Canadian Roofing Contractor and Design

12
www.perkspub.com
on the cover
4
10
INDUSTRY NEWS
13
INDUSTRY EVENT
14
GREEN REPORT
News highlights from the industry.
NEW PRODUCT SHOWCASE
New products and technologies available to the
industry.
ROOFTech 2009. The Canadian Roofing Exposition
will be held Mar. 30 and Apr. 1, 2009 at the Metro
Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Ont. Plan to
attend the industry event of the year! Overview of The
Canadian Symposium on Roofing Technology which
will be held in conjunction with ROOFTech 2009.
Insurers warn of fire risk from green roofs. Swiss insurer Zurich, the third largest insurer of commercial property in the UK, said the roofs could dry out and become
flammable.
contents
Volume 30, No. 3
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2009
13
COOL ROOFING
Thin-Film Photovoltaics and
Their Impact on a commercial
Building’s Cooling Load.. (Page
16).
ROOFING
16 COOL
Thin-Film Photovoltaics and Their Impact on a Com-
mercial Building’s Cooling Load. Since the laminates
are dark in colour they will tend to absorb heat more
and transfer that heat to the roof panels. However, the
basic conclusion of the reports is that in most construction, less than 2.5 per cent of the electricity generated by
the thin-film PV modules was needed to offset the added
cooling load.
INDEX
30 ADVERTISER’S
Information hotline to contact advertisers in this issue.
16
News
industry
ALI RELEASES REVISED STANDARD FOR FIXED LADDERS
The American Ladder Institute
(ALI), the national trade association
representing the North American ladder industry, recently released the updated A14.3 standard to help reduce the
personal injuries of fixed ladder users.
“The revised standard sets requirements for cages, wells and ladder safety
systems used with fixed ladders,” said
Jim Smith, A14.3 sub-committee
chairman. “It also offers fixed ladder
users the proper safety features to
safeguard them during ladder use.”
The 2008 version of the standard
is endorsed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI),
and features requirements for ladder
security systems, changes to
graspability in roof hatches, modifications of ladder safety systems, as
well as guides for maintenance, use
and graphics to assist users of fixed
ladders.
American National Standards are
intended to aid manufacturers, consumers and the general public. In addition
to A14.3, there are six additional standards prepared under the supervision of
American National Standards Committee ASC A14. They include the following:
• A14.1 – Wood Ladders
• A14.2 – Portable Metal Ladders
• A14.4 – Job Made Wooden
Ladders
• A14.5 – Portable Reinforced
Plastic Ladders
• A14.7 – Mobile Ladder Stands and
Mobile Ladder Stand Platforms
• A14.9 – Ceiling Mounted Disappearing Climbing Systems
All standards are available for purchase
from
ALI
at
www.americanladderinstitute.org.
GAF MATERIALS CORPORATION MOURNS LOSS OF JOHN MAKAR
GAF Materials Corporation sadly
announces the untimely passing of
John Makar, area vice president, steep
slope southeast, on Dec. 13, 2008.
Makar was employed in the roofing industry all his life, joining GAF
in 1998 as a field sales manager.
Makar progressed through positions
of increasing responsibility within
the sales management team for both
low- and steep-slope roofing, including area regional sales director for
low slope west, vice president of
steep slope west and area vice president of steep slope east.
Makar also served the country for
over 25 years as a military reservist in
the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army and finally
retiring from the Florida National
Guard last year. Shortly after 9-11
Makar was called upon to provide na-
tional security at
Florida’s shipping ports and
airports, and also
assisted the residents of Florida
after devastating
hurricanes while
stationed with his
National Guard
John Makar
unit.
Through 2005 – 2006 Makar
served as a Command Sergeant Major during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afganistan. During his service he was presented with numerous
military awards and citations, but he
was most proud of collecting thousand’s of shoes for the orphans in
Kabul.
4 Canadian Roofing Contractor & Design - JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2009
NEW COALITION FORMED
TO ADDRESS RESIDENTIAL
ROOF VENTILATION
The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers’ Association (ARMA), along
with six key industry roofing ventilation companies joined together to
form the Roof Assembly Ventilation
Coalition (RAVC). Based in the
United States, the RAVC is a coalition created under the umbrella
of ARMA to help identify sound
science regarding steep-slope roof
ventilation.
The coalition emerged out of a
need for a better understanding of
roof ventilation and material performance as it relates to the code
and regulatory bodies and other
forums. The coalition will act as
the voice of the industry, while
identifying areas which need additional research compiled. The coalition intends to communicate
state-of-the-art developments in
roof ventilation while educating
specifiers, builders, architects, engineers, building code officials,
municipalities, the public and
other parties as to the benefits of
proper roof ventilation.
The charter members of the
coalition are Diversi-Plast Inc.,
Benjamin Obdyke, Hunter Panels Inc., Metal-Era Inc., Air-Vent
Inc. and Canplas/Duraflo.
ARMA’s director of Industry
Affairs, James Baker said that
“The response from these manufacturers has been outstanding in
stepping up to the plate and developing a coalition of companies with a united goal of filling
a long overlooked void in the
roofing industry. ARMA is
pleased to be associated with the
coalition and looks forward to a
long and prosperous working relationship.”
THE FIVE ESSENTIAL
RESPONSIBILITIES OF
OWNERS & MANAGERS
(1) Appoint “competent persons” to supervise the work.
- Supervisors are the ones who
set the day-to-day priorities and
direction of the work. As the link
between management and workers, they may be your most important employees for determining the health and safety conditions on site.
- As an owner, you are legally
obligated to appoint a competent
person as a supervisor. Evaluate
candidates’ health-and-safety credentials before hiring.
- The Occupational Health and
Safety Act defines a “competent
person as someone who is: qualified to organize the work; familiar with applicable legislation and
acknowledgeable about actual
and potential dangers in the
workplace.
- Consider sending your supervisors to CSAO’s Basics of Supervising course.
(2) Implement a health and
safety program
- It’s your legal responsibility
to develop and implement a
health and safety program. It contains policies and procedures that
guide you and your employees in
preventing injuries and illnesses,
and in responding to emergencies
and other problems. Adopt the
philosophy that every injury and
illness is preventable.
- You must post a copy of your
health and safety policy statement
at the workplace. Ministry of Labour inspectors have the right to
see your program.
- If you don’t develop the program by yourself, assign a comContinued On Page 6
BRITISH COLUMBIA RAISES ENERGY CODE STRINGENCY
British Columbia has changed the
province’s building code in order to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions and
increase water efficiency. Changes include:
(1) Energy Efficiency Requirements for Single Family Houses and
Smaller Multi-Family Residential,
Commercial and Industrial Buildings.
- Insulation standards for houses and
multi-family residential buildings under five stories have changed. There are
new insulation standards for small commercial and industrial buildings.
- For housing, builders can choose
to achieve an EnerGuide rating of 77
as an alternative to meeting the insulation requirements.
(2) Energy Efficiency Requirements for High-Rise, Multi-Family
Residential Buildings and Larger Industrial, Commercial and Institu-
tional Buildings.
- Larger buildings must meet the
American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers 90.1 (2004) standard. ASHRAE
90.1 is an internationally recognized
standard for energy efficiency in buildings.
(3) Water Efficiency Requirements.
- Ultra low-flow toilets (6L) and
other water-saving plumbing fixtures
and fittings will become mandatory in
new construction and renovations.
The changes took effect on Sep.
5, 2008. Builders will be able to
choose between new prescriptive insulation standards or a performance
code requiring a minimum
EnerGuide Rating of 77.
For more information, visit
www.housing.gov.bc.ca/building/
green/index.htm.
