Murphey School Solar Hot Water System

I went to check our solar hot water system being installed on the roof of the Murphey School Apartments in downtown Raleigh yesterday. Our friends at Peak Steel were installing the structural support upon which the array of fifteen solar hot water collectors will be mounted. I prefer to have my systems mechanically attached to a building’s underlying roof structure whenever possible. Many other solar contractors choose to simply ballast their systems on the roof. The biggest problem with ballasting is that whenever the roof needs to be repaired or replaced in the future, the entire solar system has to be removed from the roof and then reinstalled later. That’s very expensive!

Going with a mechanically attached support structure may cost a little more up front. Since the support raises the array two feet above the roof’s surface, all future roof maintenance can be accomplished without having to remove the entire solar system. This saves BIG money in the long run.

Check out the video and leave your comments below!

Dr. Ben