Dear readers, we are getting an overwhelming amount of questions about IB Solar Wise PV systems, cost of solar, efficiency of IB SolarWise PV system vs. conventional Solar panels, and whether solar will work for you, and to answer most of them we’ve created a comprehensive solar PV planning and design guide. Please familiarize yourself with how solar works, solar terminology and Solar PV Roofing price structure – find out how much solar PV roofing should cost – Solar PV prices.

Quick Page Navigation:

• What is IB SolarWise PV? – Introduction to roof-integrated Solar PV system produced by leaders in flat roofing and renewable energy – IB Roofs and Uni-Solar
• IB SolarWise video – Watch IB Solar PV roofing system in action – installation, performance and financial benefits.
• Prices of IB SolarWise PV – Estimate how much an IB Solar PV roofing system will cost for your project before any Federal Renewable Energy Tax credits and State solar rebates.
• Why should you want roof-integrated Solar PV system? – Learn why BIPV is the way to go when you want to switch to solar PV, and probable consequences of using conventional solar systems.
• Financial benefits of IB SolarWise – Discover why IB solarwise is the least expensive solar PV system to install and maintain.

IB SolarWise roof-integrated Photo-Voltaic systems:

IB SolarWise Roofing is a Revolutionary Product combining Permanent Flat Roofing and Renewable Energy in one easy-to install, leaks-proof flat roofing solution for environment and money conscious Home and Business owners, and has a pay-off period of under 5 years*, while industry standard is 7-10 years or more.

IB SolarWise utilizes Thin Film laminate Solar PV modules produced by Uni-Solar – a US manufacturer of Solar products. Both IB Roofs and Uni-Solar have been in business for over 30 years, and combining their respective experience in Flat Roofing and Solar Photo-Voltaic gives you the highest quality, Super-Energy-Efficient product for Residential, Commercial or Industrial buildings.

SolarWise is more than just a system – it is a way to integrate two different system to work seamlessly, to be leaks free and maintain its warranty without incurring additional costs for the building owner.

IB Solar Wise helps roofing contractors and solar integrators eliminate their biggest worries – roof leaks and solar photovoltaic equipment damages by creating a seamless integration between two previously incompatible technologies.

IB SolarWise Video

Until recent availability of IB SolarWise system, solar integrators had to rely on caulking and screws to attach solar panels to the roof surface. This created leak problems for which solar integrators did not want to take responsibility. Roofing contractors were ‘terrified’ of solar equipment and its sky-high replacement cost in case of a damage during a roof repair. Now all these problems are eliminated by integrating solar PV components into a long-lasting IB roofing membrane, resulting in leaks elimination, reduced solar and roofing installation & materials costs and reduced requirement for dead-wight load on the structural components of the building.

IB SolarWise Prices

Here we will demonstrate a cost structure for a hypothetical 3 KW solar PV system installed on a roof of home or business. Do understand that this cost includes the installation of IB Roof, BIPV Solar panels, Inverter, wiring, etc., and the prices are provided “before” any Federal tax credits and State rebates for solar and other renewable energy projects.

Lets assume that our roof is an average residential roof that is 1500 sq. ft., which has a slight pitch and is positioned in a southern direction with no shading (perfect conditions for solar PV installation). Please note that slope of the roof, shading or southern exposure do not directly affect your cost for solar system, but these conditions will affect your system’s efficiency and total electricity output. Theoretically, on a 1500 sq. ft. roof, we can install up to 7 KW of IB Solar Panels, but for the purposes of this example we will use 3 KW system mentioned before.

There is a lot of confusion about ho the solar PV systems are priced – many people assume that solar is priced by Square Foot, but that is the furthest thing from the truth. Because Solar Panels from various manufacturers have different efficiency, the electricity produced by 15 sq. ft. panel from Manufacturer A can be double that produced by same size panel made by Manufacturer B. Therefore all solar PV systems are priced by their output measured by Watts DC. Average industry cost for solar PV systems that are rack-mounted, and installed on an asphalt shingles roof of a residential homes, range from $10 to $12 per Watt DC.

IB SolarWise PV system utilizes a thin-film Solar PV laminates produced by Uni-Solar Ovonics. These solar panels have lesser efficiency than a more common crystalline silicon panels (big aluminum boxes) per sq. ft., therefore they require more space to have a large size solar array installed. However that is rarely a concern as usually there is plenty of unused, unshaded space on the roof. Prices of IB Solar Wise PV are in the range of $13-14 per Watt DC. This is slightly more than you conventional PV panels, but it also includes a Lifetime roof, and provides a complete, water tight systems, which is guaranteed not to leak, as is often the case with conventional PV systems installed on rack mounting systems, bolted to the roof.