DURO-LAST ROOFING PROMOTIONS
Duro-Last Roofing Inc. is pleased to
announce the promotions of Shawn
Sny and Jason Tunney to vice presidents of John R. Burt (JRB) Enterprises, which consists of Duro-Last®
Roofing Inc.; Plastatech® Engineering
Ltd.; Tri-City Vinyl ® Inc.; EXCEPTIONAL® Metals; Creative Impressions® (Printing, Silkscreening and Embroidery) as well as Oscoda Plastics®
Inc.; and TIP-TOP® Screw Manufacturing Inc.
Both Sny and Tunney are grandsons
of the late John R. Burt, who founded
the companies in JRB Enterprises.
In addition to continuing his work
with the Duro-Last Sales Department,
Sny will be directing special projects
within all the JRB companies.
“I am very grateful to be a part of
the John R. Burt
Enterprises,” he
said. “I am looking to helping our
companies grow
and flourish. New
product lines and
more efficient
Shawn Sny
manufacturing
processes will continue to be implemented so that we can better serve our
valued customers.”
Prior to his promotion, Sny was the
division manager for Duro-Last, and
also held the positions of district regional sales manager and sales coordinator. He earned a Bachelor of Science
degree in cardiac rehabilitation from
Central Michigan University.
Continued On Page 6
Canadian Roofing Contractor & Design - JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2009 5
News
industry
Mike Nosko
Publisher
Tanja Nowotny
Editor/Production Dept.
Cathie Fedak
Sales Manager
ppi
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Whitby, Ontario L1P 1L5
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Fax: (905) 697-2536
Canadian
Roofing
Contractor & Design is a
wholly owned, independent
Canadian publication. It is not
affiliated with any association
or group. The magazine is
owned and published by Perks
P u b l i c a t i o n s I n c . , W h i t b y,
Ontario, Canada. Copyright
2009. All rights reserved.
Contents
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the publisher. Published four
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Continued From Page 5
DURO-LAST ROOFING PROMOTIONS
Jason Tunney will oversee the
Duro-Last Legal Department and focus
on records retention; community relations; risk management; and insurance
and banking relationships for all the
JRB companies.
“My grandfather built his business
on outstanding customer service and
the highest quality products in the roofing industry,” Tunney said. “Our current management team has successfully
achieved those goals, and my grandfather would be proud of the accomplishments of his companies.”
Tunney most recently served as corporate attorney at Duro-Last. Addi-
Continued From Page 5
THE FIVE ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
petent person to do it under supervision.
-The program must be specific to
your company. It must set out responsibilities and describe safe practices for
your work.
- Train your employees on the program and document the training.
- Back up your program with a progressive discipline policy that reinforces
the importance you place on safety.
Don’t tolerate unsafe practices and use
your discipline policy when necessary.
You will send a clear message about
what you expect.
(3) Participate actively, lead by example.
- Walk the talk. When you go out
on site, comply with the law and your
own safety rules. The same safety rules
should apply to everyone.
- Make a point of participating personally in health and safety meetings,
inspections, orientation sessions and
safety talks. This will send a strong
message to workers, sub contractors,
supervisors and clients.
- Don’t be a stranger. Show up on
site. Perform unplanned inspections
dedicated to health and safety issues.
- Consider attending CSAO’s half-day
6 Canadian Roofing Contractor & Design - JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2009
tionally,
he
worked as a quality assurance regional manager
and also in field
operations for the
company.
Prior to joining Duro-Last,
Jason Tunney
Tunney worked
as an attorney in the Cleveland office
of Tucker Ellis & West LLP, where he
defended cases in the areas of toxic torts
and maritime personal injury. He also
served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Saginaw, Mich.
course Managing Health and Safety.
(4) Set achievable goals
- Take small steps for success. Your
company probably isn’t perfect, so set
achievable goals for improvement over
the next month. For example, plan to
document one safe practice over the next
month. For your supervisors, goals
could include performing one safety inspection or safety talk per week. For
workers, goals could include wearing the
required personal protective equipment
and everyone tying off on roofs.
(5) Ensure new workers are oriented
- By “new workers,” we don’t mean
only young workers. Anyone new to
your particular site is a new worker, and
needs an orientation to the work and its
hazards. The construction work force
is transient. Make sure everyone knows
your expectations for health and safety.
- Participate in staff orientations.
Emphasize your commitment to health
and safety, and make it clear that you
expect everyone to follow your program. If you delegate the responsibility of orienting workers, ensure that
you give the job to a competent person who will communicate your priorities clearly.
CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATIONS INSTITUTE INTRODUCES GREEN FORMAT WEB-BASED DATABASE
The Construction Specifications
Institute
(CSI)
unveiled
GreenFormat™, a web-based database
of green product information, at the
U.S. Green Building Council’s
Greenbuild International Conference
and Expo in Boston. CSI demonstrated
the new resource, accessible at
www.greenformat.com, during the
conference, drawing interest from
manufacturers, designers, specifiers and
other construction professionals who
make product choices in construction.
GreenFormat is a new CSI format
that provides a standardized framework
for identifying the sustainable properties of building products. The free,
web-based search offers a fast-andeasy, unbiased approach to evaluating green product information, saving time for designers, specifiers and
constructors. Like all of CSI’s standards and formats, GreenFormat is organized by MasterFormat divisions.
Its downloadable results are specfriendly.
The requirements of the Leadership
in Energy and Environment Design
(LEED) Green Building Rating System™ are among the standards referenced within GreenFormat’s search to
help searchers achieve their green
project goals.
“CSI received overwhelmingly positive feedback on GreenFormat during
GreenBuild,” said CSI Executive Director and CEO Walter Marlowe, P.E.,
CSI, CAE. “Designers can use
GreenFormat to sift through the green
information flooding the construction
industry quickly and easily.”
To enter products into the database,
building product manufacturers complete an online questionnaire that collects sustainable information about
their products. Sustainability claims are
verified by relating questions to compliance with standards and certifica-
tions. Information is then displayed in
a standardized manner; product listings
are organized by MasterFormat divisions in a spec-friendly layout. The for-
mat’s categories focus on topics that are
important to design and product selection decisions.
Continued On Page 8
Canadian Roofing Contractor & Design - JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2009 7
News
industry
ONTARIO LABOUR BILL TAXING CONSTRUCTION INDEPENDENTS
HALF BILLION DOLLAR BONANZA FOR WSIB
It is being charged that Ontario’s
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
(WSIB) stands to reap at least half a billion dollars from payroll taxes imposed
on companies in the construction industry, if legislation introduced by Labour Minister Peter Fonseca is approved in final reading in the legisla-
ture this week.
The charge was made last fall by the
Canadian Federation of Independent
Business (CFIB) after calculating the
business cost impact of WSIB Bill 119
on Ontario construction firms with
and without employees.
“We estimate that at least $511 million will be scooped up by the WSIB
from additional annual premiums
forced upon these business and that’s
on top of what they already pay to this
$3.5 billion public monopoly,” said
CFIB’s Ontario’s vice president Judith
Andrew.
Andrew pointed out that the legislation forces construction company
owners (proprietors and partners), executive officers (in the case of corporate entities) and independent owners
(single person businesses) to pay the
premiums on their own earnings, over
and above what they currently pay to
cover employees for workplace disability insurance.
“This is a significant tax grab that
will damage business confidence in the
weakening construction industry and
throughout the entire small business
sector in the province,” said Andrew.
