If you are considering going solar, you have many options. It might seem difficult to figure out which company/contractor is the best choice for you and your home. At Green Convergence, we don’t rely on flashy ad campaigns. We market ourselves based on the facts. And, the fact is we are very proud of what we offer our customers and our community. We take great pride in creating the most beautiful, reliable and efficient solar energy systems available, while educating our customers on exactly what they can expect from their investment in solar.
How do we do this exactly? Below is a breakdown of what goes into a Green Convergence solar energy system.
This is the Green Convergence difference:
1. Tile Removal
Tile removal is the first essential step to the Master Tile™ Installation™. We ensure your solar panels are beautifully flush with your roof and that your home is protected from damages caused by wind and rain for decades to come. Carefully removing the tiles provides a clean slate for the installation of an Owens Corning™ Total Protection Roofing System™.
2. Owens Corning™ Underlayment
After the tiles are removed and cut to perfectly accommodate your solar energy system, GC crews will install an Owens Corning™ Underlayment, adding an extra layer of protection between your roof and your shingles to further ensure the safety of your roof from moisture.
What’s the Owens Corning™ Underlayment difference?
*Water-resistant, a non-absorbent barrier
*Special undercoating makes tears and leaks less likely compared with
competing products
*Protects roof deck from exposure to UV rays
*Underlayment rolls are extra wide to cover 5 times more than standard felt counterparts
*Speedy installation due to preprinted nailing patterns
*30-Year Limited Warranty
3. Aluminum Flashing
To ensure even more protection against leaks, before the shingles are in place, an Aluminum Flashing system is installed to ensure any water that finds its way under your solar array is pushed out onto the existing tiles.
4. Owens Corning™ Shingles
After the underlayment and flashing are professionally installed, GC’s team begins placing Owens Corning™ Shingles, another component of the Owens Corning™ Total Protection Roofing System™, on top of the underlayment. Now the type and color of the shingles placed on each roof may vary, depending on the individual customer’s wants and needs. But, GC designers suggest the Duration® Premium Shingles with patented SureNail® Technology for their sleek and stylish looks and unparalleled durability.
What’s the Owens Corning™ Shingles difference?
*Limited Lifetime Warranty for as long as you own your home
*Wind Resistance of 130mph Limited Warranty
5. Low-Profile Quick Mount PV Racking System
Once the shingles are in place, the Green Convergence team will lay out a Quick Mount PV Racking System. This innovative and top-of-the-line rack technology allows GC’s team to mount your panels close to your roof, cutting down on wind-uplift while increasing your curb appeal. It's simple and waterproof design cuts down on costs by decreasing installation time and the chance of leaking under your solar panel system.
What is the Quick Mount PV Racking System difference?
*Provides greater flexibility by adjusting to standard solar (panel) module frames.
*Designed to be hardy and easy-to-install
*Simple to ship—packaged in small boxes
*Integrated grounding requires less copper and grounding hardware, saving money
*Patented, high-quality water-proofing
*Elevated Water Seal technology
*Certified by 2009 International Building Code, 2013 California Building Code, and UL
System Fire Class Rating A, Type 1 Modules
6. Raised Batton
Tiles are fixed to elevated wooden battons, creating a void which allows hot air and moisture to escape. Though not a standard service, the Green Convergence team is fully-equipped and recommends installing a raised batton system on your roof. A raised button system increases airflow under your solar energy system and adds thermal barriers that will help decrease your energy bills. It also prevents water from getting trapped under your array.
What’s the raised batton difference?
The California Energy commission praised the raised batton structure in a 2007 report, praising, “…[T]he energy saving insulation benefit of the air space between the roof surface and the deck for concrete or clay tile roofs.”
7. Bird Stops
As one of the final steps in the GC install process, Bird Stops are placed at the edges of your solar installation, keeping birds and other pests out from under your panels without cutting off ventilation.
8. SunPower® Panels
Although Green Convergence provides customers with other panel choices, SunPower® panels are our top recommendation for our customers. They are the most powerful and most beautiful panels on the market and we are one of only three contractors worldwide to hold the title of SunPower® Master Dealer.
What is the SunPower® difference?
*Compared to conventional Panels, a SunPower® solar panel produces 75% more energy over the first 25 years after installation
*SunPower® Signature Black reduce your energy bills without reducing your curb appeal
*SunPower® offers the Industry’s Best Combined Power and Product Warranty, lasting 25 years with a promise to repair and replace any damaged panel on your home.
9. Custom Tile Replacement
After all of the basics are in place, Green Convergence’s team of highly-trained roofing professionals, custom cut and replace the tiles surrounding your solar array so that your roof is as beautiful as it is efficient.
What’s GC’s Custom Tile Replacement Difference?
We are award winning licensed electrical, roofing and general contractors, holding a C10, C39, B license respectively. Most other companies cannot boast those credentials and cannot guarantee the complete safety of your roof during and after your solar installation.
10. Tile Pan/Step Flashing
Green Convergence then installs a Tile Pan or Step Flashing system. Placed at the edges of the solar array, the Tile Pan acts as a positive water cut-off while keeping rodents and birds out from under your array. It also acts as an ingenuous fire stop.
11. The Sunny Boy SMA-TL Inverter
In addition to your solar array, Green Convergence will install a Sunny Boy SMA-TL inverter in your garage for easy access. Capable of managing multiple planes and strings of various capacities, the Sunny Boy SMA-TL’s Dual Maximum Power Point Trackers are the cornerstone of this product’s advanced design.
What is the Sunny Boy SMA-TL Inverter difference?
*Allows customers to have power during grid failure in the daylight
*Saves on labor and materials with simple DC wiring design
*Uses OptiTrac™ to reduce the effect of partial system shading
*Easy-to-read LCD screen for output display
*Increases CEC efficiency to 96.5%
*Provides greater operating voltage range
*Expands operating temperature range
12. In-Wall Conduit Runs
Green Convergence believes in giving you the most efficient and beautiful system possible. That is why all of the wiring for our installs is encapsulated in an In-Wall Conduit system. This way the wiring is protected from heat exposure, making it more efficient, and is not visible to passersby, making the system less obtrusive.
Sources:
Owens Corning Underlayment
http://www.owenscorning.com/roofing/accessories/underlayment-products/
http://www.owenscorning.com/roofing/total-protection-roofing-system
Owens Corning Shingles
http://www.owenscorning.com/roofing/browse-shingles
Low Profile Quick Mounts
http://www.quickmountpv.com/quickrack/index.html#downloads
Aluminum Flashing
Raised Batton
http://www.boralna.com/roofcomponents/components-elevated-batten.asp
http://energy.ca.gov/title24/2008standards/rulemaking/documents/comments/Monier_Lifetile_on_Additional_Energy_Saving_2007-12-14_TN%2043743.pdf
http://www.metroroofproducts.com/batten.cfm
Bird Stop
http://www.klober.co.uk/products/brochures/Connection/uk.brochures.Dry-Fix_Roofing_Eaves_and_Valleys_Product_Guide.pdf
SunPower Panels
http://us.sunpower.com/solar-panels-technology/x-series-solar-panels/
