Sun Kim has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since August of 2022, when the roof and the solar array were bought on the same day. The roof was finished on 6 October 2022 and the array six days later.
A brick chimney taken down with the roof
The contract for this job carries an instruction most roofs do not: the roofer was to decommission the brick chimney. A chimney no longer in use is still a hole through the roof and a flashing detail that has to be maintained for as long as it stands, and it is the detail most likely to leak. Taking it down while the roof was already open removed the penetration permanently rather than reflashing it for another twenty-five years — and on a roof about to carry a solar array, one less thing to work around and to go back to is worth having.
2,200 square feet, stripped to the deck
A single layer of old shingles came off to the sheathing and left with the dumpster. Deck protection went over the exposed sheathing, then a GAF Timberline HDZ system in Barkwood with a 50-year warranty, aluminum drip edge along 265 feet of rakes and eaves, and a ridge vent along the peak.
16 panels and 6.48 kW
Sixteen REC 405 watt panels came to 6.48 kW on Snap-N-Rack mounting, finished on 12 October 2022, with a SolarEdge SE6000H HD Wave inverter and an optimizer on every panel. PSE&G is the utility and the first year was designed for about 7,374 kWh.
Why the roof went first
Six days separated the two jobs, and the sequence is what made the chimney decision possible at all. An array is fastened down for twenty-five years and more; whatever is on the roof when the panels go on tends to stay there. Doing the roof first meant the chimney could come out, the deck could be covered properly, and the panels could then be laid onto a roof with one fewer penetration in it than the one they were quoted against.
Project Facts
- Location
- Paramus, NJ
- Services
- Roofing Installation, Solar Panel Installation
- Client since
- August 2022
Solar
- Panels
- REC Model # REC405AA-PURE
- System size
- 6.48 kW
- Inverter
- SolarEdge SE6000H-US000NNC2 HD Wave
- Mounting system
- Snap-N-Rack
- Estimated first-year production
- 7,374 kWh
Roof
- System
- GAF Timberline Lifetime Roofing System
- Area replaced
- 2,200 sq ft
- Warranty
- 50 years
Questions from Paramus homeowners
SolarWhat should a Paramus homeowner look for in a solar company?
One that can design, permit, interconnect, install, commission, monitor and service the system, and explain the structure accurately. That means twelve months of real usage, a realistic production model, correct kW and kWh arithmetic, orientation and shading, structural capacity, the rooftop code requirements, the electrical articles for photovoltaic systems and grid interconnection, rapid shutdown, manufacturer installation instructions, utility interconnection and net metering, incentive registration, roof age and condition, penetration and waterproofing detail, the panel, inverter, mounting and workmanship warranties, monitoring, and service after the installation. The question worth asking is not who quoted least, but which company has designed the best long-term system for the house and will still be able to support it years from now.
RoofingDoes a manufacturer's roof warranty cover the contractor's workmanship?
It depends entirely on which warranty. Base product warranties commonly do not include workmanship at all, while enhanced warranties available through certified contractors can provide specified workmanship protection when qualifying products are used. Identify the warranty by its actual name rather than accepting the word warranty on its own.
SolarCan the old mounting hardware be reused after a reroof?
It depends on the manufacturer's requirements, the condition of the components and the warranty. The roof penetrations and weatherproofing components matter most, and a reroof is often the moment to replace the attachment and flashing rather than reinstall ageing roof-interface hardware.