Steven Petersen, project director of Solarize Financial, based just outside Charleston, South Carolina, is glad he installed Roof Tech’s RT E mount AIR product, especially when faced with Hurricane Matthew earlier this year.
Tropical Storm Matthew formed near the Windward Islands in late September 2016 and soon became a Category 5 hurricane. Matthew went on to leave a path of destruction and the coastal areas of North and South Carolina were especially hard hit. Although Matthew was downgraded to a Category 1 by the time it made landfall on the coast of South Carolina on October 8, high winds and storm surges caused major damage across the region.
Petersen remembers that day well. “Wind gusts were well over 100 mph,” he recalled. “Anyone in the business of installing PV systems had real cause for alarm.”
By that time, Solarize Financial had installed RT E Mount AIR on about 200 homes–about 1.5 MW in all. “Every panel installed using E Mount AIR stayed securely in place during Matthew,” he said. “Not one of those homeowners had a single problem with their PV system. It was really impressive.”
Petersen explained that South Carolina was fairly late in embracing the benefits of solar, but is moving quickly to catch up. “In terms of incentives, our state went from being number 50 among U.S. states to being in the top five,” he said. “Now, the market is growing exponentially.” As he looks ahead, Petersen is confident he’ll continue to use Roof Tech products. “E Mount AIR is faster to install, less expensive, and far more aesthetic on the roof.”
News item from Roof Tech