Allison Graf has been a Green Sun Energy Services client since February of 2020, when the roof and the solar array were bought on the same day. The roof was finished on 4 April 2020 and the array ten days later.
2,800 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 244 feet of rakes, eaves and valleys, and a ridge vent along the peak.
22 panels and 7.04 kW
Twenty-two Hanwha Q.PEAK DUO panels at 320 watts each came to 7.04 kW on Ecolibrium Solar mounting, finished on 14 April 2020, running into a SolarEdge SE6000H inverter with an optimizer on every panel. JCP&L is the utility and the first year was designed for about 8,382 kWh.
All-black modules on a new roof
These are the black-backsheet version of the panel, which means a black frame and a black background behind the cells rather than the usual silver frame and white grid. The difference is entirely visual and it is most visible on a roof that has just been replaced, where the shingles are uniform and unfaded and nothing else on the roof is competing for attention. It is the one decision on a solar job that is about how the house looks rather than what it produces, and the moment to make it is when the roof underneath is new.
Why the roof went first
Ten days separated the two jobs. An array is bolted to a roof for twenty-five years and more, so shingles near the end of their life underneath one become a second job with a date already on them — panels off, roof on, panels back. Doing the roof first put these panels onto a deck that had been stripped, seen and covered properly, under a 50-year system, and settled the appearance of the whole roof in one visit rather than two.
Project Facts
- Location
- Jackson, NJ
- Services
- Roofing Installation, Solar Panel Installation
- Client since
- February 2020
Solar
- Panels
- Hanwha Model # Q.PEAK DUO BLK-G5.1 320
- Panels
- 22
- System size
- 7.04 kW
- Inverter
- SolarEdge SE6000H-US000NNC2
- Mounting system
- Ecolibrium Solar
- Estimated first-year production
- 8,382 kWh
- Electric utility
- JCP&L
Roof
- System
- GAF Timberline Lifetime Roofing System
- Area replaced
- 2,800 sq ft
- Warranty
- 50 years
Questions from Jackson homeowners
SolarWhat should a Jackson 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.
RoofingWhat is GAF WindProven?
WindProven is a GAF limited wind warranty available on qualifying LayerLock-equipped shingles installed with the required combination of qualifying GAF roofing accessories. For qualifying installations it carries no maximum wind-speed limitation. That is a warranty provision, not a statement that the roof is physically incapable of storm damage.
RoofingShould skylights be replaced when the roof is replaced?
If an older skylight is nearing the end of its service life, roof replacement is often the most practical time to replace it, because the new skylight, its flashing and the roofing underlayment can then be integrated from the start. VELUX skylights are installed with manufacturer-specific flashing where skylight replacement is included.