metal roofing for five decades.

Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/articles/solar-and-metal-roofing/

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