GAF Energy, a provider of roof-integrated solar solutions, is partnering with Sandia National Laboratories, a U.S. Department of Energy research and development lab, to test the company’s next-generation solar roofing product, which will be launched in January 2022.
In September, GAF Energy announced the completion of the buildout of its facility in San Jose, Calif., where the company will be developing and manufacturing its new solar roof. One of Sandia’s missions is to drive technical innovation in the solar sector as part of a broader DOE effort to lower the cost, increase the efficiency and further the deployment of solar technologies.
“We’re very excited to partner with the experts at Sandia National Labs to verify the strength, durability, and overall market-readiness of our next-generation solar roof,” states Martin DeBono, president of GAF Energy. “Solar roofing offers the opportunity for residential solar to reach the mainstream – and it needs to be a product that consumers trust. Product testing is critical to our efforts to expand residential solar to the mass market.”
“Getting solar roofs right includes the rigorous assessment of experimental systems installed in multiple climates, which includes measuring their energy output and establishing their reliability over time,” comments Laurie Burnham, Sandia’s lead for the GAF Energy project. “Sandia is interested in the potential for building-integrated solar technologies, with their aesthetic and functional advantages, to accelerate the deployment of solar across the US.”
Designed to provide a durable, easy-to-install and attractive alternative to typical rack-mounted solar panels – which are typically drilled through the roof’s shingles – GAF Energy’s solar roof products integrate directly with the roofing system and are part of the primary water-shedding layer.
