SOLAR ROOF: INCREASED SOLAR GAIN AND 20-YEAR PACKAGE WARRANTY THANKS TO SOPREMA-ADEXSI COLLABORATION

Renewable energy sources such as solar panels will play a significant role in building for the future, and in the move away from fossil fuels to tackle climate change. The Switch found that the UK has a combined capacity of 13.26 GW of solar PV power – enough to power around 3 million households. According to The Solar Trade Association, around 900,000 British homes have solar PV panels installed. Adexsi UK, a part of the SOPREMA Group and an approved installer of SOPRASOLAR mounting solutions, makes an important contribution to the solar initiative, offering bi-facial solar panels that maximise solar gain, especially when paired with SOPREMA’s reflective roof systems. Moreover, with SOPREMA UK and Adexsi UK joining forces, customers now have a one-stop-shop for both solar panels and roofing systems, and a twenty-year package warranty for ultimate peace of mind. TECHNOLOGY AND VALUE Recent advances in solar panel technology allow roof spaces to generate up to 35% more energy than they did just five years ago. Many factors, including new cell technology, improved efficiency, larger panels and greater inverter performance have all combined to provide better value than ever before from solar panels, which now often represent the most affordable solution to offset a building’s carbon footprint and reduce running costs. Moreover, solar panels have the lowest maintenance costs of all renewable technologies due to very few faults and minimal cleaning effort required. Adexsi UK is now offering an innovative bi-facial solar panel solution, with the underside of the panel generating additional power from sunlight reflected off the purpose-designed SOPREMA covering. The bi-facial panels are easily demountable and accessible for upkeep (both for maintenance of the PV system, cleaning and roof repair if needed). MAXIMISE SOLAR GAIN Moreover, Adexsi UK and SOPREMA UK have teamed up to create a warm roof system that maximises solar gain. The system consists of the newly designed Monocrystalline Percium bi-facial solar panels and special waterproofing membranes. While regular black bitumen is of course not reflective, our flexible SBS elastomeric bitumen waterproofing membranes with a composite polyester reinforcement have a high solar reflectance of 0.78 and an emissivity of 0.89. They are compliant with the ‘cool roof’ approach and bear the Energy Star® label. The combination of this warm roof membrane and high-output bi-facial panels can generate between 10 and 30% more energy in optimal conditions. In addition, battery systems are available to further reduce the running costs of a building, by storing the excess power during the day and using it at night. JUST LIKE WORKING WITH REGULAR SOLAR PANELS Despite their performance advantages, bi-facial panels weigh only slightly more than normal solar panels (constituting a 5 to 10% weight increase). Made to the same standard size module as normal solar panels, they fit the same pedestal mounting system (adhering the panels to the roof surface with no ballast weight required and no penetration through the roof covering). Installing them, is just like working with regular solar panels. ONE-STOP-SHOP AND WARRANTY While projects involving solar roofs previously required discussions with two or three different parties in the supply chain, Adexsi UK and SOPREMA UK have created a single point of warranty, with one point of contact and a twenty-year warranty for the whole roofing system, for both new build and renovation projects, backed by the more than 100 years of development and experience that only SOPREMA can offer. As part of the roof surveys that SOPREMA offers as a service, Adexsi UK calculates how to maximise a roof space to provide the best possible annual yield or the most cost-effective solution to meet a specified budget. The team also prepares the necessary technical drawings and roof layouts, showing pedestal and panel locations. Finally, a full electrical design is also carried out, meaning customers no longer need to consult separately with electrical specialists and roofing experts. Customers can now have a complete package, and one that is available through enquiry to both SOPREMA and Adexsi: a single point of contact at SOPREMA will handle everything with Adexsi and vice versa, so customers can have roof and solar design, installation and commissioning of their system in a single order.

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