Opportunities Opening for Metal

Finally, the leaking pipe causing the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico appears to have been effectively capped. During the past three months while the oil poured into the Gulf, alternative energy experts have been cropping up everywhere you look, from television to newspapers and magazines and numerous online outlets.

The consensus seems to be that this recent oil tragedy is just the latest--and possibly largest--reminder that we need alternative sources of energy in place now, not five, 10 or 20 years from now. One of the possibilities is wind energy, illustrated on every news program with giant wind turbines grouped in expansive wind farms. But that requires great resources--chief among them, land and money.

The other popular alternative is solar power. This is where metal construction comes in. Over the years it has become obvious that metal roofing is the perfect place for photovoltaics. Large solar panels, flexible films and even PV paint are all in use on metal roofs across the country, and with a relatively small capital investment, these quick-and-easy installations are recouping their costs quicker than ever before. As solar power grows in popularity, so too will metal construction components.

In one example, a 7,500-square-foot solar panel array installed on the headquarters of a company in New Jersey consisted of 392 panels for a 81.5 kW system. The $700,000 investment generated 124,034 kWh of energy in the first full year of operation, ending in June 2010. The system generates 305 kWh of electricity per day, representing approximately 99 percent of the company’s current power needs.

To date, the solar panels have prevented 227,011 pounds of emissions of CO2, NOx and SO2 into the atmosphere -- more than an average passenger car emits during a 20 year period. Also of note, the company has recouped 75 percent of the cost of the installation already, thanks to utility savings and various state a federal programs.

While this is a large PV system, the positive benefits and savings are on par (proportionally) with arrays of other sizes.

The integration of such energy systems into metal construction components like roofs, the expansion into other areas such as wall panels, and the development of new technologies including PV paints and coatings, should all help the metal construction industry propel itself into the future as the best, most effective construction method for an increasingly green and sustainable society.

Send comments to: boneill@moderntrade.com.