Take Advantage of the 30% Federal Tax Credit Through Solar Roofing

Many businesses have already demonstrated that an investment in solar energy is a smart move. But for those who are in a need of a new or replacement roof – it can be a brilliant move.

If your existing roof is even close to needing replacement, you might want to integrate a solar photovoltaic system at the time of replacement.  Since the new roof qualifies as the solar attachment system, it is now eligible for the 30% Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC).

When the 30% credit is applied to the whole roof and solar bundle, the tax savings alone are usually enough to cover all the cost of the solar energy system. In effect, the value of the solar energy is enjoyed for the next 25 plus years at no or little extra cost. Additionally, the complete system may be depreciated with the advanced 5 year MACRS schedule afforded to solar power systems.

Due to the savings from the solar-roof bundle, we are helping some clients replace a roof several years before it was necessary to take advantage of this before the Investment Tax Credit sunsets in 2016.

RAMCON has the expertise and materials to ensure that your new roof and new solar system have matching expected useful life-times and warranties. Since most PV modules come with a 25-year energy production guarantee, it is important to select a roofing system that has a similar warranty and expected life-cycle.

RAMCON offers solar roofing solutions for TPO (as pictured), modified SBS and other materials which will perform under warranty throughout the whole life of the solar power system.

An investment in solar roofing allows you to:
•    Lock-in and levelize your energy expenses through a capital investment in solar power. Solar module prices have bottomed out and are not likely to go lower.  Interest rates are unusually low and can be used to lock in your energy bill at a levelized rate.
•    Apply the 30% tax credit and the 5 - Year MACRS to the entire solar roof project. The accelerated depreciation with the Year-One Bonus-50% allows you to Claim 60% in depreciation in the first year.
•    Attain the sustainable TRIPLE bottom line;  People, Planet and Profit. Solar Roofing earns LEED points and achieves corporate sustainability benchmarks which are increasingly demanded by retailers and tenants.

For more information on solar roofing and the Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC), please visit www.RAMCONRoofing.com or call us directly at (877) 726-2661.

The Weakest Link In Your Roof

Every roof has them, and many of us know the headaches they can cause. We’re talking about roof penetrations (vent pipes, drains, pitch pockets), which are often the roof’s weak link. With single-ply membranes, this means a boot or field-formed membrane that is adhered or welded to the roof membrane with a draw band — a metal collar that fits around the protrusion — and sealant at the top. It’s important to ensure that the draw band is tightly attached but does not cut into the flashing and that the sealant at the top is installed with no voids or unadhered sections. The membrane flashings on single ply roofs at pipes and other penetrations, no matter what the material used, are usually the first items on the roof to deteriorate from age and abuse, so careful attention should be paid to the condition of these flashings.

A modified-bitumen or asphalt roof will often use pitch pockets with pourable sealers. Alternatives are goosenecks and perma-flash. Pitch pockets are the most common, with a weak link occurring when the pourable sealer deteriorates and cracks over time. This is accelerated by any movement in the penetration, causing a separation between the penetration and the sealant. Watching for signs of cracks in the sealant in the pitch pocket and around the penetration. Re-sealing these areas routinely will help keep the roof watertight. Your RAMCON technician will ensure that the sealer is filled to the pitch pocket top to keep the penetration from holding water.

With pitch pockets, there can be additional problems. It’s vital that the sealant applied be appropriate for the roofing system. If the sealer used is asphalt or roofing cement, it will shrink over time, causing cracks within the sealer itself or causing it to pull away from the penetration. This leaves a direct path for water to enter the roof. Regular maintenance of the pitch pans includes crowning the sealer to shed water away from the penetration. (QUICK FACT: MORE THAN 1/2 OF PITCH POCKET LEAKS THAT RAMCON FIXES ARE THE RESULT OF SOMEONE SEALING THE PITCH POCKETS WITH AN IMPROPER SEALANT). RAMCON always utilizes stainless steel pitch pockets on our roofing systems, but many contractors do not. If another contractor used galvanized pitch pockets, checking the pan for rust is essential. Wherever the rusting occurs, there will eventually be a hole.

Metal penetration flashings are dependent upon compression tape and elastomeric sealants to keep the penetration watertight. The sealants should be examined on a regular basis and replaced when they begin to harden and crack. With both the pitch pockets and the metal flashings, the membrane stripping between the flanges of the metal and the roof should be adhered tightly to both the metal and the roof for an adequate seal.

If you have problems on your roof, there is a good chance it is directed from roof penetrations. When you are having penetrations installed, give us a call so we can make sure they are installed properly.

The True Costs of a Roof Leak

Every building owner or manager at one time or another faces this dilemma: When is roof replacement a better option than continued roof maintenance? Of course, the ideal answer to this question is never. But it is rare that a roof’s service life equals the service life of the rest of the building.

The more obvious answer to the question is that roof replacement is a better option when the roof’s watertight integrity — its primary function — is compromised. In other words, when leaks become intolerable, it is time to replace the roof.

But when do leaks become intolerable? Is leak tolerance the best or most cost-effective reason to make a huge capital investment? A central element in the roof-replacement decision for managers is determining when leaks become bad enough to mandate replacement.

