Slate & Photovoltaics in perfect harmony

Slate & Photovoltaics in perfect harmony

SSQ's Del Carmen roofing slate has been specified for a large rebuild project. St George’s Church was founded in the late-1950s and it has been decided it needs to be rebuilt. Allen Associates Architects was appointed and given a brief to design ‘a robust, but welcoming and homely, new church and community centre, making use of natural materials and renewable energy.’ Built by LIFE Build Solutions, St George’s Church is a steel-framed building faced with handmade bricks and roofed with natural roofing slates.

The large roof surface makes a major contribution to energy saving. The roof supports a photo-voltaic panel array that provides an output of around 8,300kW a year. The installation posed an unexpected challenge for the design team as architect Ralph Allen relates: “South Facing, proposed a solution using a fixing they’ve designed and manufacture: the rails for the panels are securely fixed to the rafters using a series of brackets and a two-piece, zinc flashing replaces the slate where the bracket comes through the roof slope. South Facing fitted the brackets, Attleys fitted the flashing as they laid the slates and then South Facing installed the panels – perfect! – no drilling through the newley laid slates, disturbing the integrity of the roof”

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