Duro-Last exhibited at the Solar Power International Expo held October 12-14 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. We participated in this show because rooftop photovoltaic (PV) installations are growing exponentially, and these systems require a roofing membrane that is “Solar-Ready™.” Although the rooftop solar market is still in its infancy, Duro-Last’s custom-prefabricated roof system has been able to accommodate the roof penetrations typical to PV installation for more than 30 years.
The Duro-Last message was well received by the many solar integrators and installers who attended the Expo and who recognize that the watertight integrity of the roof system beneath the PV equipment plays a vital role in the success of solar installations. Duro-Last was represented by President Tom Hollingsworth, Western VP Tim Hart, California Regional Manager Curt Jaffe, and yours truly, along with California independent sales representatives Scott Franklin, Matt Stephens, and Chris Hemphill. In addition to working the booth, we were able to walk the show and interact with many of the 1,100 plus vendors and the estimated 27,000 attendees.
This show enabled us to get familiar with the rooftop mounting systems that PV systems use. It’s the largest B2B Expo for the solar power industry, and provided a wonderful opportunity to interact with manufacturers of these systems. In general there are two types of mounting systems: those that attach to the roof’s structural supports and those that sit atop the roof system and utilize ballast blocks to stay put when the wind blows. Both types of systems have pluses and minuses which will be the topic of future posts on this blog. One thing is certain: the demand is so great that many rack and roll-formed steel manufacturers are jumping on the solar bandwagon and introducing mounting systems in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.
Many roofing contractors around the county are also getting involved by forming solar divisions within their companies. One such Duro-Last contractor is Competitive Commercial Roofing, of Hood River, Oregon, owned and operated by Steve Leslie. Steve’s solar company Competitive Solar provides solar-related services in addition to a roofing product that is ideally suited for use with solar. Steve, April Chen, and Chase Drum of Competitive Solar attended the Expo and provided valuable insights regarding the integration of the Duro-Last roof systems and PV to visitors of the booth. Many thanks to Competitive Solar for the valuable assistance!
