Steve Ge has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since December of 2023, when a new roof and the removal of an existing solar array were booked together. The roof was finished on 9 January 2024.
37 panels off, and not put back
The array on this house was 8.3 kW across 37 panels, which works out at 225 watts apiece and places it well back into the previous generation of modules. It came off as a removal rather than a lift and reset: panels, mounting system and the rest of it away, with the flashings and lag bolts deliberately left in the roof for the roofing crew to take out along with the old shingles. Pulling fixings out of a roof that still has to survive the next rainstorm leaves holes that have to be sealed and then torn out again days later; leaving them until the tear-off means the holes never exist.
Seven skylights, kept where they were
The household asked for the seven existing skylights to stay, and they did. That is a decision worth naming, because seven skylights on a 2,600 square foot roof is a great deal of glass and each one is a penetration with a flashing detail around it. Working a new roof around seven of them is slower and more exacting than tearing out and replacing the lot, and it is what was asked for.
2,600 square feet, and stainless steel nails
A single layer of old shingles came off down to the sheathing and left with the dumpster. Deck protection went over the exposed sheathing, then a GAF Timberline HDZ system in Pewter Gray carrying a 50-year warranty, aluminum drip edge along 392 feet of rakes, eaves and valleys, and a ridge vent along the peak. The specification called for stainless steel nails throughout. A stainless fastener will not corrode, which matters because a nail is the one component of a roof that is buried, unreachable and expected to hold for the life of the shingles above it.
When the roof outlasts the array
The usual order on this site is a new roof first and panels onto it. This is the other case. An array from an earlier generation of panels, on a roof that has reached the end of its life, poses a question that has to be answered honestly: is what comes down worth the labor of putting back up? Here the answer was no, and the house is left with a bare deck properly covered, a 50-year system over it, seven skylights still in place, and the freedom to start again with modern panels at a time of its own choosing.
Why Summit homeowners choose Green Sun Energy Services
One company removes the solar, fixes the roof, corrects what is underneath and puts everything back right.
What makes Green Sun Energy Services different
- Roofing: installed as a GAF Certified Roofing Contractor (#CE28608), with a GAF Timberline Lifetime Roofing System like the one on this home. On this home: a new roof over 2,600 sq ft.
- Solar: design and installation supervised by a NABCEP-certified professional (#PVA-111016-016148). On this home: a solar array and the panels removed and reinstalled.
- Warranty: backed by a 50-year roof warranty and a 5-year roofing workmanship warranty.
- Local: locally owned and operated in New Jersey since 2010, NJHIC licensed (#13VH06229000), with 10 completed roofing projects and 20 completed solar projects across Union County and 92 roofing projects and 363 solar projects throughout New Jersey.
Our work in Summit
Green Sun Energy Services has completed 4 roof replacements and 3 featured solar projects in Summit. Summit, a city in Union County, is served by JCP&L.
Generate electricity on your roof and use it to help power your vehicle.
Thinking about a new roof, solar, or both for your Summit home? Tell us about your project here or call 732-410-7818.
Power it. Protect it. Maintain it.
Project Facts
- Location
- Summit, NJ
- Services
- Roofing Installation, Solar Removal/Replacement
- Client since
- December 2023
- System
- GAF Timberline Lifetime Roofing System
- Area replaced
- 2,600 sq ft
- Warranty
- 50 years
- Workmanship warranty
- 5 years
Questions from Summit homeowners
SolarShould the roof be replaced before the panels go on?
If the roof is near the end of its life, replacing it first is often the sensible order, because removing and reinstalling an array later adds labor and materials. The decision turns on roof age, shingle condition, any leaks, the decking, the remaining warranty and how long the solar system is expected to last.
SolarWhich building code applies to rooftop solar?
For applicable one- and two-family dwellings New Jersey adopts the 2024 International Residential Code. Its solar provisions cover structural loads, rooftop systems, roof penetrations, fire classification, roof access and pathways.
RoofingWhat roofing shingle goes on most homes in Summit, NJ?
The primary residential roofing offering uses GAF Timberline HDZ architectural shingles as part of a complete GAF roofing system. The installation can incorporate qualifying GAF leak barrier, roof deck protection, starter strips, Timberline HDZ shingles, ridge-cap shingles and attic ventilation products.
RoofingCan roof color affect attic temperature?
Darker roofing can absorb more solar heat, but attic insulation, ventilation, roof construction, and air sealing also strongly affect temperature. Color should be chosen for appearance and system compatibility rather than expecting dramatic energy savings from color alone.
RoofingIs a roof replacement noisy?
Very. The old roof is being torn off and thousands of fasteners are being driven into the deck above your head. Anyone working from home may want to plan around it, pets can find it distressing, and fragile items on attic shelves or hanging on walls immediately below the roof are worth securing beforehand.