“Everything about this legislation
reeks. Apart from the policy being
wrong-headed and particularly ill
Continued On Page 9
Continued From Page 7
CSI INTRODUCES GREEN FORMAT
“We developed GreenFormat to
address the need for consistently and
concisely structured information about
product sustainability, to help those
searching for the right product,” said
Roger Grant, CSI Director Technical
Services and Development. “As we
strive to refine the database and its functionality we ask for comments and feedback from the industry.”
To learn more about GreenFormat,
visit www.greenformat.com.
8 Canadian Roofing Contractor & Design - JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2009
Continued From Page 8
timed, it was given short shrift in the legislative process with
no prior consultation, little debate and no estimate of the
impact on the small- to medium-size business job creators.”
Andrew also strongly criticized the Ontario government
for raising WSIB taxes on the pretext that Bill 119 will improve safety, flush out the underground economy and level
the playing field.
“None of this will be accomplished on account of this
legislation,” Andrew said. “What it will do is help cheaters
prosper and hurt or wipe out law-abiding firms. It is strictly
a government sell-out to the unions and an opportunity to
fatten the coffers of an already over-staffed and under achieving WSIB bureaucracy.”
“This would be anti-small business, anti-job creation and
anti-common sense legislation at any time, but to force it
through now when the economy is so fragile, just boggles
the mind,” Andrew said.
CFIB’s calculation of the business cost impact of WSIB
Bill 119 is based on data from Statistic Canada, which tallied
the number of Ontario construction firms with and without employees. Prior CFIB survey research yielded average
additional premium cost per firm – www.cfib.ca/legis/
ontario/pdf/on0214.pdf. The number of independent operators was discounted considerably in the calculations, recognizing the difficulty in capturing them and thereby ensuring the overall estimate is a conservative one.
ROOF ASSEMBLY VENTILATION COALITION
ANNOUNCES FIRST SLATE OF OFFICERS
The Roof Assembly Ventilation Coalition (RAVC) is
pleased to announce its first slate of elected officers.
RAVC’s new chairman is Gary Urbanski, sales and marketing manager, Trimline Building Products, a division of
Diversi-Plast. Urbanski was selected to lead the Coalition
which launched on Aug. 22, 2008 in Washington, DC.
“It’s a privilege to serve as the chairman of the coalition
that will meet the needs of homeowners, builders and regulators as we work to educate people on the sound science
and need for roof ventilation. The members of the Coalition are indebted to Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA) for recognizing the need to have vent manufacturers and the issue of ventilation as a priority of ARMA’s
steep-slope roofing agenda.”
The other officers named at the meeting include Chris
Freeman, secretary, and Donnie Anderson, treasurer. Both
Freeman and Anderson are with Air Vent Inc. and are members of the ARMA.
Canadian Roofing Contractor & Design - JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2009 9
new product
Showcase
CARLISLE ENERGY SERVICES AND SOLYNDRA INC.
ENTER CONTRACT TO DELIVER PHOTOVOLTAIC
SYSTEMS FOR COMMERCIAL COOL ROOFS
Carlisle Energy
Services, a newlyformed division of Carlisle Construction Materials and leading
manufacturer of energy-efficient singleply roofing systems,
announced it has
signed a long-term
sales contract worth
up to $320M will Solyndra Inc.,
a manufacturer of proprietary
photovoltaic (PV) systems designed to optimize solar electricity production on commercial
rooftops. The multi-year sales
contract adds to Solyndra’s previously announced order backlog. The solar panels for these
contracts will be manufactured
at Solyndra’s facilities in
Fremont and Milpitas, CA.
“The Solyndra PV system is
a natural fit for our ENERGY
STAR®-certified, cool roof systems. When installed on Carlisle’s white reflective TPO roofing membrane, the output of
Solyndra PV system increases
up to 20 per cent,” said John
Altmeyer, CEO of Carlisle Construction Materials. “Further, the
installation of a Solyndra system
is exceptionally quick and economical, and can easily be accomplished by a roofing contractor along with the installation of an insulated cool roof.
Together with Carlisle’s large
network of roofing installers, we
can rapidly deploy systems
which provide both energy conservation and low-cost solar
electricity generation.”
Insulated cool roofs, made
of highly reflective and emissive
materials, lower day-time air
conditioning electricity usage by
reflecting away sunlight and
heat. The rapid adoption of cool
roofs in the western and Sunbelt
states of the United States has
been helped by the support of
the U.S. Department of Energy’s
ENERGY STAR Program and by
the requirements of the California Title 24 Energy Standard,
which prescribes cool roofs be
employed whenever low-slope
commercial roofs are constructed or replaced.
In addition to being designed
specifically for commercial
rooftop installation, Solyndra’s
PV system uniquely benefits from
installation on a cool roof due to
the collection of reflected, direct
and diffuse light. Due to the air
flow through Solyndra’s panels,
cool roofs remain much cooler
than with other PV SYSTEMS.
Additionally, Solyndra’s lightweight and non-penetrating system eliminates the negative impact on roof life and performance
associated with either penetrating or heavier, ballasted PV systems and allows for easy removal
of the panels for roof maintenance or redeployment of the
panels to another facility.
“This agreement capitalizes
on the Solyndra system’s benefits
for reflective commercial
rooftops,” said Chris Gronet,
Solyndra CEO and founder. “As
we enter this new channel, we
are excited to work with Carlisle
and to extend their leadership
position serving the needs of
commercial building owners.”
Carlisle is in the process of
installing a commercial-scale
Solyndra PV system on its TPO
manufacturing facility in Tooele,
UT. This installation will provide
a well-situated showcase for prospective customers and business
partners, in addition to reducing
the facility’s conventional electricity usage.
For more information, contact: Carlisle at www.carlislesyntec.com.
NIXALITE’S ORIGINAL PREMIUM BIRD SPIKES
CONTROL BIRDS OF ALL SIZES
Protect all types of structures
from pest birds and their unhealthy droppings with the original Premium Nixalite bird control
strips. When left undisturbed
over time, unsightly bird droppings can destroy almost any
material, including wood, stone,
marble, steel and iron. Nixalite is
a physical barrier that prevents
pest birds from landing roosting
or nesting on all types of surfaces.
Available in three models,
Nixalite strips are a clean, quiet
and efficient method of control
that will outlast and outperform
all other systems.
“The first bird spikes were invented in the 1940s when Charles
Kaufman and his partner invented
the ‘porcupine wire’ strips called
Nixalite,” said Marie Gellerstedt,
Kaufman’s daughter. “Their original
‘porcupine wire’ was to be the prototype for many products on the
market today. In fact, the Museum
of Modern Art in New York has recognized their design by including
the original Nixalite bird control
strip in its design collection.”
Nixalite has been helping architects, contractors, designers and
planners restore, renovate, preserve
and protect structures the world
over, for over 55 years. From historical landmarks and public buildings to single-family homes, struc-
tures are lasting longer and staying
clean and attractive – and their occupants are healthier.
With up to 120 points per foot,
Nixalite Premium provides the best
gap-free surface protection. The thin
wires are inconspicuous but extremely effective at keeping birds
and climbing animals at bay. A flexible base strip follows curved surfaces and can be easily cut into custom lengths, while being installed.
Patented mounting systems are said
to make for easy strip removal and
reinstallation.
Nixalite of America Inc. offers a
complete line of effective, non-toxic
and humane bird and animal barriers, repellents and deterrents.
For more information, contact
Nixalite at 1-800-624-1189 or visit
the company’s web site at
www.nixalite.com.
