M id A tlantic Real Estate Journal — Industrial / Distribution Centers — May 29 - June 11, 2020 — 9A I ndustrial R eal E state & D istribution C enters
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By Shaun Keegan, CEO of Solar Landscape Best practices for protecting your roof when leasing space for solar
O
wners of industrial and distribution facilities in New Jersey have
capabilities.
necessary panels within 24 hours when a leak is reported. There are various methods for
contact with the roof • Mounting equipment is designed with rubber footpads that disburse weight evenly and minimize point loads Applications for the second round of the community solar program is expected to open by June 2020 and should remain open until September. The program is competitive and based on a scoring rubric, so commercial property owners should seek out developer with experience being awarded in the first round. Shaun Keegan is CEO of Solar Landscape.
Safety During the installation, the solar company should have a
Waterproofing Solar panels will not void the
a unique op- portunity to l ease the i r rooftops for c ommun i t y solar projects. L a s t y e a r New Jersey r e g u l a t o r s launched the
Property owners canmonetize their roof-top with another tenant, in the form of a solar installation, for reliable lease payments for the next 20 or more years.
roof manufacturer’s leak war- ranty. If a leak is discovered during the lease term, the proj- ect owner should remove solar panels to allow the roofers to locate and repair at no cost. The lease should also require that the solar project mainte- nance company removes the
further protecting the integrity of the roof during installation, including: • Plywood with insulation board is laid down for material handling, and roof cart paths. • Sacrificial slip sheets pre - vent any of the solar equip- ment from coming into direct
job-specific safety plan out- lined and approved. Crews should set up a hard rail fall protection around the perim- eter of the roof. Regarding fire safety, there are a class of inverters specifically designed for flat roof commercial solar installations that have shut-off
Shaun Keegan
state’s three-year Community Solar Pilot Program, which will transition to a permanent pro- gram after the pilot program finishes in 2021. Property own - ers can monetize their roof-top with another tenant, in the form of a solar installation, for reliable lease payments for the next 20 or more years. The main hurdle property owners have in taking advan- tage of this revenue stream is the concern over how a solar project would impact their roof, not only structurally, but also from an access, safety and op- erations standpoint. However, the reality is that solar is a qui- et, safe and unobtrusive tenant that owners don’t have to worry about. During pre-construction assessment and installation, there are best practices solar installers should take to fully protect the roof asset. Structural Most solar panel installa- tions will add between two and six pounds per square foot to the building’s structural weight load capacity. In New Jersey, ballasted rooftop solar projects are most common, meaning the solar racking is weighted down on top of the roof instead of being mechani- cally attached the building. Professional engineers verify site-conditions and create de- sign specifications for approval. Non-Invasive Construction The solar panels are installed on the rooftop and conductors are sourced to an equipment pad located at ground level. No building interior work is required, and therefore there is minimal interaction with building occupants. Loading and staging areas should be clearly coordinated with prop- erty management in advance. The labor-intensive installa- tion phase where crews will be onsite each day is typically less than eight weeks. There shouldn’t be any welding re- quired for racking assembly, only light tools are used to as- semble nut and bolt systems.
Lease Your Roof for Community Solar LOOK I NG FOR 80 , 000+ SF OF ROOFTOP SPACE I N NEW J ERSEY FOR THE STATE ' S COMMUN I TY SOLAR P I LOT PROGRAM
Building a Clean Energy Legacy
www.solarlandscape.com 844-765-2769
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