Cynthia from Atlantic Highlands, NJ has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since November of 2019. The solar array was already on the roof; what it needed was a barrier underneath it. We fitted black PVC coated critter guard around the perimeter of the array, an eight inch profile sized for rail mounted panels, and the work was finished on 8 November 2019. Most solar owners never think about the gap between the panels and the roof deck until something moves into it – squirrels and nesting birds treat it as sheltered, dry and out of reach, and the damage they do to wiring is expensive and hard to spot from the ground. The guard closes the gap while leaving the array ventilated and serviceable.
Project Facts
- Location
- Atlantic Highlands, NJ
- Service
- Solar Critter Guard
- Client since
- November 2019
Solar questions from Atlantic Highlands homeowners
Does the utility have to approve the system?
Yes. A grid-connected residential array must receive utility interconnection approval before it can legally operate in parallel with the distribution system. New Jersey's interconnection requirements and the utility's own procedures both govern it.
Should trees be cut down before installing solar?
Only where the production benefit justifies it and doing so is legally and environmentally appropriate. A good installer quantifies what a particular tree costs in production rather than recommending removal as a matter of course. Ownership of the tree, municipal tree ordinances, neighbors' trees and regrowth all come into it.
Which 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.