Posts From March, 2019

Solar Confidence in Commercial Construction

How One Oregon Contractor Lowered Operating Costs & Elevated Design with CertainTeed’s Solstice® Shingle
Solar Confidence in Commercial Construction
Written by: Andrew Wickham, the Senior Director of Solar Products at CertainTeed, where he leads the development of innovative solar roofing and energy solutions for residential and commercial applications. Project: New office building, Sarmiento’s Roofing, Oregon | Building Type: New-construction commercial office (~11,000 sq. ft.) | Solar / Roofing Contractor: Sarmiento’s Roofing, LLC |Solution Provider: CertainTeed The Project In 2024, Sarmiento’s Roofing, LLC completed a brand-new, 11,000-square-foot, wood-frame office, showroom and shop in Salem, Oregon. For owner Santiago Sarmiento, the roof was more than a building component, it was a proving ground. As a roofing and solar contractor, he wanted his own facility to showcase where the industry is heading: integrated solar roofing that looks like a traditional roof, protects like a premium roofing system, and delivers real energy savings. A major motivator came from Oregon’s rapidly changing energy landscape.... read more
 

The Need for Energy Automation

The Need for Energy Automation
As various states around the country amp up the use of renewable energy sources, the structure of the electricity grid will continue to morph into a system that sustains more and more automation. Blake Richetta and Olaf Lohr of sonnen Inc. wrote: “The challenges posed by the intermittent and unpredictable nature of renewable energy on the electricity grid are well documented and include the monumental task of connecting renewable generation, at the specific time that it is generated, with energy demand. Additionally, renewables put considerable strain on the electrical grid from a voltage and frequency regulation perspective.” Distribution automation (DA) technologies surrounding smart grids have been around for a while and are continuing to advance as energy systems are increasingly being inundated with distributed resources. The increase in natural disasters creates a greater need for grids that are resilient in extreme weather events, making the need for distribution... read more