Value of Solar

Building solar projects in urban environments can be complicated. With less space on the roof, combined with more detailed regulations and logistical considerations, choosing a reliable installer becomes even more necessary. Despite these intricacies, solar is still just as valuable for city homeowners. 

Good urban solar design means knowing how to use every inch of roof space. And ReVision Energy has honed its processes to do so. Decades of experience building solar in cities like Boston, Manchester, and Portland have taught our teams how to maximize roof area to optimize power production. Our employee-owners have developed lasting relationships with key authorities, including utility companies, permitting boards, and local city inspectors.  

Arthur Drougas, a Technical Site Visit Specialist at ReVision Energy, has seen the spectrum of Boston roofs. He spent ten years running a New England-based roofing company before coming to ReVision and understands the quirks of every roof. Having previously worked at another solar company, Arthur says ReVision is uniquely equipped to deal with these added challenges through experience, connections, and a specific job position dedicated to uncovering all the details.  

Key Challenges and How We Overcome Them 

Historic-district restrictions

• The closer you get to Beacon Hill or Charlestown, the more people scrutinize the visual aspects of the system. We deal with this through low-profile installations and a documented record of securing visual exemptions. John Murphy, a Charlestown-based Solar Design Specialist at ReVision, recalls a Bunker Hill project where the utility meter had to move outside: “On a brownstone, a street-side meter would usually be vetoed,” he says. “But we filed the paperwork, secured the historic exemption, and kept the installation on schedule.”  

Shared roof spaces 

• Urban condos and duplexes often split a single roof among multiple owners. John says shared roof systems can work just fine as long as ownership boundaries are clear. A recent project of his involved a single eighteen-panel array that became two nine-panel systems, with separate monitoring and federal tax credits for each household. 

Snow and critter considerations 

• City roofs hover over sidewalks and give squirrels easy access, so we often include snow and critter guards in our proposals. 

Install-day logistics 

• ReVision has long-standing relationships with local lift and crane companies. We handle street closing permits in-house to efficiently deal with limited parking and buildings too tall for ladders. 

Why an Extra Site Visit Matters 

These complexities are some of the reasons why ReVision adds a second pre-install trip from a dedicated Technical Site Visit Specialist (SVS) like Arthur. The SVS measures every dimension, photographs the installation site, and checks the roof’s structural capacity.

Arthur sums up the value of the second site visit: “It makes everything run better because a lot of issues that might have slipped under the rug get found out before the job. Mobilizing four installers and a box truck is expensive. It’s better to find the parking issue or soft roof deck beforehand.” 

During the second site visit, the SVS: 

• Confirms the roof type to determine exactly which types of fasteners and sealants will be used 
• Flags any oddities that could impact the installation day process, like meter relocations, limited parking or ladder space, fire setbacks, and historic-district visibility 
• Confirms whether the roof can support a ballasted array or needs extra attachments 

The attachment method depends on the type of roof, which is either flat or pitched. Flat roofs, which are more common in cities, generally use ballasted systems. These involve: 

• Heavy weights to hold down the panels (if the roof can support the weight)  
• No penetrations (unless necessary); sometimes roofs have areas with more wind, which may call for a few attachment points. 
• Racking systems where the tilt of the panels can be customized to shed snow while still producing optimal power 

Pitched roofs, which are typically made of asphalt, metal, or slate, use attached racking systems that include penetrations anchoring the panels directly to the roof.  

Some single-ply roofs come with strict rules, where only the original or certified roofer can drill through them without voiding the warranty. In this case, ReVision coordinates and brings that roofer onto the job, so the warranty stays safe. 

Good Relationships Make Installation Prep Easy  

Arthur remembers a recent project where the roof needed a specific sealant for each bolt: "I picked up the phone, called the roof tech rep I’ve worked with for years, and got the exact product in minutes, without needing to wait for a return email or go through multiple people to get an answer.” 

Relationships help on installation days, too. Arthur’s long-standing ties with local crane and lift companies pay off when a project sits on a narrow city street. “The crane rental companies trust us because we’ve worked with them for so long. When I was installing, a lot of the time I’d get the machine to the install spot in the morning and have it out by the afternoon to minimize the impact on neighbors. And the rentals love it because our turnaround is so quick.”  

Urban solar succeeds when every quirk is known ahead of time. City roofs may look difficult from the sidewalk, but the sun hitting the roof is the same as in any open field. Our extra layers of site analysis, contractor network, and employee-owner crews make urban installations easy. Reach out today, and we’ll schedule a site visit to see how solar can work for you.