The $13-14 per Watt DC figure is flexible and a lot depends on the size of the roof and size of the solar system (number of KWatts), and in some cases can actually be on par with cost of conventional Solar systems which do not include the roof. Each individual project will be different, so use these numbers for reference only.

Also we recommend that you read our next section of this article, discussing why you would want to have a a roof-integrated solar system installed vs. a conventional solar system.

Solar Flat Roofing: Cautionary tale with the end in mind

Forewords: This story is fictional in nature but real in substance, and definitely happened before.

A brave, responsible, and hard-working person – Jack – decides that installing a Solar PV system it is not only beneficial for the environment, but is also a sound investment. So after doing the due-diligence he lines up a solar integrator to install a the Solar System on the his 7 years-old flat roof. The roof has no signs of leaks and he feels as though there won’t be any problems.

The solar integrator know his job well and completes the project in a timely manner, applying and receiving all the available incentives for the client. System performs as stated and generates expected amount of electricity. All goes well.

3-5 years later the roof begins to leak and the building owner is faced with a dilemma. He needs to stop the leaks but the solar equipment is in the way. Roofing contractor that is supposed to fix the leak hesitates to move the solar equipment which prevents him form fixing the roof. The only option is to remove the solar panels array completely, remove the old roof, install a new roof, and then put the solar array back.

Excluding the cost of re-roofing, as it is not related to the solar system, the hero of our story had to pay at least a dollar/watt for removal and a dollar/watt to put back the solar panels. Lets say he had a small commercial system of 10 kW or 10,000 watts. This means that he had to pay EXTRA $20000 just to take the solar system off and put it back on, so the roofing crew could do the work.

Why was this a cautionary story with the END in mind? Very simple: Jack could avoid the extra expense $20000 by using a roof-integrated solar system such as IB SolarWise. Cases like this one happen all to often, and not just with flat roofs. A more common example would be an asphalt shingle roof with solar pv system, where shingles not covered by solar panels deteriorate at normal rate and will have to be replace about every 15 years. Lets face it: Shingles rarely last more than 15 years. Consider all the roof penetrations form the solar panels’ rack mounts and the roof lasts 12, after which the process described above has to accrue, unless of course you are willing to take the roof leaks.

IB SolarWise roof save you money in FOUR ways:

1 – IB Cool White PVC roofing membrane reflects up to 90% Sun’s heat, thus your AC does not have to work as hard as if you had black roof. Read more about benefits of IB Cool Flat Roofs.

2 – SolarWise PV modules (solar panels) generate free electricity** by converting sun-light into Electricity you can actually use, so you do not have to buy it from your utility company, or you buy a lot less than you had to before. In some cases you IB SolarWise PV system will produce MORE electricity than you new, and you electric company will buy it from you at retail price, in states that have Net Metering laws (most state).

You will also we able to sell so called Renewable Energy Credits or RECs to give you even more money for extra electricity that you produce, thus speed-up you pay-off period! But that is not all – there are also numerous incentives, grants and tax-rebates offered by Federal, State and local Government, as well as your utility companies.

3 – IB Roof’s durability and proven performance ensures years of leaks-free operation of you roof as well as virtually no maintenance. As a result you save money on flat roof and interior repair, which you will otherwise incur with other flat roofing systems, renowned for constant roof leaks.

4 – IB SolarWise PV system will save you money on the installation costs. SolarWise PV is a Building-Integrated PV (BI-PV) which means it is actually a part of IB flat roofing system, which eliminates the need to use expensive solar panel mounts, brackets and railings that takes long to install, therefore adding a lot of money to

How IB SolarWise PV works?

IB SolarWise PV produces DC-current, which goes into an Inverter where it becomes AC-current. Inverter is connected to you home’s or building’s electric circuit and also to your meter. You use all electricity you need, while ALL excess electricity goes into the Grid. Electricity that goes into the grid, is purchase from you by your utility company through Net Metering, usually at retail price.

