Figure 1:Trial installation of Evergreen Solar's Flat Roof Mounting System,
January 2005, Newburyport, MA USA
Evergreen Solar Flat Roof Mounting System Design
Evergreen Solar is a fast-growing photovoltaic module manufacturer in Marlboro,
Massachusetts, USA that seeks to offer products that meet the growing
application requirements for rooftop PV systems. Dr. Kern led a project within
Evergreen Solar to design mounting systems that are easy to manufacture,
simple to install, both mechanically and electrically, and that meet stringent
building code requirements for reliable electrical grounding and withstanding
extreme winds forces. The first "beta" test installation of Evergreen Solar's
design was installed in July 2004. A second, nominally 50-kilowatt, trial system
was installed in December 2004 as part of a cooperative agreement between
Evergreen Solar, the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust Fund and Bixby
International, a Newburyport, Massachusetts manufacturer of plastics materials. In 2005,
Dr. Kern conducted studies of the Evergreen "Flat Roof Mounting System" using
computational fluid mechanics techniques to develop changes to the original design
so that it can withstand 120 mph winds.
