Clean energy provider SolarCity has introduced a lightweight roof mounting product that the company says will maximize solar installation capacity on commercial building rooftops by reducing the distributed weight of conventional solar photovoltaic panels.
Commercial building rooftops have strict codes specifying weight constraints to comply with safety codes, the company points out. On average, the distributed weight of conventional solar photovoltaic (PV) panels is about 3-4 pounds per square foot (lbs/sq.ft.) With LightMount, the distributed weight of PV panels is reduced to 2.3 lbs/sq.ft., which maximizes the space for solar.
SolarCity says the product is also useful because commercial customers who lease their real estate space are sometimes
not allowed to make building changes that would penetrate the roof or the walls, and LightMount is a non-penetrating racking product that is bonded to the rooftop creating a monolithic foundation for the solar PV system.
LightMount will be available exclusively to SolarCity customers for commercial rooftop solar installations.
SolarCity adheres to commercial building and safety codes including IBC, NEC, OSHA, UL and DSA and has NABCEP-certified personnel. The company handles all aspects of the solar implementation, including the design, auditing, permitting, and monitoring and maintenance of the solar systems for the lifetime of the contract.