Firestone Building Products Demonstrates PLATINUM PV Program

Firestone Building Products Company LLC, a manufacturer and supplier of a comprehensive “Roots to Rooftops” portfolio of products, announced today the completion of the installation of its PLATINUM PV Program on its polyiso manufacturing plant in Bristol, Conn. In 2011, the company received a clean energy grant to update the facility. With the funding Firestone Building Products installed its PLATINUM PV Program to integrate photovoltaic (PV) systems with a new cool roofing system. The goal of the program is to create concurrent lifecycles between a roofing and PV system. By syncing the lifespans of the two systems, building owners can maximize renewable energy production and financial rewards.

With the PLATINUM PV Program, building owners have a choice of a variety of heavy-duty roofing systems, including: TPO, EPDM, SBS Modified Bitumen and standing seam panel metal systems. For the Firestone Building Products’ plant, an integrated fully adhered .090 EcoWhite EPDM Platinum Membrane was installed over ½-in. high density ISOGARD HD Cover Board and a thermal layer of ISO 95+ GL Insulation. The program is covered by Firestone Building Products’ 30-year Red Shield Platinum Warranty which protects against leaks, incidental punctures, up to two inches of hail damage and winds up to 100 mph.

“When considering installing PV, building owners must first consider the roofing system. A typical rooftop PV investment is based on a 25 year financial projection. Therefore, the roof must be able to sustain heavy PV for at least that long in order to maximize returns,” said Gary Thompson, general manager of Innovative Products and Services (IPAS), at Firestone Building Products. “With rooftop solar on the rise, the PLATINUM PV Program, which combines a heavy-duty, high-performance roof with a PV array built to last, is an important part of our business.”

As outlined in the Firestone Building Products 2012 Sustainability Report, the company is committed to natural resource conservation and reducing CO2. Using a third-party certified monitoring tool, the company can track total energy generated and CO2 offset. The measurement tool can be viewed here: http://live.deckmonitoring.com/?id=firestone_building_products_bristol_ct

“Firestone Building Products is not only dedicated to innovating products that help with overall commercial building performance for our clients, but implementing sustainable manufacturing processes and integrating green products on our own facilities. Sustainability is a companywide commitment. And the plant in Bristol is a testament to that. The energy and cost savings calculated by the plant is a real-life success story for us and for our customers to see the relevance of PV and green roofing products,” concluded Thompson.

This clean energy project was made possible by a grant from the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority.

— Solar Builder magazine

[source: http://www.solarbuildermag.com/news/firestone-building-products-demonstrates-platinum-pv-program/]