SELLICK INTRODUCES STT80 TOW FORKLIFT
Sellick Equipment Ltd. has introduced the all new STT80 Tow Forklift. The tow forklift was designed
primarily for the modular home
manufacturing industry and can tow
heavy or extremely large loads efficiently and safely in rough terrain
environments. Available in both
two- and four-wheel drive, the
STT80 has a lift capacity of 13,000
lbs. At 12-inches load centre and
an 8000 lb. drawbar pull, a
Dieselmax Turbocharged 444 Tier
III compliant diesel engine, powershift transmission, a slider-type no
bearing mast with a 2-5/16-inch ball
hitch for easy engagement plus
many more standard features. The
STT80 is said to be built in the same
Sellick tradition of quality and reliability and is supported by a net-
10 Canadian Roofing Contractor & Design - JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2009
work of over 230 dealers across
North America.
For more information, contact
Sellick Equipment at 1-877-7355425 (1-877-SELLICK) or e-mail
[email protected].
FOLLANSBEE® TCS II® SURPASSES
26,750 HOURS OF SALT SPRAY TESTING
Follansbee TCS II has exceeded
26,750 hours of salt spray testing.
“The superior corrosion resistance of a Follansbee roof, even
in the harshest coastal environments, creates what is truly a lifetime roofing option,” said Edward
Thomas, Follansbee vice president and general manager.
The unpainted TCS II panels
were corrosion tested in a salt
spray cabinet per ASTM B117
and also in a condensation chamber per ASTM D4585.
In addition to the high performance in corrosion resistance,
TCS II also showed no uplift blistering or loss of adhesion after
26,750 hours of salt spray testing.
Matco Associates Inc., a leading independent consulting, engineering and testing firm specializing in the fields of failure analysis, corrosion, metallurgical engineering, cathodic protection systems, materials selection and
coatings, conducted the testing.
Dr. Mehrooz Zamanzadeh,
FASM, FINACE, the principal scientist at Matco who developed
TCS II as a replacement for the
lead coating used on roofing panels, stated that TCS II “far exceeded” his original expectations.
Follansbee TCS II is an architectural stainless steel coated
with the company’s patented ZT
alloy. The coating on TCS II is
reactive to oxygen in the atmosphere, forming an attractive grey
surface patina. TCS II provides
enhanced corrosion resistance,
formability, solderability and durability.
For more information, contact
Follansbee
at
www.follansbeeroofing.com.
SPORT-INSPIRED STYLE AND PERFORMANCE COME
TOGETHER IN THE A900CSA LINE
Sperian Protection, a leader in
Personal Protective Equipment
(PPE), has announced the launch
of the A900CSA family of products. The A900CSA series keeps
all of the great features of the
A900 series – the ultra lightweight
frame, array of lens tints, comfortable dual lens wrap shaping, and
affordability, while adding the
bonus of CSA Z94.3 certification.
“Our A900 safety eyewear
solves the problem of finding the
protection and coverage that
safety managers require, along
with the style and comfort that
their workers want,” said Kevin
Beckerdite, product manager for
Sperian Protection. “We are
proud to deliver these features
that not only meet the tough demands of high performance but
also the coverage needs of the Canadian marketplace.”
The A900CSA features dual
polycarbonate eight-base lens
wrap designed for unobstructed
view, meets ANSI Z87+ (high impact) and CSA Z94.3 certifications, is available in clear, TSR ®
grey and silver mirror lens tints
and with Fog-Ban ® anti-fog coating or anti-scratch hardcoat for
extended durability. The
A900CSA with Reader Magnifiers
also features +1.50, +2.00 and
+2.50 diopters.
For more information, contact
Sperian Customer Care at 1-800682-0839, Fax: (800) 322-1330
or visit the company’s web site
at www.sperian.com.
FIRESTONE INTRODUCES ROOFING INDUSTRY’S
WIDEST WHITE EPDM MEMBRANE PANELS
Firestone Building Products
Company LLC has introduced
25-foot-wide RubberGard™ EcoWhite™ - EPDM membrane
panels to further enhance installation productivity while offering the proven performance of
traditional EPDM and the energy savings of a reflective membrane.
As the widest white EPDM
sheet in the commercial roofing
industry, EcoWhite membrane
helps reduce labour and material costs, making it well-suited
for projects where fully-adhered
membrane systems are specified. Like all other Firestone
EPDM panels, EcoWhite membrane is produced on state-ofthe-art equipment with factory
splices at 10-foot spacing, in
comparison to other EPDM
membranes with five-foot
spacings.
“The 25-foot-wide EcoWhite
panels reduce the overall seaming required on large projects,
and they give specifiers and
owners the peace of mind of the
watertight integrity inherent in
EPDM seam tape technology,”
said Jim Jannasch, EPDM product manager for Firestone Building Product. “In addition to saving labour and installation time,
the wider panels are a great
complement to our 10-foot, 16foot/eight-inch and 20-foot wide
sheets.”
When tested in accordance
with the Cool Roof Rating Council®
(CRRC)
program,
RubberGard EcoWhite membrane’s initial solar reflectance
is 0.80. Based on CRRC testing,
EcoWhite membrane has a solar reflectance index of 99,
which makes it one of the industry’s most reflective white
membranes. It also qualifies for
use in LEED® certified projects.
RubberGard EcoWhite is a
bi-laminate (white-on-black),
cured EPDM membrane that
can be used in conjunction with
a full line of accessories. The 60mil-thick membrane is available
for UL- and FM-rated systems
and exceeds ASTM D-4637
standards.
White EPDM roofing membranes feature the same characteristics and benefits of black
EPDM, yet provide a highly-reflective solution to coated membranes and thermoplastics. In
locations where cooling-degree
days exceed heating-degree
days, EcoWhite membrane may
help reduce cooling loads.
“As a flexible, rubber-based
material, white EPDM roofing
systems can be installed yearround, making them a good alternative to thermoplastic systems during cold winter months.
In cooler temperatures, fullyadhered EPDM remains pliable
and easy to install, while thermoplastics tend to stiffen.”
For more information, contact Firestone Building Products
at 1-888-292-6265 or visit the
company’s web site at
www.firestonebpco.ca.
Canadian Roofing Contractor & Design - JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2009 11
Web Site Directory Of Industry Leaders
Accu-Plane Enterprises Inc. – www.accuplane.com
Alberta Roofing Contractors Association – www.arcaonline.ca
Asphalt Roofing Contractors Association – www.asphaltroofing.org
Atlas Roofing Corporation – www.atlasroofing.com
Canadian Asphalt Shingle Manufacturers Association – www.casma.ca
Canadian Copper & Brass Development Association – www.coppercanada.ca
Canadian Roofing Contractors Association – www.roofingcanada.com
Canroof Corporation – www.canroof.com
Carlisle Syntec Canada – www.carlisle-syntec.com
Firestone Building Products Company – www.firestonebpco.ca
IKO Industries Ltd. – www.iko.com
Labour Saver – www.laboursaver.com
Menzies Metal Products. – www.menzies-metal.com
National Roofing Contractors Association – www.nrca.net
New Brunswick Roofing Contractors Association – www.nbrca.ca
Ontario Industrial Roofing Contractors Association – www.ontarioroofing.com
Posi-Slope Enterprises Inc. – www.posislope.com
Roofers World Inc. – www.roofersworld.com
Roofing Contractors Association of British Columbia – www.rcabc.org
Roofing Contractors Association of Manitoba – www.rcam.ca
Roofing Contractors Association of Nova Scotia – www.rcans.ca
Roofmart (Ontario) Limited – www.roofmart.ca
Saskatchewan Roofing Contractors Association – www.srca.ca
Sika Sarnafil – www.sika.ca
Soprema Inc. – www.soprema.ca
Spar-Marathon Roofing Supplies Ltd. – www.sparmarathonroofing.com
Canadian Roofing Contractor & Design will publish and promote the “Web Site Directory of Industry Leaders” in every issue.
