Illinois Manufacturing Facility Incorporates PV Panels With Roof Re-cover

After completing successful solar panel installations with roof re-covers at plants in Peachtree City, Georgia, and Adelanto, California, McElroy Metal recently completed a third solar conversion at its plant in Clinton, Illinois.

The original R-panel metal roofing on the plant, constructed in the 1970s, was re-covered using McElroy Metal’s 238T symmetrical standing seam roofing. The 238T metal roofing panels were roll formed on site, run directly on to the roof and installed by Prairieland Roofing of Arthur, Illinois. After the new roof sections were complete, Inovateus Solar installed 1,116 Hanwha Q-Plus L-G42 350W panels on the facility using roof attachment solutions from S-5!

The large-scale, multifaceted solar installation at the Clinton plant required a two-pronged approach, as the facility consisted of two different metal roof types: a face-attached trapezoidal profile on one section of the facility and a standing seam profile on another.

S-5!’s engineering team collaborated with McElroy Metal to determine which clamps and brackets were most appropriate based on the two different types of roofs, their respective load capacities, resulting load distribution and best fit of mounting components. They analyzed roof-specific data and CAD drawings to determine precise attachment points across the massive solar array and to determine the bill of materials, including clamps, brackets and PVKITs.

S-5-T Mini clamps were selected to attach the solar panels to the facility’s new 238T symmetrical standing seam roof system. Featuring a two-piece design to allow easy installation anywhere along the length of the panel seam, S-5-T Mini clamps are specifically designed to fit profiles with a T-shaped seam configuration like the 238T. Beyond the fit, this clamp, in tandem with all S-5! attachment solutions, was specifically load tested on the 238T in the gauge used for the project, enabling comprehensive system engineering specific to this project. This process is routine for S-5!, and the company has more than 500 individual load test results published and accessible on its website.

The solar installation on the facility’s existing Multi-Rib Panel roof system required S-5!’s RibBracket II. These brackets are specifically designed to attach to this type of roof profile. The RibBrackets offered the best fit and provided more than enough tested holding capacity for the dimensions of the rib.

In addition, the entire solar array was mounted using S-5!’s PVKIT 2.0 Solar Solutions, comprised of MidGrabs and EdgeGrabs, which enabled solar installers to mount the solar panels directly onto the clamps and brackets. The pre-assembled components reduced installation time and cost for PV mounting, eliminating the need for an elaborate rail system, while also providing better load distribution into the roof and substructure.

“As a leader in the metal construction industry, we have had the privilege of working alongside McElroy in many venues, industry trade groups and supply relationships, now spanning almost 40 years,” says S-5!’s Founder and CEO, Rob Haddock. “We are proud industry partners and look forward to continuing working together in expanding the use of solar.”

TEAM

Roofing Contractor: Prairieland Roofing, Arthur, Illinois

Solar Installer: Inovateus Solar, South Bend, Indiana, www.inovateus.com

MATERIALS

Metal Roof Panels: 238T, McElroy Metal, www.mcelroymetal.com

Solar Panels: Q-Plus L-G42 panels, Hanwha, www.hanwha.com

Clamps and Solar Attachments: S-5-T Mini clamps, RibBracket II, and PVKITs, S-5!, www.S-5.com