Anyone have experience with non-penetrating, ballasted racking on flat roof install?

[Spektre]

The house I just bought in Scottsdale has a flat 'foam' roof:

Overhead House.JPG

In planning for my solar install, I've been considering using ballasted, non-penetrating (non-metallic) racking systems like these:

Sollega Fastrack 510

Ecolibrium Solar EcoFoot2+

DynoRaxx Evolution FR

Patriot Solar Group Spider ST

Does anyone have any experience with any of these racking systems?

Thanks!

[Panelmal]

I have installed hundreds of flat roof ballasted systems, and highly recommend avoiding the dynoraxx system. We stopped using them after two or three installs, the tool-less install sales pitch is a joke and the wire management takes three times as long if not more than a typical install when done properly and with a bunch of additional flexible conduit and cable clips. I really don't like any of these newer ballast systems where you have to stack patio block on the cheap flexible frames, my preferred ballast system is the panelclaw grizzly bear. http://www.panelclaw.com/grizzly-bear.html

[solarix]

Ballasted systems add quite a lot of weight to your roof - more than the average roof can handle. Your building dept will require proof that your roof can handle it which probably means engineering analysis ($$$). You also have to be careful that the coating on the foam isn't damaged by wearing from the solar racks. That foam can hold a lot of water! Commercial ballast racks generally have low slope orientations in order to keep the wind loading small. As a result, they don't self clean in the rain very well - especially in dry Arizona.
An alternative (if you have enough parapet length on your roof) is to secure the tilt racks to the parapets instead of to the roof.
My leasing company (which is very risk adverse) on roofs like this, require us to bore a big 4" hole through the foam, put a mount down on the decking, then use a product called ChemCurb to fill up and reseal the hole. Or could have the foam roofers come out and refoam all the mounting.

[Panelmal]

Ballasted systems add quite a lot of weight to your roof - more than the average roof can handle. Your building dept will require proof that your roof can handle it which probably means engineering analysis ($$$). You also have to be careful that the coating on the foam isn't damaged by wearing from the solar racks. That foam can hold a lot of water! Commercial ballast racks generally have low slope orientations in order to keep the wind loading small. As a result, they don't self clean in the rain very well - especially in dry Arizona.
An alternative (if you have enough parapet length on your roof) is to secure the tilt racks to the parapets instead of to the roof.
My leasing company (which is very risk adverse) on roofs like this, require us to bore a big 4" hole through the foam, put a mount down on the decking, then use a product called ChemCurb to fill up and reseal the hole. Or could have the foam roofers come out and refoam all the mounting.

Should've mentioned that I am in upstate ny so roofs are already designed with an exaggerated snow load in place, and I've never set foot on a foam roof. I just really hate the dynoraxx system and most that you have to set out block on top of cheap plastic to hold it down.

[J.P.M.]

Should've mentioned that I am in upstate ny so roofs are already designed with an exaggerated snow load in place, and I've never set foot on a foam roof. I just really hate the dynoraxx system and most that you have to set out block on top of cheap plastic to hold it down.

Add the snow load to the ballast load and the dynamic loading from wind and see what you get.

[Realgun]

Add the snow load to the ballast load and the dynamic loading from wind and see what you get.

I believe the snow load in Scostdale AZ is negligible however there is a big wind load of 90-100 mph

You may want to call this number Building Code Hotline: 480-312-2633

In Albuquerque we see a lot of parapet installs with flat roofs or attached to patio covers.

[heimdm]

I was looking at doing Panel Claw for my system, but they only want to sell for installs with greater than 150kw size.

[bcroe]

Solve the problems and increase performance with a ground mount. good luck, Bruce Roe

[J.P.M.]

Solve the problems and increase performance with a ground mount. good luck, Bruce Roe

Hey Bruce: You did that same as me and didn't read the fine print. Heimdm is planning on a ground mount.

[J.P.M.]

I was looking at doing Panel Claw for my system, but they only want to sell for installs with greater than 150kw size.

Ballasted systems ain't all they're cracked up to be.
Panel Claw may make some sense in some applications for large roof mounts, but a ballasted ground mount ? No.
Besides, in so. IN, that low slope design is buying, if not guaranteeing, problems particularly when it comes to snow considerations.
I'd work around any buried geothermal components.

[Spektre]

I guess somebody decided to revive my 5 year-old thread, so I'll chime in. I gave up on ballasted system after much research and advice from here. My installer did exactly what Solarix said in post #3 - standoffs being secured to the decking and joists after cutting our the foam core, then chemcurb filling in around the standoffs. It's only been 6 months or so, but no issues.