Property owners in the District are often faced with a challenge if they want to go solar. Rooftop solar helps cut energy costs, provides valuable tax credits, and generates income from Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs). However, many new construction or substantially renovated buildings are also required to meet high stormwater retention standards. Green roofing is often the most viable way for buildings to retain stormwater. This means many developers have to choose: rooftop solar or a green roof?
Development team Lock 7 and Adler Financial found an innovative way to meet stormwater retention mandates without sacrificing the ability to install solar. The design and installation team of Furbish and Solar Energy Services, Inc. provided an integrated system where green roof material serves as the ballast for the solar panels. The green roof is designed to retain 100% of runoff on-site while the solar PV will produce more than 150,000 kWh annually.
