Akash Patel came to Green Sun Energy Services as a referral and has been a client since May of 2019, when the roof and the solar array were bought on the same day. The roof was finished on 13 July 2019 and the panels went on four days later.
3,000 square feet, stripped to the deck
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 carrying a 50-year warranty, aluminum drip edge along 273 feet of rakes, eaves and valleys, and a ridge vent along the peak.
22 panels and 7.04 kW
Twenty-two LG 320 watt panels came to 7.04 kW on Ecolibrium Solar mounting, finished on 17 July 2019, running into a SolarEdge SE6000H inverter with an optimizer on every panel. PSE&G is the utility and the first year was designed for about 9,393 kWh.
A modest array on a very good roof
Seven kilowatts is not a large system by the standards of this site, and 9,393 kWh from it works out at around 1,330 kWh for every kilowatt installed — one of the healthier ratios in the set. That combination is worth understanding, because the instinct when reading solar figures is to compare system sizes. A well-oriented, unshaded roof carrying twenty-two panels will out-produce a poorly oriented one carrying thirty, on identical equipment. The size of an array says how much roof was used; the ratio says how good the roof was.
Four days between the two crews
Roof finished on a Saturday, panels on the Wednesday. That kind of gap only happens when both jobs are sold as one — a single survey, one set of drawings, one inspection schedule, and a roofing crew that already knows where the array is going. An array is bolted down for twenty-five years and more, so shingles at the end of their life underneath one become a second job later. Four days of sequencing removed it, and the panels went onto a roof that was four days old.
Why Fords 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 3,000 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 7.04 kW solar array of 22 LG 320N1K-A5 panels, a SolarEdge SE6000H-US000NNC2 inverter and the Ecolibrium Solar mounting system.
- 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 12 completed roofing projects and 48 completed solar projects across Middlesex County and 92 roofing projects and 361 solar projects throughout New Jersey.
Our work in Fords
Fords, a community in Woodbridge Township, is served by PSE&G.
Generate electricity on your roof and use it to help power your vehicle.
Thinking about a new roof, solar, or both for your Fords home? Tell us about your project here or call 732-410-7818.
Power it. Protect it. Maintain it.
Project Facts
- Location
- Fords, NJ
- Services
- Roofing Installation, Solar Panel Installation
- Client since
- May 2019
Solar
- Manufacturer & model
- LG 320N1K-A5
- Panels
- 22
- System size
- 7.04 kW
- Inverter
- SolarEdge SE6000H-US000NNC2
- Mounting system
- Ecolibrium Solar
- Estimated first-year production
- 9,393 kWh
- Electric utility
- PSE&G
- Workmanship warranty
- 15 years
Roof
- System
- GAF Timberline Lifetime Roofing System
- Area replaced
- 3,000 sq ft
- Warranty
- 50 years
- Workmanship warranty
- 5 years
Questions from Fords homeowners
SolarWhy is annual offset the number that matters?
Because the value of net metering is strongest where solar production offsets electricity the household would otherwise have bought. Producing substantially more than a year's consumption means the surplus is ultimately treated differently from the credit that offsets consumption.
SolarShould the system cover 100 percent of annual usage?
Often that is an attractive target, but it is not automatically the best design. Roof area, shading, the financing structure, future electricity use, equipment size, utility limits and roof condition all bear on it. A 90 to 95 percent offset on an excellent roof can be a better system than one forced onto shaded surfaces to reach a round number.
SolarHow long does an inverter last?
It depends on the manufacturer, the design, the environment and the generation of equipment, and it should not be assumed that an inverter lasts as long as the modules. Worth comparing: the product warranty, whether labor is covered, how a replacement is handled, monitoring coverage, and whether the installer will still be servicing that equipment.
RoofingAre 'cool roof' shingles useful in Fords, NJ?
Reflective roofing products can reduce solar heat gain, particularly on sun-exposed roofs, but the benefit varies with roof orientation, insulation, ventilation, tree cover, and HVAC efficiency. They are one part of an energy strategy rather than a substitute for attic improvements.
RoofingWhat wind rating should I look for in shingles?
Do not evaluate wind resistance by the product label alone. The achieved rating depends on the specific shingle, approved fastening pattern, deck condition, starter course, edge details, and installation. Ask the contractor which manufacturer wind warranty applies to the proposed installation.