Hidden fastener solar mount requires no holes in exterior roofing layer
From pv magazine USA
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) has rewarded Martin Solar $50,000 as one of 20 semifinalists in the American-Made Solar Prize program. SETO reviewed over 150 novel solar industry innovations, narrowing to 20 recipients in the eighth round of the program. The prizes were announced Jan. 15, 2025.
Martin Solar developed a hidden-fastener solar mount (HFSM), a unique attachment designed for asphalt shingle and composite slate roofs that avoids boring a hole in the external roofing layer.
While many solar mounts attach on top of the shingle, penetrating all layers of the roof, HFSM is installed underneath the roofing layer, attaching through the traditional nail strip.
Preston Nelson, solar director, Martin Roofing and Solar, told pv magazine USA the solar mount can be installed on existing roofs or as part of a new roofing process. It does not require the removal of shingles and only requires the installer to pop the shingle seal, install the mount, and reseal the shingle overtop the base to cover fasteners. It can also be installed during a reroofing process, which rooftop solar customers often choose to do when installing solar for the first time.
Martin Solar and Roofing matches the warranty for a retrofit project with the remaining warranty term for the existing roof. For example, if you have 24 years of roof warranty remaining, Martin Solar will match that with its warranty. With a full roof replacement along with the installation, Martin Solar guarantees leak-free function for the roof’s lifetime.
The mount is US-made and constructed of grade 5052 aluminum, the same material that is used to make high-end flat-bed trailers for 18-wheelers, Nelson said. Each unit weighs 0.6 lbs.
“At this stage in the competition, prize money is typically used for prototyping and testing. For HFSM, that is already complete, meaning that we can focus efforts on our proprietary rail and a unique clamp. While HFSM is currently compatible with other popular rail options like Unirac, IronRidge, Pegasus, etc, we also have some novel ideas for improving rails and clamps that our own installers are eager to have in hand,” Nelson said.
The company is also developing an HFSM for metal roofs, which it said will be ready for demonstration in time for the RE+ solar conference in Las Vegas in September 2025.
“For installers, HFSM offers a new degree of confidence in rooftop solar that practically eliminates leak risk,” Nelson said.
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