A New Roof and 41 Panels in Manalapan, NJ

Manalapan, NJ · Client since February 2018

Dan and Natalie Szuba have been Green Sun Energy Services clients since February of 2018, when the array was signed and the roof followed five days later. The roof was finished on 31 March 2018 and the panels in the middle of April.

4,200 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 in Charcoal carrying a 50-year warranty and aluminum drip edge along 328 feet of rakes, eaves and valleys.

41 panels and 13.74 kW

Forty-one LG 335 watt panels came to 13.74 kW on rail-free mounting, finished on 18 April 2018, running into a SolarEdge SE11400A inverter with an optimizer on every panel. JCP&L is the utility.

Three groups, and why the design did not stop at one

The panels sit in three groups. Two are on the back of the house at 26 and 27 degrees, both facing south-southeast, and they model at 105 and 97 percent of the reference case. The third is on a steeper face at 35 degrees pointing west-southwest, and it models at 90 percent. That third group is the interesting decision. It is the weakest of the three and it is still worth having: 90 percent of the reference is a good face by any standard, and it produces late in the day when the two south-southeast groups are already falling away. An array designed to use one good face and stop there would have been smaller, tidier, and finished earlier every afternoon.

Why the roof went first

An array is bolted to a roof for twenty-five years and more, so shingles at the end of their life underneath one become a second job with a date already on them — panels off, roof on, panels back. Forty-one panels spread across three separate faces would make that job considerably worse than a single block of panels on one slope, because every group has its own layout to dismantle and re-establish. Eighteen days of sequencing meant it never has to happen.

We can’t say enough good things about our experience with Green Sun Energy Services. My wife and I were looking to go solar and scheduled meetings with several different companies. The representative from Green Sun was far more experienced, prepared, knowledgable, and helpful than everyone else we met with. He walked us through every aspect of going solar and the various options in great detail. We felt very confident with choosing Green Sun and they did not let us down. Glen always had time to answer all my questions the whole way through the process and they delivered in every way. We were also in need of a new roof and Green Sun’s roofer did an excellent job. It was nice to only have to deal with Green Sun on both projects. The Solar installation is one of the best ones I have ever seen. Green Sun took great care to move vents, attic fans, and pipes for the best aesthetic look possible. When I asked their competitors what they would do about these obstacles on the roof, they said they would install the panels around them. I have seen solar panels done this way, with awkward gaps and a non streamlined look. This is not what you get when you work with Green Sun.
From our very first phone call, through the planning, the permits, the installation, to our very first SREC check, we are extremely pleased with Green Sun Energy Services and would recommend them to anyone.

Why Dan and Natalie chose 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 4,200 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 13.735 kW solar array of 41 LG 335N1C-A5 panels, a SolarEdge SE11400A-US000NNR2 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 32 completed roofing projects and 138 completed solar projects across Monmouth County and 92 roofing projects and 361 solar projects throughout New Jersey.

Our work in Manalapan

Green Sun Energy Services has completed 4 roof replacements and 8 featured solar projects in Manalapan. Manalapan, a township in Monmouth 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 Manalapan home? Tell us about your project here or call 732-410-7818.

Power it. Protect it. Maintain it.

Questions from Manalapan homeowners

RoofingDoes a leak mean the whole roof has failed?

Not necessarily. Leaks commonly start at a single detail rather than through the middle of a shingle: chimney flashing, a pipe boot, a skylight, a valley, a wall intersection or another penetration. Diagnosing where the water is actually coming in should come before anyone recommends a replacement.

RoofingWhat happens if rotten decking is found during the work?

It is removed and replaced before the new covering goes on. No crew can know the condition of every sheet until the old roofing is off, which is why a tear-off is the point at which this gets discovered and why the homeowner is worth being reachable that day. Covering defective decking with new shingles hides the problem rather than solving it.

RoofingDo I need a permit to replace my roof in Manalapan, NJ?

Often yes, but the exact permit path depends on the municipality and scope of work. New Jersey's Uniform Construction Code governs permit requirements, and local construction offices administer them. A straightforward re-roof may be handled differently from structural deck repairs, framing changes, skylights, or other alterations, so the contractor should confirm the local requirements before work begins.

SolarHow does an optimizer system differ from microinverters?

An optimizer system puts DC power optimizers at the modules and a single central inverter elsewhere; a microinverter system puts a small inverter at each module. Both can provide module-level monitoring and rapid shutdown when properly designed -- they are different architectures rather than one being the upgrade of the other.

SolarDoes a bigger array always produce more?

Generally yes when everything else is equal, but size alone does not decide annual production. A smaller unshaded south-facing array can outproduce a larger one that is shaded or poorly oriented. Azimuth, tilt, shading, inverter efficiency and module characteristics all bear on it.