For details on how to get involved in our internet program, please contact Mike Nosko at [email protected]
log-on today
perkspub.com
ROOFTech 2009
R
METRO TORONTO CONVENTION CENTRE
ROOFTech 2009, Canada’s only major exposition and
educational forum on roofing products, will be held Mar.
31 and Apr. 1, 2009, at the Metro Toronto Convention
Centre, Toronto, Ont.
The ninth biennua ROOFTech has been planned by
the roofing industry to provide a “hands on” educational
experience on all aspects of roofing for architects, building inspectors, contractors, engineers, property managers, roofing consultants and specifiers. It will be much
more than just a typical trade show.
ROOFTech 2009 will be an information forum that
will provide considerable benefits for anyone who needs
to stay apprised on the latest in roofing technologies.
Trade show hours are:
• Tues. Mar. 31 – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Wed. Apr. 1 – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Exposition hours are:
• Tues. Mar. 31 – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Wed. Apr. 1 – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
ROOFTech 2009 will feature three seminars and six
major demonstrations. Learn about steep slope and low
slope roofing systems along with some valuable insights
about roofing insulation.
Attendees at ROOFTech 2009 will have the unique
opportunity to observe the actual installation of various
roof assemblies right on the exposition floor. The dem-
onstrations will present a brief history on the development of each major roofing assembly, some of their features and benefits, and then provide a live application of
each system. Demonstrations will showcase typical flashing details and good roofing practice techniques, as well
as all-important safety precautions. A team leader will
provide running commentary.
ROOFTech 2009 seminars and demonstrations are organized by members of the Canadian Roofing Contractors Association (CRCA).
For more information, contact the Canadian Roofing
Contractors Association at www.roofingcanada.com or
www.rooftech.ca.
Canadian Symposium on Roofing Technology
The Canadian Symposium on Roofing Technology
will be held Mar. 31 to Apr. 1, 2009 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Ont., in conjunction with ROOFTech 2009, Canada’s premier roofing exposition.
Sponsored by the Canadian Roofing Contractors
Association (CRCA), National Research Council of
Canada (NRC) and RCI Inc., the symposium will offer a broad range of issues related to roofing design
and construction science presented by North America’s leading roofing experts. Topics to be presented
include:
• Energy Performance and Roofing.
• Advances in Roofing Materials.
• Green Roofing.
• Wind Performance.
• Reflective Roofing.
• Sustainable Roofing.
• Life Cycle Costing.
• Quality Assurance in Roofing.
• Asphaltic Roofing.
• Steep Slope Roofing.
• Roofing Design.
• Building Codes and roofing.
Roofing contractors, consultants, design professionals, researchers and manufacturing personnel involved
in product development, technical services or marketing will gain a wealth of knowledge by attending. Symposium attendees will receive a complimentary copy
of the proceedings.
Additionally, Continuing Education Credits
(CEU’s) will be provided to attendees.
For more information, contact the Canadian Roofing
Contractors Association at 1-800-461-2722, (613) 2326724, e-mail: [email protected] or visit the association
web site at www.roofingcanada.com.
Canadian Roofing Contractor & Design - JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2009 13
green report
Insurers warn of fire
risk from green roofs
By MICHAEL WILLOUGHBY
Developers putting green roofs on
their buildings may have to think again
after one of the world’s largest insurers declared they were a fire risk.
Swiss insurer Zurich, the third largest insurer of commercial property in
INDUSTRIAL & RESIDENTIAL
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(416) 744-2050
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(Weston Rd.)
(416) 745-4111
www.sparmarathonroofing.com
SERVICE IS OUR SPECIALTY
14 Canadian Roofing Contractor & Design - JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2009
the UK, said the roofs could dry out
and become flammable. Green roofs
have been promoted as one of the best
ways to green new buildings and, last
week, London mayor Boris Johnson
put them at the heart of the capital’s
climate change mitigation strategy.
Stuart Blackie, risk management
consultant at Zurich, said he was concerned the roofs “would become a hazard in a period of drought, particularly
on school buildings.” Many green roofs
contain sedum, which is a succulent
plant, but Blackie said other plants tend
to dry out in the summer months.
Stuart Blackie, risk
management consultant
at Zurich, said he was
concerned the roofs
“would become a hazard
in a period of drought,
particularly on school
buildings.”
He pointed to the dangers of arson.
“If roof access is easy, it could be quite
an easy way to set fire to a school,” he
said.
Blackie said he recommended a
maintenance regime or irrigation procedures to be put in place as well as fire
breaks and limited access to the roof.
He added that the insurer should be
part of the design process.
“This concept of construction is often sold on its environmental benefits,”
Blackie wrote in a 2006 report. “The
issue of fire spread, combustibility and
indeed fire safety are often overlooked.” Zurich was unable to immediately point to any instances of fire.
MENZIES DRAIN & ROOFING SOLUTIONS
Germany, where there are 35 million
square metres of green roofs, you get a
reduction on fire insurance if you’ve
got one.”
Many insurance agencies assess
buildings on a case-by-case basis. Others have not identified green roofs as a
fire risk.
Alain Gairns, technical manager at
insurance group RSA, said that, “We
are conducting research into the area
and are looking to learn from countries where green roofs are more
prevalent.”
- Reprinted from the Fall 2008 issue of
Ontario Roofing News.
screwdriver
extra-long
... Zurich said it would not
refuse to insure buildings
with green roofs as long
as “appropriate
guidelines have been
followed.” These include
a continuing maintenance
regime and risk
assessment.
24”
In a statement, Zurich said it would
not refuse to insure buildings with
green roofs as long as “appropriate
guidelines have been followed.” These
include a continuing maintenance regime and risk assessment.
But Dusty Gedge, co-founder of
LivingRoofs.org, said he thought that
insurance firms were not properly researching the matter.
“They are responding to changes in
technology by being reactive, as opposed to thinking about whether this
is an issue in countries with more mature green roof markets,” he said. “In
bit
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Canadian Roofing Contractor & Design - JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2009 15
cool roofing
P
By SCOTT KRINER, Green Metal Consulting Inc.
Photovoltaic roof systems are a passive renewable energy source
for converting sunlight
into electricity. The generation of electricity
from photovoltaic effect
based technology is possible through the interaction of sunlight with certain “doped” semi-conductor materials. Electrons are released
from these materials resulting in a current. That direct current is then converted to alternating current with an
inverter, and provides electricity to
power the building. The most prevalent material used in the production of
photovoltaic arrays is silicon. The basic building block of PV technology is
called the “solar cell.”1
There are two primary types of
cells within silicon-based PV systems
– Crystalline (mono and poly) and
Amorphous.
Crystalline PV systems currently
represent 80 per cent of the market.
The Crystalline PV wafers are typically 0.2 to 0.4 millimetres thick.
However, once packaged in metal
and glass they are approximately 0.25
to one-inch in total thickness, and require 20 kg of silicon per one kW of
PV. An electricity conversion efficiency of 15 to 20 per cent is typical.2
Crystalline PV is rigid and brittle, and
must be housed sufficiently to maintain its single crystal nature or simply
not shatter.
