Solyndra announces solar solution for commercial metal roof market

FREMONT, USA: Solyndra LLC, the leading American manufacturer of lightweight, easy to install cylindrical photovoltaic (PV) systems for commercial rooftops, today announced the Solyndra 200 Series Metal Roof Solution. The unique non-penetrating adjustable mounting system is designed to meet the additional solar installation challenges posed by metal roofs. Metal roofs make up a significant and growing portion of the large, low-sloped, commercial, industrial and agricultural rooftop markets.

“Customers with metal roofs have been excited about the benefits of using our lightweight, non-ballasted and non-penetrating design on metal roofs, but have been in need of a flexible mounting solution to address the wide variety of roof types in the market,” said Brian Harrison, Solyndra’s president and CEO. “Adapted from our proven 200 Series mounting system, the new metal roof mounts require no tools in the assembly process and are adjustable to meet the majority of low-slope metal roof configurations supplied by the industry’s leading metal roof manufacturers.”

The innovative adjustable mount design has no attachments, and uses no tools, allowing Solyndra 200 Series panels to be installed faster than any other standing seam solution on the market today. The mounts are currently available and to date have been installed and tested on metal roofs by ASC Building Products, Bemo USA , Kalzip, Kingston and Gibraltar.

Solyndra’s 200 Series products are ideally suited for metal roofs. The low, 13,9 kg/m2 distributed load allows for simple installation without ballast or penetrations in winds up to 208 km/h when installed in accordance with Solyndra’s installation guidelines. Attaching conventional racking to metal roofs often damages the metal roof and could compromise the integrity of the roof.

While not required, to maximize power from Solyndra’s cylindrical solar modules roof owners can choose white or reflective, “cool roofs” conserving energy and reducing ambient heating caused by rooftops while generating more power. Metal roofs are often employed on temporary or re-locatable buildings and Solyndra’s ease of install and simple relocation makes the panels a good solution where the possibility of relocation exists.