The Economics Of A Roof Leak
In some cases, a financial model can help managers determine when roof maintenance has reached the point of diminishing returns, in which case you essentially end up throwing good money after bad. As much as we preach preventive maintenance (PM) for roof systems, at some point PM becomes useless.

It is difficult to justify the capital expense of replacing a roof, especially when that money could go toward buying new equipment and systems that would benefit the organization’s bottom line. But roof leaks also can hurt the bottom line. Consider these real-world examples:

• Interior damage. Roof leaks that damage ceiling tiles, carpet, furniture, and computers are common, but the damage can be much more severe. For example, one school lost its gymnasium floor due to damage from roof leaks. The school had to cancel or move athletic events and replace the floor, at a cost of $500,000.
• Operations downtime. A roof leak for one building owner in Hernando County shut down operations for a day, costing the company an estimated $700,000 in revenue.
• Damaged products. A Tampa retail store recently lost more than $40,000 worth of products due to one roof leak.
• Lost business. Roof leaks forced one hotel to close its top floor — its priciest rooms — for three weeks, causing significant lost revenue.
• Upset Tenants. In today’s market, it’s tough enough to find tenants, yet alone keep them. Leaks encourage tenants to seek to rent reductions and seek ways out of their leases.

We must incorporate all of these factors into any life-cycle cost analysis in trying to justify a roof replacement. Granted, for any of you who have not gone through the cost-justification process, projected costs are only predictions. But to neglect figuring in these costs is misleading and provides a false sense of security. A smart course of action is to have RAMCON perform a free roof analysis that will tell you if your roof can be economically maintained or if you are flushing money down the drain.

4 Proven Factors of Long Term Roof Performance

Maintaining institutional and commercial facilities is crucial for today’s building owners and managers. One of the most important steps in achieving this goal, is the roofing system. Why do so many organizations overlook the roofing system? In general, roofs present a host of major challenges, from specification and installation to maintenance and replacement. Plus, we all know it’s much more appealing to install a new color scheme or landscaping. However, by proactive roof management, you can free up room in your budget for the more appealing aspects of your facility. To do so, focus on these four factors. 

Choose The Right System
Choosing the right roofing system for your facility is likely the most important decision you will make. Unfortunately, there is not a ‘best roof’ out there. Each type of system has its own unique strengths and weaknesses. TPO or PVC systems might be an excellent choice for a distribution center or a roof with little foot traffic or maintenance. However, Modified Bitumen systems just might be a better solution for your facility if you have increased foot traffic or lots of rooftop equipment. We know every facility is different and has different needs. At RAMCON, we’ve installed practically every type of roofing system available and can help you to design the right system for your needs and budget.

It’s In The Installation Details
The installation crews installing your roof is a crucial factor, and in some cases, the greatest influence on roof performance. If Joe and his pickup truck roofing company does not install the roof properly, the roof will not perform up to expectations, no matter the quality of the roof design or materials. Your primary consideration when choosing a contractor is ensuring it can provide a highly experienced, skilled, and conscientious roofing crews and supervisors. At RAMCON, this is what we do best and are known for industry wide.

All Materials Are Not The Same
New and improved waterproofing products continually enter the market. Sometimes though, new and improved often means less expensive. The cost of the membrane, not its proven performance, too often is the overriding factor in choosing a roof system. Think all manufacturers are using the same material composition? Do you think some manufacturers are cutting corners? You bet! So let’s not forget the material failures of the past out of negligence…let’s choose the proven systems. Keep in mind the difference in cost between a high-quality, time-tested roofing membrane and a low-cost commodity brand is usually less than 10 percent of the system’s total cost. RAMCON has case studies to show you the proven track record of most major roofing systems.

Maintenance Matters
One of the most vital things that you can do is implement a proactive inspection and maintenance program immediately after the roof is installed. Too many times, owners and managers believe that because a warranty covers the new roof, they can ignore maintenance as it’s be covered by the warranty…WRONG. Historically, over 64.3% of all roof leaks fall outside the coverage of the manufacturer’s warranty (it’s true). The sad part is, most are completely avoidable! Practically every manufacturer mandates you perform and document routine maintenance as a condition of the warranty. With RAMCON in your arsenal, you’ll have Florida’s largest, best trained and most responsive Service Department at your disposal 24/7.

Success With Solar Roofing System Starts Long Before Installation

As commercial, industrial and institutional facilities seek ways to reduce expenses in times of rising utility costs, we are seeing a rapid influx of our clients installing photovoltaic (PV) systems installed on their rooftops. One often overlooked issue facing managers relates to the post-installation inspection and maintenance requirements for roofing systems and rooftop PV arrays to ensure both components deliver long-term performance and energy efficiency.

During the design and installation phase for the PV system, many discussions take place related to return on investment and payback. Of course, these long-term, monetary projections include some difficult assumptions. One big assumption is a long service life for the rooftop PV system.

The PV system’s longevity and success implies a long-term successful roof system underneath it. But with the installation of a rooftop PV system, the roofing system becomes more than just a roof. It becomes a permanent platform for the continuous operation, service and maintenance of the PV system that still requires its own ongoing maintenance and repair.