Conventional crystalline silicon PV
cells are connected to form a PV module and many modules are linked together to form a PV array. The modules consist of an assembly of silicon
wafers sandwiched between two layers
of glass in a metallic frame. These panels are relatively heavy but can be
mounted to metal roofing with a special fastening device that does not penetrate the roof surface, while other fastening devices do. A typical four-inch
silicon solar cell can produce about one
watt of direct current electricity.3
An alternative to crystalline silicon
PV modules is thin-film amorphous
silicon products. The thin-film PV layers are less than two microns thick (0.12
inches thick with a fully encapsulated
module), and are flexible and semitransparent. These systems use 0.067 kg
of silicon per kW. Amorphous silicon
is deposited from silane gas (SiH 4);
therefore it is not subject to the
polysilicon shortage in the crystalline
PV industry. Amorphous silicon products with multi-junction cells are the
typical composition of thin film PV
products. They are produced by depositing films of doped silicon-germanium
alloys to a thin sheet of stainless steel
and then encapsulating them with a
flexible, but highly light transmissive,
top-layer. The PV material is then laminated to the flat pan section of a standing seam metal roof surface. One such
product is produced by United Solar
Ovonics and sold under the trademark
UNI-SOLAR®.2
In general, thin-film amorphous silicon laminated PV modules reflect
about 26 per cent of incoming solar
energy (i.e. solar reflectance [SR] –
0.260). Only about 6.5 per cent of total solar energy that strikes the surface
is converted into electricity. Since the
converted energy is not absorbed, but
photo-electrically converted, it can be
considered (in a thermal sense) part of
Thin-Film Photovoltaics & Their Impact On A
Commercial Building’s
Cooling Load
16 Canadian Roofing Contractor & Design - JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2009
an “effective solar reflectance” of 32.5
per cent (SRe 0.325). In other words,
from a thermal perspective, a thin film
PV system is similar to a cool roof surface with solar reflectance of approximately 0.30.
In heating-dominated climates a thin
film PV system is well-suited for integration into a metal roof design.4 However, in cooling dominated climates,
building owners sometimes question
the thin-film PV product’s ability to
generate enough power to compensate
for the added air conditioning load resulting from a higher solar heat gain
into the building. That higher solar heat
gain is due to a relatively dark coloured
PV surface with a lower solar reflectance value.
This article looks at new commercial roofing applications for thin-film
PV systems and evaluates the energy
generated by the PV modules in contrast to the additional cooling load that
the entire PV system thermally imparts
to the roof. Research on this specific
topic appears to be limited. Using available tools, calculators and data, we have
determined that any penalty resulting
from the UNI-SOLAR laminated PV
system is minimal.
PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER GENERATION
The actual net power balance generated by an installed PV system is affected by the overall integrity of the
roof, the size and efficiency of the PV
system, the local climate conditions
(driving total solar irradiance), and the
wind conditions. When a thin-film PV
system is installed over a very light
coloured roof (higher SR), there will
be an added cooling load due to the
darker colour of the PV surface and
lower solar reflectance compared to the
high-reflectance roof. However, when
installed over a dark coloured roof, the
PV system will actually improve the
thermal performance of the roof by
providing a higher solar reflectance
over the PV system’s covered area.
When installing a thin-film PV product over a painted metal roof surface,
the thermal emittance (TE) of both
surfaces may be similar. A palette of
colours such as Champagne, Brown,
Continued On Page 18
Canadian Roofing Contractor & Design - JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2009 17
cool roofing
Continued From Page 17
Dark Bronze, Green, Blue, Terra Cotta
and Charcoal Grey are available as
“cool” paint systems commonly used
for steep-slope metal roofing.5
Thin-film amorphous silicon PV
cells offer outstanding power generation characteristics at higher temperatures. Multi-junction amorphous silicon PV cells collect more efficiently
during low-light (diffuse) conditions.
Each amorphous silicon layer in a
multi-junction cell is “doped” to absorb
red, green or blue light and layered accordingly within the cell. The nature
of this thin-film PV structure means
their specific angle of inclination has
much less effect on the generated output than crystalline PV. As a result,
amorphous silicon PV modules can
generate more power per annum than
crystalline PV modules of identical
rated output. 6, 7
In addition, the content of the solar
spectrum can change continuously as
the climate conditions change. Since
amorphous silicon thin-film PV systems produce more energy under low
light levels (compared to crystalline silicon modules) and are more efficient for
greater amounts of time under variable
spectrums of light, they generate more
actual power per (installed) watt. They
also retain their efficiency twice as well
as crystalline silicone PV modules at
elevated temperatures. This means
more actual power is being generated
during peak sun hours when the surface temperature is above ambient.
The Energie Centrum Nederland
(ECN) laboratory in Europe has found
that some amorphous silicon thin film
cells can be up to 40 per cent more efficient than other crystalline silicone PV
products when light levels are less than
FIGURE ONE.
PHOENIX
one-quarter suns. Since amorphous silicon thin-film PV products lose half as
much voltage, per degree of temperature increase, as compared to a crystalline silicon solar cell8, this means electricity is being generated for more
hours per day than crystalline silicone
technologies allow. The UNI-SOLAR
thin-film PV product uses a proprietary
Triple Junction colour cell technology.
Each cell is composed of three semiconductor junctions, connecting different doped amorphous silicon-germanium alloys, stacked on top of each
other to match the colours of light and
their indexes of refraction. Each doped
amorphous silicon junction preferentially absorbs different colours of the
visible light spectrum. The bottom cell
absorbs the red light, the middle cell
absorbs green/yellow light and the top
cell absorbs the blue light. The ability
to wavelength-tune photovoltaic layers, essentially multiplexing, in the
sun’s spectrum is one of the keys to
the improved efficiencies and higher
energy output, for more hours of the
day (even during low or diffuse light
conditions), of amorphous silicon thinfilm PV products. In the future, micro
Cooling Load (BTU/FT.2/YR)
Black Reference
Thin Film PV 1
White Roof 2
35,801
27,477
13,919
(1) Assuming 100 per cent coverage, TSR 0.30, TE 0.90
(2) TSR 0.70, TE 0.90
18 Canadian Roofing Contractor & Design - JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2009
and nanocrystalline silicon will be
merged with amorphous thin films at
UNI-SOLAR, promising a wider
photo-conversion spectrum and even
higher efficiencies.
United Solar Ovonics states that
most (66 per cent) of the heat that
builds up at the surface of their thinfilm PV modules can be dissipated
through convective cooling from wind.
The high thermal emissive surface
(0.87) of the PV modules allows for
radiative losses to the night sky which
can account for another 33 per cent of
the heat loss.9
The best markets for thin-film PV
include well insulated buildings and
new buildings that are already energy
efficient. In those types of structures
PV laminates would have the least thermal impact. A building-integrated PV
system would also be beneficial for reroofing projects where insulation is
brought up to or in excess of code,
HVAC equipment is improved, and/
or lighting efficiencies were increased.
POWER RATINGS
The actual energy yields of PV systems can not be determined strictly on
the nominal rated power of a module.
The peak power performance labels on
PV modules are based on controlled
testing that is done under standard testing conditions (STC). These conditions
include holding the module temperature constant at 25 degrees Celsius, irradiating the surface with one type of
solar spectrum, and then irradiating the
surface directly at 1000 W/m2. However, in actual installations, PV mod-
FIGURE THREE - Extra Cooling load
from Thin-Film PV87 vs. White Roof
Effective Roof Load Minus White
Roof Load
25,714 - 13,919 = 11,795 BTU/ft.2/yr
ule temperatures can be much higher
(in the range of 40 to 60 degrees Celsius), and receive solar irradiance of
1000 W/m2 less than one per cent of
the time.7
The PV USA Test Conditions
(PTC) represent more realistic conditions. PTC are defined as 45 degrees
Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) cell
temperature, 1000 W/m2 solar irradiance, and one m/s wind speed. This test
was developed in an attempt to simulate what happens in a real-world outdoor installation. Usually, the PTC
rating for a PV panel is between 70 and
85 per cent of the STC rating. The reason that the PV panels produce less
power under these conditions has to
do with the material properties of the
PV modules. As previously stated,
amorphous silicon PV have about half
the power loss per degree of temperature increase, as compared to crystalline silicon PV technology. On a hot
sunny day with a 40 degree above ambient surface temperature, this translates into more power for the amorphous thin-film customer.
