Solar canopies increase potential for PV on roofs
June 23, 2016
By
CCE
Brooklyn Solar Works canopy.
A company in New York City is solving the problem of lack of space for mounting PV roof panels, by making canopies 9 feet high.
Brooklyn Solar Works’ canopy structure enables solar power to be generated on roofs in dense urban areas, since they can be installed over roofs crowded with HVAC equipment, skylights, and hatches.
The canopies are high enough to meet the fire codes and sloped to maximize their solar exposure. They were designed by Situ Studio.
In an article in www.treehugger.com, T.R. Ludwig, co-founder of the company, says “If you want to lay solar panels flat on the roof, you really don’t have a whole lot of usable space. You wind up with these really small solar systems, maybe 10 panels … When you use a canopy, you raise above basically all of these requirements, and you can fit a much larger system.”
To encourage the installation of solar panels, New York City and New York State will cover 75% of the capital costs of systems.
To read the article in Treehugger, click here.
Visit the Brooklyn Solar Works website, here.
