Partnership Generates Heat

Whether it's in a high-end custom home or an affordable production house, customers search for value. One way to offer that is by installing photo-voltaic panels on the roof.

Xantrex Technology, maker of the SunTie XR grid-tie inverter, and Atlantis Energy System, maker of the Sunslates roofing product, have packaged their products to sell jointly to builders.

SunTie XR turns solar power from the Sun-slates fiber-cement roofing product into utility- grade AC electricity, which powers the home and can be returned to the electric company. Sunslates install about 3 inches from the roof deck, allowing air to escape, which lowers the attic temperature, says Joe Morrissey, vice president of sales for Atlantis.

Because Sunslates are a roofing product, the companies can offer a long-term warranty of 25 years. Standard solar panels usually void roof warranties because holes must be drilled into the roof for installation.

Roofing contractors who have no experience with photovoltaics can install the system because the inverter has a lower voltage than standard solar panels, reducing the risk of shock. Atlantis also trains subcontractors on installation of the product. "We certify them and offer them support via phone if they have a question while they're on the roof installing," Morrissey says.

Design assistance also is available. A builder can send AutoCAD drawings to Atlantis, and the company will map where the Sunslates should go. This helps the homeowner be aware of what kind of power should come off the slates, Morrissey says.

The two companies are working with builders to further awareness of energy-efficiency building measures. "Let's say you're a builder, potentially building several hundred homes a year," Morrissey says. "You install and maintain a roof, making it available to the customer through leases, say one or two electric bills a year. You can get green tags and rebates, creating multiple revenue streams coming in. They can have a sizable business in energy."

For instance, Morrissey says 500 square feet of Sunslates can produce approximately 1,300 kilowatt-hours per year in a place such as Illinois. Multiply that by 5 cents from green tags, and you get about $325 a year paid back in power production.