DOE LOW SLOPE ROOF CALCULATOR
The DOE Low Slope Cool Roof
Calculator was used to evaluate the impact of the “darker” thin-film amorphous silicon photovoltaic systems on
the heat gain into a building. The calculator allows one to compare the cooling energy and cooling loads of a building with a roof of interest to that of a
building with a black roof as the reference in any location.10
To determine a worst case condi-
tion, or the greatest anticipated cooling load encountered, we chose Phoenix as the location because of the high
solar radiance levels. We also used an
R-5 level of roof insulation, recognizing that this level is well below code
for the required R-value. Another assumption for the worst case calculation
was that the air conditioner unit has a
COP of 2.0. Again, this is lower than
what is commonly installed as new air
conditioning units.12, 13
Starting with a low-slope white roof
as the ideal case for a cool roof (i.e. lowest cooling load to the building) compared to a black roof, we input the initial solar reflectance of 0.70 and initial
thermal emittance of 0.90 into the calculations. We also calculate the cooling load for a roof that is covered 100
per cent with a thin-film PV, using an
effective solar reflectance of 0.30 and
thermal emittance of 0.90.
The results from the DOE calculator compare both types of roofs to a
black roof. The values in Figure One
indicate the effect of the different solar
reflectance values on the cooling load.
In reality, a roof with laminated
thin-film PV modules is never fully
FIGURE TWO -
covered. For example, the size of an
individual UNI-SOLAR panel is 18-ft
long by 15.5-inches wide, each rated aT
136 Watts. If we use a 100,000 ft.2 roof,
measuring 80- by 1250-feet, it would
allow for 937 rows of PV panels laminated within the 16-inch width of a
standing seam metal roof pan. Four
panels would run from the eave to ridge
and down again to the other eave (72feet in total length). With that layout,
a total of 3748 panels would be installed, each 23.25 ft.2 in area, and generating 510 kW (3748 panels x 136
watts/panel). That would yield a total
PV surface area of 87,141 ft.2 compared
to the total roof surface area of
100,000ft.2 or an 87 per cent coverage
factor.
The calculation must be modified to
take into account the fact that the thinfilm PV cooling load applies to only 87
per cent of the roof surface, and the cool
white roof’s effect applies to the remaining 13 per cent of the surface. That calculation is shown in Figure Two.
To determine the extra cooling load
that the thin-film PV laminated roof
creates, as compared to a white cool
Continued On Page 20
THIN-FILM PV AT 87 PER CENT COVERAGE
(WITH WHITE ROOF AT 13 PER CENT)
Thin-Film PV load x 87%
White Load x 13%
Effective Cooling Load
23,905
BTU/ft.2/yr
1,809
BTU/ft.2/yr
25,714
BTU/ft.2/yr
Canadian Roofing Contractor & Design - JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2009 19
cool roofing
roof, we must subtract the effective
cooling load of the roof from the fully
covered white roof.
To convert this value into energy
expressed as kWh/ft.2/year, we must
use a conversion factor. The traditional
conversion factor between these two
units would be 3413 BTU per kWh.
However, in the case of air conditioning energy, that conversion applies
only when the COP is 1.0. For the
worst case scenario we are assuming an
Nature isn’t very forgiving. And no matter
how exquisite the architecture is, if the roofing drainage system isn’t designed effectively, it can cause serious problems. That’s
why you should call in the experts from
ACCU-PLANE. Sure, we offer the latest tapered roofing insulation solutions, to make
certain your roofing system drains. But we
also bring decades of know-how to bear
during the design phase, to ensure you get
Continued From Page 19
air conditioning unit COP of 2.0,
which changes the conversion factor to
6826 BTU/kWh.
This then becomes our cooling load
penalty resulting from the thin-film PV
laminated product on the white roof.
Since the energy yield from a PV
system can not be determined on the
basis of labelled nominal power of the
module, another way to evaluate the
energy was necessary. Under outdoor
conditions the irradiance and ambient
the best pre-engineered system available,
at the best possible price. Because what
starts out well in the beginning turns out well
in the end. And we’re on call during construction to assure effortless installation. So
avoid the problems water ponding can
cause, and at the same time enhance your
thermal resistance. Call in the expertise of
ACCU-PLANE on your next project. Because we’ve been tested by the best.
20 Canadian Roofing Contractor & Design - JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2009
temperatures are constantly changing.7
At these non-standard conditions the
characteristics of the modules are often unknown.
A calculator developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
allows one to calculate the energy produced by a PV system in any location
on a monthly basis. The input parameters include the DC rating, the DC to
AC derate factor, the type of array, the
array tilt and the array azimuth. Using
Version One of this calculator allowed
us to determine the monthly and annual energy generated by a thin-film PV
system in select cities.11
To calculate the actual energy generated by the PV module, we assume a
100,000 ft.2 roof area. With the assumptions and values used for our worst case
scenario, the Version One calculator
yielded the energy generation for a PV
installed on this type of building in
Phoenix.
To compare this energy generated
against the added cooling energy resulting from the PV surface itself, we use
the 100,000 ft.2 roof surface area assumption and apply the extra cooling
load of 1.73 kWh/ft.2/year to yield
173,000 kWh/year. The ratio of the
extra cooling load to the energy generated give us the cool roof penalty as
expressed in a percentage of the total
energy generated.
From this example in Phoenix, we
used specific conditions that were representative of an older building (re-roofing project where PV is installed) with
insulation levels below the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code
(IECC) levels and inefficient air conditioning units. The calculations suggest
that, at most, approximately 20 per
cent of the energy generated by the
thin-film PV modules would be required to compensate for the added
cooling load from the penalty of the
dark surface of the PV product.
To look at a more practical comparison, other calculations were performed
using different cities, levels of insulation based on the 2006 IECC, and an
average commercial air conditioner
COP of 3.0, as indicated in the DOE
Buildings Energy Data Book of
200712,13. For the “white” roof in these
more practical calculations, we used an
aged SR of 0.55 and an aged TW of 0.75,
to be consistent with the proposed 2008
California Building Energy Efficiency
Standards in Title 26, Part Six.
New construction would comply
with the 2006 IECC code with higher
R-values of roof insulation entirely
above deck, and higher efficiency of
new air conditioning units. Since the
radiant properties of a roof can change
over time, a more realistic approach to
calculating the long-term cooling loads
would be to use aged values of solar
reflectance and thermal emittance.
By increasing insulation and the
COP as well as using aged values of the
radiative properties of the cool roof, a
significant reduction in the penalty was
achieved. In all of the practical cases,
the calculators suggest that less than
2.5 per cent of the energy generated
by the thin-film PV modules were
needed to compensate for the added
cooling load. Thus, the thin-film PV
system can generate more than enough
energy to offset any additional cooling
load caused by the darker coloured PV
product.
The level of roof insulation has a
significant impact on the cooling load
penalty. Using aged solar reflectance
and emittance values for a white roof
in the DOE low slope roof calculator,
we can compare an R-5 scenario against
a code compliant R-15 scenario in Phoenix.. The calculations are made using a
100,000 sq. ft.2 roof as the example. As
expected, the roof systems with lower
insulation values result in higher cooling loads. The effect of increasing the
insulation from R-5 to R-15 in that location is a 65 per cent reduction in the
extra cooling load caused by the thinfilm PV system (52,6000 kWh vs.
18,000 KWh).
