Flat roof manufacturer Bauder launched its revolutionary solar PV mounting system for biodiverse or extensive green roofs, Bauder BioSOLAR, at the inaugural ‘European Biosolar Roof Conference’ that took place in September at City Hall in London. Designed primarily for new build applications where environmentally friendly solutions are required to meet planning and BREEAM requirements; this integrated system addresses the misconception that green roof and PV technologies are mutually exclusive options.
The construction industry has long been calling for rooftop solutions that include a duality of technologies for environmental advantage, and a biosolar roof delivers just that providing reciprocal benefits in terms of maximising the energy output from the PV module and the footprint for the green roof. Bauder’s innovative BioSOLAR system uses the substrate and vegetation to provide the ballasted installation mechanism, removing the need to penetrate the waterproofing to secure the mounting units to the roof and making the most of the available area for vegetation, enabling the entire roof to qualify as a biodiverse green roof.
A key feature of Bauder’s unique system is that the front edge of the polycrystalline PV panel is raised 300mm above the finished green roof level, allowing light and moisture to reach beneath the panels whilst ensuring the mature vegetation will not shade the panels and can be easily maintained. The mixture of sunny, shaded and sheltered areas together with a variable depth of FLL compliant extensive substrate gives a matrix of different habitats that allow a broader range of plant species to thrive, and a rich foraging environment for bees and insects.
The biosolar solution also delivers advantages to the building, as the cooling effect of the vegetation and water held within the green roof system preserves the ambient temperature around the PV array, which in turn increases the solar output by over 5%. The PV mounting frame features a 100% recycled high-density polyethylene base board and consists of just three components – a quick fix angle support, profile module rail and module fixings – that make for an extremely quick and simple installation process.
Although well suited to new build applications, the Bauder BioSOLAR system can also be retrofitted on many existing roofs without the need for any structural modification to the building; and with Bauder able to supply and install all of the waterproofing, green roof and PV elements you can be confident of the significant synergy effects created by this energy efficient and cohesive system.
For more information please visit www.bauder.co.uk
