Short and Long Term Benefits
Before installing solar on any roof, you need to consider whether the roofing system will outlast the life of the PV system. The mean service life of solar PV is 32.5 years. It will be expensive to dismantle the solar modules, re-roof and re-install the PV panels when the TPO (Single Ply Membrane) or asphalt shingle roof deteriorates after 15 or 20 years. On top of that, damage can occur during the reconstruction process. Plus, the off-line solar system is not generating power for the facility while off-line.
Metal roofing, on the other hand, lasts two to three times as long as most other roofing systems, and longer than the PV system itself.
Metal roofing is also the most durable in extreme weather. In its recent Mitigation Assessment Team Report (MAT), FEMA concludes that metal roofs, with the correct installation and quality underlayment, performed substantially better in severe conditions.
In a recent Metal Construction Association study, standing seam coated steel was proven to have a service life of 60+ years. This long-term endurance makes new and existing metal roofs ideal for rooftop solar installations.
“You can literally put solar on a 20- to 25-year-old metal roof and the roof will still outlast the solar system. This is a huge plus in terms of return on investment and the total cost over the lifetime of the roof-plus-solar system investment,” explains Mark Gies, director of solar business, S-5!, in a Rail-less Solar on Metal Roofs CEU webinar.
While insulated metal roofing panels carry a higher first cost than some other roofing systems, it’s important to evaluate the roof and solar system together as a single asset, explains Bob Zabcik, P.E., LEED AP, technical director for the Metal Construction Association. Because there is less labor and material involved in installing solar on a metal roof, the combined total costs come out to be less expensive.
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