With the freezing temperatures we have in Michigan, it can be difficult to place flashing under shingles, so we decided to give RT [E] Mount® and the RT L-Foot Option a try.”

Chula Vista, CA - (January 30, 2018) - Adam Harris, CEO and Managing Director of The Green Panel in Brighton, Michigan, first encountered Roof Tech products at the Solar Power International tradeshow in 2016. "We have followed the development of the solar industry closely for many years," said Harris, "and we are always looking to improve efficiencies. With the freezing temperatures we have in Michigan, it can be difficult to place flashing under shingles, so we decided to give RT [E] Mount® and the RT L-Foot Option a try."

Harris added that he had a great service experience working with the Roof Tech team. "Mike Dunlap did a terrific presentation for us and offered to go out in the field to train our installers," said Harris. "He was wonderful, and showed us how to level the system perfectly using the new RT L-Foot Option." Since then, The Green Panel has installed more than 1 megawatt of PV panels on its residential projects using Roof Tech products.

Increasing efficiency with the RT-[E] Mount and the RT L-Foot Option.
Mark Williams, Operations Manager for The Green Panel, was particularly impressed with the new RT L-Foot Option. "Its a great product," he said. "It makes it so easy to adjust PV panels on a non-flat roof: we simply adjust the bracket to level out the rails." Because he is out in the field with installers on a daily basis, Williams has seen first-hand the increases in efficiency since they started using Roof Tech products. "Just making the change from traditional flashing to RT-[E] Mount with the L-Foot Option cuts our installation time in half," he said. "Our crew was skeptical at first, but they really like the Roof Tech system now."

A longtime believer in the benefits of butyl.
The Green Panel Team is a provider for AT&T and Sprint, and Harris noted that they had used butyl rubber in the telecom field for many years. "We were already a believer and knew all about the benefits of butyl," he said. "All of our installers are certified to work on cell towers and had experience using butyl for weatherproofing." Harris added that during winter months, his crew keeps the butyl in a thermal cooler to keep it just the right temperature for installations. "Roof Techs products really stand up to the snow load on the roofs here in Michigan," he said, "and we want people to know about the benefits."

Balancing functionality with esthetic appeal.
"People are still somewhat skeptical about solar in general," Harris said. "You need every aspect to be both functional and esthetically pleasing. With traditional railed systems, you see pieces sticking out on the roof, but when we use RT-[E] Mount with the L-Foot Adapter to install railed systems, it creates a great look that our customers love." Currently, The Green Panel team is working on educating local cities and utilities about the benefits of rail-less PV systems in hopes of easing the permitting process.

Versatility on the roof makes RT-[E] Mount and the L-Foot Option a winning combination.
Harris pointed out one of the great benefits of using RT-[E] Mount with the L-Foot Option rather than traditional flashing: "With Roof Tech products, if you hit an obstacle on the roof, you can actually redesign the system on the fly. If you have to move panels, you simply extend the wiring and keep going. With traditional racking, you need to shut down the job for an entire day. That cuts into profitability and efficiency, and makes customers unhappy. We want to use our time and our customers time well, without making excuses."

Why its good business to think outside the box.
When asked what hed say to others who are skeptical about trying Roof Tech products, Harris was quick to reply. "If you want different results, you need to be willing to take a different approach," he said. "You need to think outside the box, especially now that the cost of solar is getting more competitive." Williams was quick to agree. "Id say just try RT-[E] Mount with the L-Foot Option on one job, and youll quickly see how you can improve your productivity."

About The Green Panel, Inc.
The Green Panel, Inc. is headquartered in Brighton, Michigan and specializes in solar panel and battery backup installations. In 2007, the company was founded and introduced its "Engineer, Furnish & Install" concept to solar customers, which consists of three distinct tiers: (1) Engineer: Design solar projects from the ground up and help customers obtain funding; (2) Furnish: Acquire high quality equipment from leading manufacturers; and (3) Installation: Safe, professional installation of equipment by its full licensed and insured staff. Since then, The Green Panel has performed more than 1,200 solar photovoltaic installations for residential and commercial customers throughout Michigan. Learn more about The Green Panel at www.thegreenpanel.com.

About Roof Tech
Roof Tech, Inc., is the first U.S. subsidiary of Yanegiken, a Japanese company renowned for more than four decades of innovative roofing technologies. In June 2012, Roof Tech established its U.S. operations and is headquartered in Chula Vista, California. Roof Tech has a national network of distributors in place to provide its unique PV solar mounting solutions for residential and commercial projects. Roof Techs products include RT-[E] Mount®, E Mount AIR®, U set Solar®, and the new RT L-Foot Option. Roof Tech recently introduced GEN II, a new generation of its signature products. All are fully code-compliant and offer compact, watertight performance for rooftop solar installations.