US Company,TRA-Mage, uses cultural, linguistic and engineering experience to design solar mounting for Biblioteca Publica Estatal de Rio de Janeiro.

American Fork, UT May 16, 2012

The architecturally unique Biblioteca Publica Estatal de Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro Public Library) has gone through many remodels since it was originally constructed in the 1800's. The most recent remodel features a modern facade and a pitched, pre-cast concrete roof requiring photovoltaic solar modules. A custom designed Flush Mount Solar Mounting system was required and there was no company in Brazil with the ability and experience to come up with the exact solution for this roof.

TRA-Mage's Hector Reyes and Terry Anderson met Julio Gavazza, President of MetaSolar Brazil, at the Solar Power International convention and tradeshow in Dallas in October, 2011. TRA-Mage's multilingual and multicultural skills and experience with international customers appealed to Mr Gavazza and discussions began about a solar mounting design for the library.

TRA-Mage manufactures all types of solar mounting products from ballasted and elevated to ground and flush mount and has worked with the unique building codes of the US and foreign countries. Brazil's requirements for importing and building are unlike those of other Latin American countries where the company has already done business. Mr. Reyes and the TRA-Mage team were perfectly suited to adapting to the needs of a fastidious customer in Brazil.

The MetaSolar project originally specified a mounting system that did not penetrate the roofing. Engineers at TRA-Mage worked with the project engineers and city officials to design multiple options as they evolved from the original design: The first attached to the vertical spines on the roof and the second attached to the ridge. When the Brazilian architects changed the specifications allowing for roof penetrations, at this point MetaSolar could have reverted back to solar mounting manufacturers in Brazil, but they chose to continue working with TRA-Mage because of the positive experience with the company and its experience exporting their mounting products.

Hector Reyes, Regional Sales Manager - Latin America, was deeply involved in negotiations and design for seven months. He says, "Our technical department worked for months to meet the changing restrictions and requirements of the Rio de Janeiro Public Library. There were rigorous evaluations and several revisions as we worked to design the perfect mounting system. In addition, our engineers created an animated installation video specifically for this project which was of great help to MetaSolar. We overcame all export challenges and shipped the order to Rio de Janeiro on April 26th, 2012."

Brazil has recently established new laws allowing for private companies and households to take advantage of solar energy provided by photo-voltaic solar systems. An increase in demand for solar energy modules and their mounting attachments is expected to dramatically increase in the near future.

The Rio de Janeiro Public Library signals TRA-Mage's entrance into the South American market, a market that the company is uniquely suited to serving due to their sales force with cultural and linguistic experience in Latin America and their focus on engineering solar mounting systems for each project, large or small.

TRA-Mage, Inc., located in American Fork, Utah, offers Roof Snow Retention Devices, Solar Racking Systems and Roof Flashing Solutions. They provide free engineered designs to all customers, from the homeowner to the developer. For more information call Hector Reyes at 800-606-8980 or visit sun.tra-mage.com
View animated installation video