Solar Roof
Green clean energy. This is what the Foam Roof Solutions website is all about. We are a team of roofing and solar green energy contractors working together providing one seamless, clean energy producing project. Whether your roof is pitched, flat or low sloped, Foam Roof Solutions will help you produce maximum energy with the highest level of quality and competitive pricing. A lot of business and homeowners do not realize that the solar electric system and the roofing system go hand in hand when choosing to go solar.
Roofing & solar are so connected because they work together as one. If your roof is a pitched asphalt shingle roof and you are already halfway through the warranty, you might consider re-roofing the area where the solar is being installed, if the cost of a new roof is prohibitive. If you have a commercial or low-pitched residential roof, the typical warranty is only 2-10 years, so it is a great time to think about re-roofing at the same time. Foam Roof Solutions’ green energy contractors offer the only seamless, insulated, solar roof and holds up to 20 years on both the solar and the roofing warranties.
Solar energy systems can be installed in different locations on your property. Typically, if you want to install to a commercial roof, there is plenty of flat space for your solar installation. If you are planning on installing your solar energy system to your residential property, sometimes there’s not enough space on the roof (or there’s not enough sun), so you may have a barn, a garage or even an area in the yard that might be the best location to produce your own solar electrical power. In any case, we will find a location that produces the maximum green energy for your location (keep in mind that no sun means no solar, so if you live in a forest or in an area of fog & rain, solar may not be a choice for you).
In the U.S., most roofs are pitched, and the materials are made from asphalt, tile, or cement. Sometimes metal. In all cases, we want to find the most Southern part of the roof to install your green energy solar electrical system (this allows the most sun hours). Our contractors will determine what your current roofing product is, whether it needs to be replaced prior to the solar installation and which direction the solar panels should point. On other roofs, such as flat or low-pitched roofs, we recommend our own Foam Roof Solutions insulated, energy saving, solar roof system.
The cost of solar panels will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. If you’re just getting started in your solar panel research, it will be good to know that there are different wattage size and efficiency levels which will affect the price you pay today and how much your panels will be producing at the end of the warranty period. For instance, you may get a great deal on a green energy system today, because you are using a less expensive, lower efficiency panel to start, however in the long run your panels will wear out much sooner than a higher quality, more efficient solar panel. It is important to get all sides of the story regarding efficiency when pricing out your solar panels before you install. What seems less expensive today is sure to cost you more in the future and will not produce the same amount of energy over the years.
Although Foam Roof Solutions focuses mostly on California USA green energy systems, we are a worldwide referral & consulting service that can connect you with the most experienced, highest quality contractors anywhere.
In California, there are no statewide rebates on solar panels or complete systems, however there are city governed clean energy programs. Any rebates above and beyond the 2020 Federal Tax Credit of 26% would vary from city to city. As of 4/16/2020 you can expect to pay an average of $3.75 – $4.50 per watt for a typical 3-5kw residential system. You can always find a great resource for California clean solar at www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov/csi/, www.bankrate.com/real-estate/solar-panels-california-tax-credit-phase-out/ or www.consumersadvocate.org/solar-energy#toc-h2-4fscf6 .
This leads us to “What’s a kw?”. A kw is a kilowatt, which is 1000 watts. Panels vary from small motorhome panels of 10 watts to larger commercial & residential panels that are up to 250 watts or more. The number of panels and the size of your system will be determined by how long the sun shines on the area of installed panels (kilowatt hours) as well as the quality, efficiency, and area available for installation. The size of the panels as well as the solar panel costs can be determined at no cost to you by one of our Foam Roof Solution qualified consultants. They will only need an address and 12 months of your utility cost, that is it!
There are two types of solar green energy systems that you can install. The first is an “off-grid” system. An off-grid, green energy solar electrical systems takes the sun’s energy by way of panels (filled with silica which absorbs the sun’s energy) and moves that energy through a conduit to an inverter unit. This inverter unit changes the panel’s energy production from direct current (DC), like your car battery to alternating current (AC), which is the current you receive inside your building where you plug your computers, appliances, and other devices into the wall. If you have an off-grid system, the DC current will be stored in a battery storage center, prior to moving through the inverter. This way, if your local utility company shuts down, you always have pure, clean energy to use that you have stored yourself.
“Grid tie-in” is when the DC current from the panels go directly through the inverter and connects with your local utility power source, then the utility company gives you credit for the power you create. Typically, you will want to install a grid tie-in system that lowers or even eliminates the amount of energy you were previously paying the utility company. With this type of system, if the utilities are shut down you will not have power at night, because there is no battery to store the energy from the day. Either way, you will always have clean, green power generated by the sun at a fraction of the cost that you are paying your utility company.
Click here to watch a short video of our solar roofing system.
When thinking of installing a green energy solar system, it is important that you consult with the experts both roofing and solar before you decide. This is where you get the Foam Roof Solutions advantage. We partner you with the world’s most competent solar and roofing contractors who work together one project at a time.
There are a lot of questions that will come up during your decision-making process like, “Should I lease or buy?”, “Should I purchase a less expensive, less efficient system now and upgrade later?” or maybe you simply want to sit with someone who has the expertise and talk through the whole thing before making any decisions? At Foam Roof Solutions, there is never a consulting fee or cost to find out what kind of green energy system you might choose whether it be a solar or combined roofing system.
We can also answer your questions like, “Will my system be electric car compatible?” or “What apps will we use to monitor our power?”. All these questions can be answered by making a call or sending us a consultation request through our website. Our contractors offer state-of-the-art green energy systems that can harness the energy from the sun and control your entire home including your electric cars!
Please give us a call at (800) 878-1480 or email Gus at gus@foamroofsolutions.com for a no fee, no pressure, no expectations consultation regarding your green energy choices.