What is a low slope roof? As defined by National Roofing Contractors Association, the pitch of a low-slope roof is equal to or less than 3:12, seen in Fig. 1. Before a low-slope rooftop system is designed, perform a structural evaluation of the roof deck, structural evaluation of the building,Read More

A narrative has formed around thin-film PV modules that doesn’t totally match the reality. Initially neck and neck with crystalline silicon as the solar industry grew in the ‘90s, some high-profile big bets, headlined by Solyndra, did not pay off. We won’t rehash that old territory, but where previous technologyRead More

Large-scale solar projects are becoming more common in Minnesota, and as you might expect, installation of these projects requires a different approach than large-scale projects in those popular desert climates. An example would be a new 5 MW AC Project south of the Twin Cities. On approximately 20 acres, twoRead More

We say it every year: When it comes to solar projects, we are all winners. We already announced the winners of our 2016 Project of the Year vote, but we at Solar Builder liked a bunch of the other submissions too. Here is the fourth and final entry in our series ofRead More

We say it every year: When it comes to solar projects, we are all winners. We already announced the winners of our 2016 Project of the Year vote, but we at Solar Builder liked a bunch of the other submissions too. Here is the third in our series of Editor’s Choice winners. TheseRead More

  A solar system as an investment for a homeowner or business has value that goes beyond a typical property improvement purchase or equipment upgrade. Because PV offers both ecological benefits and economic advantages for a property, new and unconventional financing vehicles are available — and can be offered byRead More

We say it every year: When it comes to solar projects, we are all winners. We already announced the winners of our 2016 Project of the Year vote, but we at Solar Builder liked a bunch of the other submissions too. Here is the second in our series of Editor’sRead More

We say it every year: When it comes to solar projects, we are all winners. We already announced the winners of our 2016 Project of the Year vote, but we at Solar Builder liked a bunch of the other submissions too. Welcome to the first in our series of Editor’sRead More

Levee Mount Category: Ground-Mount (C&I) Delano, Calif. | 522 kW The agricultural segment has a conundrum when it comes to adding solar: it could benefit greatly from the power generation, but dedicating too much land for a sizable enough project will cut too deeply into its revenue. Wasting productive landRead More

Moapa Southern Paiute Solar Category: Ground-Mount (utility-scale) Moapa, Nev. | 353 MW You may remember this project first appearing in our Sept./Oct. issue in which we highlighted the importance of the ground screws in completing the project. It was entered into the Project of the Year awards shortly thereafter andRead More