It's only a matter of time before solar applications will revolutionize the roofing industry, and the sooner roofing contractors see the light, the better off they'll be. That's the thinking at LUMA Resources LLC, a newly formed sister company of Allen Brothers Inc., a multifaceted roofing contractor located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Allen Brothers, owned and operated by Gary and Robert Allen has been in roofing business since 1950. The company hopes its new product will help other roofing contractors enter the world of solar energy.

    LUMA Resources was formed in 2007 to market the company's recent breakthrough, a solar kit designed for residential applications. The patented system is the brainchild of Gary Allen. Foreseeing a need with the lack of solar systems compatible with residential roofs, he tapped into his years of experience designing and installing metal roofs to invent his own solution.

    "All of the solar applications I had seen were vertical, designed to work with standing seam roofs," he said. "But that wouldn't work in most residential roofs, where almost all of the systems are set up with horizontal lines. I immediately visualized it as a horizontal application on metal panels, with room for the wires to run underneath. The rest of the system and its components were designed over time, along with the method of terminating the sides of the kit."

    The kit uses thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solar cell technology LUMA's solar panels generate power for the 1,860-watt PV roofing kit, which consists of 60 solar shingles, the inverter, and all of the flashing and components needed to put the system together. Each metal shingle is 51 1/8 inches long and 15 5/8 inches wide, and the shingles can be installed in one of two configurations: 10 rows of six shingles or 12 rows of five shingles.

    The kit must be located on one side of the roof and installed in one piece, but it can be placed virtually anywhere on the roof - in the middle of a field, or terminating at the eaves, ridge, or at the side of the structure.

    Each interlocking panel has a splice plate and wiring with quick-connectors at each end. The result is just one lead that carries the DC power, which can be dropped into the attic or routed down the side of the house for connection to the inverter. "The electrician has to take it from there and hook up the DC leads to the inverter," said Robert Allen. "The system is perfect for new construction and reroof applications as well."

    "In the past, people have avoided solar because it's ugly," said Robert Allen. "This system is aesthetically pleasing. Because the lines are horizontal, it looks like it's supposed to be there."

    Besides being aesthetically pleasing, the kit is easy to install and compatible with standard roofing systems, noted Gary Allen. "We wanted to make the product as easy as possible to install, so that's why we set it up as a kit," he said. "I remember when Velux came out with a flashing kit to make its skylights easy to install, with all of the pieces cut to fit. That's the type of system we wanted to provide - a complete kit, with all of the pieces, including the inverter. A drill, and a few tools, and you're ready to go. However, it is an electrical array, so there is a learning curve. But it's really easy to grasp."

    "Contractors will have to be trained in how to install the system, but the training process is quick and easy," said Robert Allen. "The system was designed to be put together by two experienced installers in a day. It fits together as a system of interlocking panels. Each panel is locked in place by the panel below it, and a clip holds each panel at the top. The clip also holds the panels off the deck, for ease of installation."

    The kit is installed directly over an underlayment and can be incorporated into a variety of roofing systems, noted Gary Allen. "The flashing pieces can butt up to clay/concrete tiles, slate, cedar, and asphalt shingles," he said. "The kit is designed to terminate, and it can be integrated with any type of roof."

    The kit is different from typical solar applications that are installed over the existing roof, often resulting in multiple penetrations. "We don't want another roofing product underneath the solar section of the roof," said Robert Allen. "For the area this kit takes up - under 400 sq. ft. of roof - it is the roof. With some of the more expensive materials - tile and slate - that means a significant cost savings.

    The Allens believe the end result will be a roofing option that's a moneymaking upgrade for contractors and a money-saver for homeowners. "Think of it as another upsell," said Gary Allen. "People are going to want solar, and the roofing contractor has to be in a position to offer a solar application. We feel this is the perfect solar application, and roofers can understand it."

    "The kit can substantially reduce the electric bill for an average home," said Robert Allen. "We're estimating that the system will have a five to seven year payback, depending on state and local incentives and sunlight conditions. Of course the exact savings will depend on future energy costs.

    Gary and Robert Allen are convinced that solar technology is the wave of the future, and they have enlisted the help of Dr. Richard Blieden as a consultant to help them penetrate the market. Blieden, formerly the director of government and international sales at United Solar Ovonic, has worked in the field of alternative energy technology for over 30 years. He organized and directed the first USA National Program for Terrestrial Applications of Photovoltaic Technology at the National Science Foundation, and he directed the Office of Solar Electric Applications at the U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration. After a lifetime of pioneering work in the field of solar energy, he believes solar applications are poised for exponential growth.

    "The roofs of the future are going to have solar," said Blieden. "The energy situation is critical enough that the investment will be made in solar applications, and that means opportunity for those in the roofing industry."

    "This residential solar kit is something that's from within the industry," he continued. "Solar has been a missed opportunity because no one had an easy solution. This is an excellent solution, in part because it's so easy to install." Says Dr. Blieden.

    Only time will tell how the kit will fare in the marketplace, but LUMA Resources is in the process of contacting contractors to install the system in preparation for its release.

    "This product was developed by roofers for roofers," he continued. "We want to make sure that the solar industry installation is put in the hands of the roofing contractor, and we feel like we have the best solution out there. This product has opened up solar to the average roofer."

    "Solar is the fastest-emerging market in the United States today," Blieden concluded. "The contractors that don't embrace solar will be left behind."