Most of the electricity produced by the SolarWise PV system occurs in the summer, when days are longer and more sun-light is available. At the same time people will usually use a lot more electricity in the summer to run the Air Conditioning units, so depending on the “size” of your solar system, you will produce more, less or the same amount of electricity than you actually consume. However, practice shows that in the summer months, Solar systems produce more electricity then is consumed. Therefore, all excess kWh sent to the grid in the summer you will use in the winter, when a lot less of sun-light is available.

Download Official IB SolarWise PV Brochure

Note: you will need a PDF Reader to open this brochure. We recommend fast and free Foxit PDF Reader.

Benefits Summary

With all the positive qualities of IB SolarWise PV system is the Best solution available for any one looking to have an energy-efficient Cool Flat Roof and a Solar PV system. IB SolarWise PV offers the best of flat roofing and solar electricity:

• Lowest Cost per Watt installed with simplified installation and fastest pay-off period of around 5 years!
• Longest Service Life of both the Roofing System and Solar Modules. IB offers a 20 years Material warranty for the SolarWise PV modules and up to 25 years Commercial warranty with its 80-mil flat roofing membrane – the highest commercial warranty available from any flat roofing manufacturer.Home Owners will enjoy IB’s Lifetime Residential Warranty on any IB roofing product. You will not find it anywhere else, guaranteed! IB Roof Warranty Summary
• Fully Integrated Solution eliminates the risk of roof leaks, often associated with regular Solar systems! Light Weight of about 1 lb. / sq. ft. eliminates the need to upgrade the structural components of your flat roof, which further reduces you costs.

• SolarWise PV is BI-PV which qualifies it for additional incentives and rebates from State and Federal government and other
  entities.

Overall, IB SolarWise PV system is the Most affordable and the Longest lasting, Fully Integrated Solar system you can find for Residential and Commercial / Industrial / Restaurant flat roof!

This frequently asked questions section is designed to cover the topics that you are most interested in, and always as us about.

• Q: Can I install IB Solar Wise panels over EPDM Rubber (Modified Bitumen, Tar roof, etc)
• A: No. IB SolarWise PV system must be installed over IB roof. The solar panels are welded down to the IB PVC roofing membrane which acts as a water-tight barrier and a substrate for IB Solar
• Q: How much does a square foot of IB Solar PV cost?
• A: IB SolarWise PV system as well as other solar systems are not priced by the square foot, but rather by $/Watt DC. Please refer to our IB Solar PV pricing section for more details
• Q: What is the output of IB SolarWise PV module
• A: IB SolarWise PV modules come use 4 Uni-Solar thin-film laminates per module. Each Unisolar module is 136 Watts DC, so each IB SolarWise PV module is 544 Watts. You also have an option of getting modules that are 1/2 the physical and output size and are 272 watts.
• Q: How many KW of IB solar can I install on my roof?
• A: The 544 Watt IB SolarWise PV modules is 19 feet long by 6 feet wide and require 120 sq. feet of unshaded roof area. Therefore, for 1 Kilowatt of electrical output, you will need about 200 sq. feet of roof. However, since IB Solar modules come in sizes of 544 Watts, you need to calculate how many modules you want installed and how much unshaded roof area you have.

More Q and A are coming soon.

Solar PV References and Resources:

To discover more information and methods of designing a solar house, visit our Renewable Energy Blog. There you will find detailed guides to creating a Net Zero Energy consumption home concept that utilizes Solar and Geothermal technologies that are available on the market today.

Solar PV installation Prices – Detailed guide to $$/Watt price-structure of SolarWise PV and other solar systems.

Solar Rebates and Incentives Guide – Summary of Federal, State and Local tax credits, grants, rebates, incentives for installation of Solar PV systems – both for Residential and Commercial installation. Make your Solar PV profitable from the day it is installed!

Solar PV Price Estimator – Calculate the approximate PV System-size in Watts, Cost/Watt and the Price to install your SolarWise PV system, and an IB Roof of your choice.

Solar PV Pay-off / Break-Even Guide – Detailed look at how Solar PV works, Solar systems design, and how you can get Free Electricity. Speed up the pay-off period of your SolarWise PV. In some instances you can make your Solar PV profitable from the day it is installed!

IB Roof References and Resources:

IB Green/Roof-top Garden Roofs – If you are Eco/Environmentally conscious or just want more Green in your live, and have a flat roof Home or Office building, see why IB Roof is the perfect choice for your Greed Roof!

Green Resources Directory – Visit other Green / Eco-Friendly resources available online.