It’s important to consider a number of issues in order to ensure the long-term success of a rooftop PV system. Proper design, quality materials, skillful installation and regular maintenance are four key components to a successful rooftop PV system installation.

The key point we want to discuss in this article is the importance of design to ensure that the roof is compatible with the intended PV system or that it can be upgraded for use with a PV system. For a rooftop PV system, the process of integrated design — having all parties involved with a project, including solar and roofing firms — requires knowledge of both the roofing and PV industries.

At RAMCON, we assist our clients in ensuring that the following design criteria are met.
• Make sure the roofing system will provide at least 25+ years of useful service
• Specify a cover board as a substrate for the roofing membrane in order to prevent damage and to protect the energy-efficiency properties of the roof insulation
• Match the roof membrane’s thickness and proven performance to the required service life of the PV system
• Use construction details that are well established and meet the manufacturer’s requirements
• Elevate framing and conduits above the roof surface to promote drainage, which considerably reduces the potential for leaks
• Design penetrations with round framing so flashing installations are more effectively and efficiently installed, with less chances for voids and need for sealants.
• Install sacrificial membranes or walkway pads at critical traffic locations
• Make sure the rooftop PV system installation does not compromise the roofing system’s warranty, and that you’ll have in your hand an ‘intent to warranty’ from the roofing manufacturer/warranty holder.
• Ensure  that the roofing system’s manufacturer has accepted all PV system details — especially attachments and penetrations — at the design phase.

The goal is to make roofs and solar work together and not have a PV system void the warranty, increase roof maintenance expenses or shorten the roof service life. We work daily, hand in hand with our clients, to ensure they can have the best of both worlds…and at a price that fits into their budget.

Busy 2013 Hurricane Season Predicted by Meteorologists

The 2013 Atlantic hurricane season is likely to be more active than usual, with 18 named storms, nine hurricanes and four major hurricanes, according to the annual spring forecast of Colorado State University meteorologists. That compares with a 1981-2010 average of 12 named storms, 6.5 hurricanes and two major hurricanes each year.

We always remind our clients that it only takes one hurricane making landfall to make it an active season for them, and they need to prepare the same for every season, regardless of how much activity is predicted.

The forecast was released on last Wednesday. On Thursday, the National Hurricane Center announced that “Sandy” has been retired from the six-year list of names used for tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic Basin because of the damage and death caused by the 2012 storm in Jamaica, Cuba and the United States. Sandy is the 77th name to be retired since storms began to be named in 1950, and will be replaced with “Sara,” beginning in 2018.

How did they come up with these predictions? Well, forecasters compare meteorological and water temperature conditions in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to the conditions that occurred each year between 1981 and 2010 to come up with their predictions. This year, they say, the above-average forecast is being triggered by unusually warmer temperatures in the tropical Atlantic during the past few months and the low chance of an El Nino event occurring this summer and fall. El Nino is a warmer-than-average surface water pattern in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean that has been shown to increase wind shear in the Atlantic that obstructs the formation of hurricanes, and correlates to fewer hurricanes. La Nina, which is colder than average water temperatures, tends to reduce shear in the Atlantic, increasing the number of hurricanes. This year’s neutral Pacific water temperature conditions, when combined with other factors, points to a more active season.

The second key factor is warmer than normal sea surface temperatures from January through March in the tropical region of the Atlantic Ocean, where hurricanes form. The forecast said past years with similar warmer winter to spring sea surface temperatures have seen weaker trade winds and westerly high-level shearing winds, lower than normal sea level pressures and above-normal sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic during the following August to October period.

The weaker trade winds make it easier for patches of thunderstorms to gather as tropical waves move across the Atlantic, while the slower upper level winds allow the storm clouds to grow taller. Lower than normal sea level pressures, again, allow thunderstorms to be created more quickly, while the higher temperature surface water provides the heat source for those clouds. As the thunderstorms grow, there’s a greater chance they’ll form tropical depressions, storms and hurricanes. The forecasters predict a 96 percent chance of a hurricane hitting somewhere along the U.S. coast, compared to a long-term average of 84 percent, and an 80 percent chance of a hurricane hitting somewhere along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, compared to the long-term average of 60 percent.

For more information on how to protect your roofing system, please visit www.ramconroofing.com/stormproof.htm

Is Your Roof Ready?

Your roof is often the only line of defense against Mother Nature’s fury. At this point, do you know the conditions that exist on your roofs? Not just your anticipated maintenance expenses and such, but which pitch pockets have issues or if there are voids or punctures in the membrane? Are the drainage ports properly sealed?

If you are not sure, give us a call now. As a RAMCON client, we will send an inspection crew at no expense to inspect your roof and determine how the roof is performing and if there are any areas that are likely to allow for direct water intrusion.

We’ll bring the existing assembly, age, conditions and concerns to your attention so you can make an educated decision towards how you wish to address the problems. There’s no sales pitch and no gimmicks, just a chance for us to help our clients and bring peace of mind.

To schedule your inspection for this week, please call (813) 663-9667 and ask to schedule a roof inspection. We’ll handle the rest and you’ll have all the resources you need.