Michael Hartman has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since March of 2019, when the roof and the solar array were bought on the same day. The roof was finished on 11 May 2019 and the array six days later.
Two layers off, 2,400 square feet on
This roof had been covered over once already, so two layers of old shingle came off down to the sheathing rather than one. Deck protection went over the exposed sheathing, then a GAF Timberline HDZ system carrying a 50-year warranty and aluminum drip edge along 345 feet of rakes, eaves and valleys. An attic fan was fitted and the chimney was flashed in aluminum as part of the same job.
The contract planned for a deck that might be unsound
There is a clause here worth explaining, because it is the honest way to handle the one thing nobody can know in advance. It provides for 54 sheets of plywood to be installed if it is determined, once the shingles are off, that the deck needs it. Two layers of old roofing hide the boards completely. They may be sound; they may have been quietly soaking up water around a chimney for a decade. Writing the contingency into the contract, with the quantity and the specification stated, means the decision on the day is a technical one rather than a negotiation on a stripped roof with rain forecast.
Why that matters more with an array coming
A deck carries shingles by spreading their weight; it carries an array through a few dozen bolts, each concentrating load and each expected to hold for twenty-five years. Soft sheathing will take a nail and still fail a lag bolt. The moment to find that out and put it right is while the roof is open — not from a leak three years after the panels went on, when putting it right means taking them off again.
21 panels and 6.62 kW
Twenty-one Hanwha Q.PEAK DUO panels at 315 watts each came to 6.62 kW on Ecolibrium Solar mounting, finished on 17 May 2019, running into a SolarEdge SE5000H inverter with an optimizer on every panel. These are the all-black modules, with a black frame and backsheet in place of the usual silver and white. JCP&L is the utility and the first year was designed for about 6,832 kWh.
Why Berkeley Heights homeowners choose Green Sun Energy Services
One company designs the roof and solar system together, so there is no finger-pointing between a roofer and a solar installer.
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 2,400 sq ft.
- Solar: design and installation supervised by a NABCEP-certified professional (#PVA-111016-016148), with SolarEdge optimizers on every panel so each one reports its own output. On this home: a 6.615 kW solar array of 21 Hanwha Q.PEAK DUO BLK-G5.1 315 panels, a SolarEdge SE5000H-US000NNC2 inverter, the Ecolibrium Solar mounting system and 144 ft of critter guard.
- Warranty: backed by a 50-year roof warranty, a 5-year roofing workmanship warranty and a 15-year solar 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 91 roofing projects and 360 solar projects throughout New Jersey.
Our work in Berkeley Heights
Green Sun Energy Services has completed 1 roof replacement and 2 featured solar projects in Berkeley Heights. Berkeley Heights, a township 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 Berkeley Heights home? Tell us about your project here or call 732-410-7818.
Power it. Protect it. Maintain it.
Project Facts
- Location
- Berkeley Heights, NJ
- Services
- Roofing Installation, Solar Critter Guard, Solar Panel Installation
- Client since
- March 2019
Solar
- Manufacturer & model
- Hanwha Q.PEAK DUO BLK-G5.1 315
- Panels
- 21
- System size
- 6.62 kW
- Inverter
- SolarEdge SE5000H-US000NNC2
- Mounting system
- Ecolibrium Solar
- Estimated first-year production
- 6,832 kWh
- Electric utility
- JCP&L
- Critter guard fitted
- 144 ft
- Workmanship warranty
- 15 years
Roof
- System
- GAF Timberline Lifetime Roofing System
- Area replaced
- 2,400 sq ft
- Warranty
- 50 years
- Workmanship warranty
- 5 years
Questions from Berkeley Heights homeowners
SolarCan panels cover the whole roof?
Not necessarily. Structural limits, plumbing vents, mechanical equipment and code-required access or setback areas all reduce the usable area. A design complies with the roof-access provisions rather than filling every available square foot.
SolarWhat is the difference between kW and kWh?
kW measures the size of the system; kWh measures the electricity it produces or the house consumes over time. An 11.5 kW array might be estimated at 13,100 kWh in its first year. Confusing the two makes proposals look larger or smaller than they are.
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.
RoofingHow long does an asphalt shingle roof typically last in Berkeley Heights, NJ?
A well-installed architectural asphalt shingle roof often lasts roughly 20 to 30 years, but New Jersey weather can shorten or extend that range. Sun exposure, attic ventilation, coastal salt air, tree cover, roof pitch, storm damage, installation quality, and maintenance all matter.
RoofingCan a roof leak come from something other than shingles?
Absolutely. Plumbing vents, chimneys, skylights, wall intersections, siding, windows above roof lines, gutters, condensation, and HVAC penetrations can all create water intrusion that looks like a roof leak.