Solar
Solar on a commercial roof
Never put a 25-year array on a roof with seven years left.
Commercial Roof Asset Management by Dura-Foam scans flat and low-slope roofs before solar goes up, for building owners and for the solar companies that build on them. The robotic roof scan reports years remaining and deck life, the two numbers an array depends on.
- California License 435836
- In business since 1983
- Over 20,000 roofs
The mistake
The panels outlive the roof, and somebody pays twice.
A 25-year array on a roof with seven years left forces a second bill, because the array comes off, the roof is replaced and the array goes back on.
The panel warranty keeps running while the roof underneath runs out. Whoever owns the building at year seven pays for removal, a new roof and reinstallation.
What the scan tells you first
Years remaining, and whether the deck can carry the load.
Years remaining and deck condition come first on the robotic roof scan report, because those two results decide whether panels can go up now.
Years Remaining
How long the roof will last under the array. Compare the number to the term of the solar agreement.
Deck Life
The condition of the structure that will carry the racking. A wet or failed deck gives your engineer a reason to stop.
Moisture Map
Where water sits under the membrane. Wet areas get fixed before panels cover them for decades.
For solar developers and EPCs
Your biggest deal killer is a roof you cannot see.
A roof you cannot see beneath the membrane is the biggest deal killer for a solar developer, and the robotic roof scan sorts each roof into one of three groups.
Ready for panels now
Dry insulation, a sound deck and enough years left to match the array. Move the deal forward.
Roof work first
Wet areas or a short remaining life. Repair, recover or replace, then install.
Walk away
A failed deck that needs structural work. Better to know before the contract than after the racking.
For owners considering solar
One number before you sign a 25-year agreement.
Years Remaining is the one number to know before signing a 25-year solar agreement, because the roof has to last as long as the array sits on it.
Solar proposals focus on production and savings, and few of them mention the roof. A scan puts the roof into the decision before you sign.
When the roof falls short of the agreement term, replace it first. The new roof and the panels then start their lives together.
Roof first, then panels
We can do the roof work before the array goes up.
Commercial Roof Asset Management by Dura-Foam can complete the roof work before the array goes up, in four steps from scan to installation.
- 1
Scan
A robotic roof scan reports years remaining, moisture and deck life.
- 2
Roof decision
Install now, roof work first, or walk away.
- 3
Roof work
Repair, recover or replace so the roof matches the array.
- 4
Array install
Your solar company installs on a roof ready for the full term.
Straight answers
No runaround.
Six questions building owners and solar developers ask us, each answered in the first sentence.
Why scan the roof before installing solar?
A scan before installation shows how many years the roof has left, and a 25-year array on a roof with seven years left means paying to remove and reinstall the panels. Knowing the number first lets you replace the roof before the array goes up.
Can the scan tell whether the deck can hold panels?
The scan reports deck condition and where moisture has reached the deck, which tells your structural engineer whether the deck is sound enough to evaluate for the added load. Load calculations stay with the engineer of record.
We are a solar developer. Can you scan a whole pipeline of roofs?
A developer can send every roof in the pipeline, and each one comes back sorted: ready for panels now, roof work first, or walk away. Over 20,000 roofs scanned and roofed since 1983 sit behind those calls.
Do you install the solar panels?
Commercial Roof Asset Management by Dura-Foam does the roof, not the array. We complete the roof work so your solar company installs on a roof built to last as long as the panels.
What happens if the roof has only a few years left?
A roof with only a few years left should be repaired, recovered or replaced before the array goes up. The scan shows which of those options the deck and insulation allow.
Where do you work?
We scan and roof commercial buildings across all of California, plus Florida, Texas, Georgia and South Carolina. Flat and low-slope roofs only.
Get started
Request a Roof Scan.
Request a Roof Scan before the array goes up, whether you own the building or build the solar.
- Years Remaining compared to your array term
- Deck Life and Moisture Map for every roof
- Roof work completed before installation
- California License 435836, in business since 1983
Prefer the phone? Call (310) 647-7192. California License 435836.