Month: May 2017

Anyone who lives in Arizona knows that the power of the sun is no joke!

From sunburns to faded car seats, the sun-rays seem to harm everything they touch. You can even fry an egg on the sidewalk in July for Pete’s sake!

Your house is no different. The hot summer sun leaves its mark on your house and your pocketbook every single year! Your roof and A/C system take the brunt of the beating; keeping the sun off of you and keeping you cool.

Most people know by now that solar panels can save you money on your electric bills. What most people don’t realize though is that a quality rooftop solar panel system can significantly extend the life of your A/C and roof! Especially in Arizona, where your roof can get to be over 170 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer!

This works because solar sits above your roof by about 6-8 inches. The solar panels cast shade over most of your roof and keep the direct sunlight off of the roof surface itself.

This shading effect can reduce surface roof temperatures by as much as 40 degrees and extend the life of your roof by up to 80%! The cooler roof temperatures also translate to being cooler inside your house, this can reduce the strain on your A/C system; making it last longer. This is one of the most overlooked benefits of rooftop solar power.

The benefits of solar just start with your electric bill, to find out more about how solar can benefit you, give us a call at (520) 858-0220 today!

“Are solar panels safe for my roof? Can solar damage my roof? Are there any risks to my roof with solar panels? Is there a safe way to install solar on my roof?”

You don’t need me to tell you that your roof is important, and I definitely don’t need to tell you that roofing work can be expensive. In fact, major roofing work can get into the tens of thousands.

What you may not realize though, is that there is a whole catalog of options when it comes to anchoring your home solar panels to your roof. There are so many options for roof anchoring because each offers a particular set of strengths and weaknesses. It is very important to choose the right roof anchor for your roof type/climate. A rood mount that works very well in the snows of Washington will not be very well suited for the heat of Arizona, and the same goes for the other way around.

Choosing the right roof anchoring equipment for yourself can be a daunting task; especially when most solar power installation companies are not transparent about the type of anchoring equipment/install procedure they use.

Arizona has one of the most unique and harsh climates in the United States. This means that our rooftop solar mounts have to be just as unique and rugged as the climate.

At Solar Solution AZ, we only focus our efforts in Tucson locally. We have over 1,500 rooftop solar installations in Southern Arizona, and we have developed a triple-sealed procedure around a top-of-the-line Unirac mounting system that we are proud to bring to the Tucson valley.

For Flat/Coated or Shingled roofs:

We start with an all-aluminum standoff, apply sealant to the bottom, and secure with two GRK studs into the truss.

Next, we apply sealant to the bottom of a metal flashing and install it over the top of the standoff.

After that, we nail the flashing to the roof, apply sealant around the edges and reinforce with fiberglass tape.

Lastly, we apply more sealant on top of that to ensure a tight seal.

On Shingle roofs, we then lay the shingles back on top of the flashing.

For Tile roofs:

We start with an all-aluminum standoff, apply sealant to the bottom, and secure with two GRK studs into the truss.

Next, we apply sealant to the bottom of a metal flashing and install it over the top of the standoff.

Then we lay the tiles back over top, maintaining the original design intent of the roof.

Please see these videos for more info:

This revolutionary procedure for Tucson homes has allowed us to offer a 25-year guarantee against leaking on all permanent style roofs (Tile, Shingle, etc…) and a 4-year guarantee on all maintained roofs (Rolled, elastomer coated, etc…) that can be extended up to 25 years so long as all proper maintenance has been performed. This is by far the longest guarantee available.

Make sure your rooftop solar installer offers a strong roof guarantee. Call us today to find out more at (520) 858-0220