Similarly, the solar reflectance and
thermal emittance of the reference roof
surface has an impact on the cooling
load penalty. Using a 100,000 ft.2 roof
in Phoenix again for the example, we
can compare the results from a cool
roof where the initial values are used.
The DOE low slope roof calculator was
used for this comparison, using R-15
insulation levels for both cases. A white
roof was assumed as the reference, with
an initial TSR of 0.70 and initial TE of
0.90. In comparison, a white roof with
an aged TSR of 0.55 and aged TE of
0.75 was used, as more of a practical
scenario. The impact on the extra cooling load was not as dramatic as that seen
with different insulation levels. The
calculations show that using the lower
TSR/TE values for an aged surface resulted in a 55 per cent reduction in the
extra cooling load caused by the thinfilm PV system (40,300 kWh vs. 18,000
kWh).
It is important to note, that the calculations that were performed in this
study focused only on the annual cooling loads determined by the DOE Low
Slope Roof Calculator. In colder climates, the darker surface of the thin
film laminates may be beneficial in lowering the overall annual combined cooling/heating energy savings.
CONCLUSIONS AND COMMENTS
• Variables such as insulation, wind
speed and direction, and solar irradiance can complicate the evaluation of
a cooling load penalty.
• A thin-film amorphous silicon
PV system installed on a new low-slope
cool metal roof causes less than a 2.5
per cent penalty to the electricity generated by the PV system, despite causing a slightly higher cooling load.
• A worst case scenario with low
insulation, a poor conditioning COP
and high solar radiance causes a 22 per
cent cooling load penalty. An example
Continued On Page 22
Canadian Roofing Contractor & Design - JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2009 21
information
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ACCUPLANE ENTERPRISES INC.
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Tel: 416-747-7071, Fax: 416-747-8229
E-mail: [email protected]
JDJ TRAILERS
Page 21
Tel: 800-465-0786, Fax: 905-689-1673
Web Site: www.jdjtrailers.com
MENZIES METAL PRODUCTS
Page 15
Tel: 604-530-0712, Fax: 604-530-8482
Web Site: www.menzies-metal.com
CARLISLE SYNTEC CANADA
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Tel: 905-820-7776, Fax: 905-820-3839
Web Site: www.carlislecanada.com
LRS ENTERPRISES INC.
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Tel: 705-323-9236, Fax: 705-323-0279
Web Site: www.lrsenterprises.ca
POSI-SLOPE ENTERPRISES INC.
Page 7
Tel: 905-212-1061, Fax: 905-212-1064
Web Site: www.posislope.com
FIRESTONE BUILDING PRODUCTS
Page 24
Tel: 888-292-6265, Fax: 877-666-3022
Web Site: www.firestonebpco.ca
MAGNET CLEAN
c/o Haase Industries Inc.
Page 9
Tel: 503-223-7571, Fax: 503-274-4148
SOPREMA INC.
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Tel: 905-760-8211, Fax: 905-760-8209
Web Site: www.soprema.ca
IKO INDUSTRIES LTD.
Page 23
Tel: 905-457-2880, Fax: 905-455-8863
Web Site: www.iko.com
Continued From Page 21
SPAR-MARATHON ROOFING SUPPLIES
Page 14
Tel: 416-534-8421, Fax: 416-534-9373
Web Site: www.sparmarathonroofing.com
Thin-Film Photovoltaics
of this would be a case where re-roofing or adding PV to an existing older
building takes place. In that case, insulation levels would be relatively lower
and air conditioning equipment
efficiencies would be much lower than
that of new equipment.
• The level of roof insulation has a
significant impact on the effective roof
cooling load and cooling load penalty
from the thin-film PV system.
• Calculations suggest that for new
construction the energy generated by
thin-film PV modules far exceeds the
energy required for extra cooling that
is caused by higher solar heat gain from
the darker PV surface.
• The SR/TE values of today’s
thin-film PV modules are similar to
other steep slope cool metal roof surfaces, as defined by ENERGY STAR
roof products program. As thin-film
PV modules’ photoelectric conversion
efficiencies rise, so will the effective SR,
improving the thermal footprint (cooling load penalty).
• Installing thin-film PV modules
on a cool metal roof is prudent to capitalize on those areas of the roof that
are not covered by PV modules.
FURTHER STUDY
• Verification comparison via FLIR
camera and quantitative heat study
with modeling of UNISOLAR and
competitor panels on various rooftops
under various light and temperature
conditions.
• Refinement of model using
NREL’s Solar Advisor Model for
equipment specific I-V and Power Efficiency curves designed into PV array
scenario with higher precision, location
specific, climate modeling.
- The author wishes to thank the following organizations, associations and
laboratories for providing input to this
paper: Energy Peak, Advanced Green
Technologies, American Capital Energy,
American Solar Energy Society, Califor-
REFERENCES
(1) Melody, I., Photovoltaics: A Question and
Answer Primer, Florida Solar Energy Centre, Publication Number FSEC-EN-11-83.
(2) Parker, T. and Moine, G., Amorphous Silicon and Crystalline Modules: Similarities and Differences, Power Point information from UNI-SOLAR.
(3) Melody, I., Photovoltaics: A Question and
Answer Primer, Florida Solar Energy Centre, Publication Number FSEC-EN-11-83.
(4) Miller, W.A., Brown, E., Jo Livezey, R., Dual
2004: Building Integrated Photovoltaics for LowSlope Commercial Roofs, Proceedings of 2004
Solar Conference, Portland, OR, July 1 to 14, 2004.
(5) Miller, W.A., Desjarlais, A.O., Kriner, S., The
Thermal Performance of Painted and Unpainted
Standing Seam Metal Roof Systems Exposed to Two
Years of Weathering, presented at Thermal Performance of the Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings
VIII, Clearwater, FL, December 2001.
(6) Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., “Photovoltaic Power Generation Utilizing Renewable Energy Available in Unlimited Supply” –
www.mhi.co.jp/env/csr/csr04_e.html.
22 Canadian Roofing Contractor & Design - JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2009
nia Energy Commission – New Solar
Homes Partnership, Canadian Solar Industries Association, Carrboro Solar
Works, European Photovoltaic Industry
Association, Florida Solar Energy Center,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
New Mexico State University – Southwest
Technology Development Institute, North
Carolina State University, Oak Ridge
National Laboratory, Photon Magazine,
Public Research Centre Henri Tudor,
Resource Centre for Environmental
Technologies – Luxembourg, Sandia National Laboratory, Solar Design Association, Solar Electric Power Association,
United Solar Ovonic LLC.
(7) Eikelboom, J.A., and Jansen, M.J., Characterisation of PV Modules of New Generations, ECNC-00-067, June 2000.
(8) Van Cleff, M. Lippens, P., Call, J., Superior
Energy Yields of UNI-SOLAR® Triple Junction Thin
Film Silicon Solar Cells Compared to Crystalline
Silicon Solar Cells under Real Outdoor Conditions
in Western Europe, presented at 17th European
Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition, Oct. 22 to 26, 2001, Munich, Germany.
(9) Ellison, T., Building Integrated Photovoltaics
(BIPV) and the “Cool Roof,” presented at Solar
2004, Portland, Oreg., Jul. 9 to 14, 2004.
(10) Department of Energy, Cool Roof Calculator,
www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/facts/
CoolCalcEnergy.htm.
(11) National Renewable Energy Laboratory, PV
Watts Calculator, www.pvwatts.org.
(12) U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Public Affairs, Press Release: Stronger Manufacturers’
Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential Air Conditioners Go Into Effect Today – www.energy.gov/
print/3097.htm, Jan. 23, 2006.
(13) U.S. Department of Energy, Buildings Energy Data Book, September 2007.
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