Elevated Solar Racking: Questions and Answers

Yes. Elevated commercial solar racking systems can be engineered to position solar panels above existing HVAC units and other rooftop equipment, subject to structural, clearance, ventilation, safety, and maintenance requirements. This approach can increase usable installation area on crowded commercial rooftops. Read more about solar above HVAC equipment, see the Elevated Flush Mount System and the Burr project, or discuss your project.

Some elevated solar canopy systems can accommodate roof replacement underneath an installed array when designed with appropriate clearance, access, and structural considerations. Universal Renewables' Locke Hall project provides a real-world example. Read more about roof replacement under solar canopies, see the Locke Hall project and the W System, or discuss your project.

The appropriate racking system depends on rooftop obstructions, structural capacity, wind loads, height restrictions, maintenance access, and energy objectives. Elevated solutions such as Universal Renewables' W System and Elevated Flush Mount can provide additional flexibility for complex commercial rooftops. Compare the racking systems, see the W System on the 3801 Connecticut Ave. project, or discuss your project.

It can. By positioning solar panels above obstacles that would otherwise limit installation area, elevated systems may accommodate additional panels compared with certain conventional layouts. The actual capacity improvement requires project-specific engineering and layout analysis. Read about commercial rooftop solar and our engineering, see the Washington Square case study, or discuss your project.

Universal Renewables offers American-made elevated solar racking through Universal Aluminum Products. The company reports 100% domestic content and 80% recycled industrial aluminum waste in its UAP products. Read about Made in USA solar racking, see the systems and the Cityline project, or discuss your project.

Elevated solar racking is a structural mounting system that raises solar panels several feet above a roof, so the array passes over HVAC units, ductwork, vents and other equipment. It is also called a rooftop solar canopy.

Ballasted racking sits low on the roof surface and is held in place by weight, so it needs open, unobstructed roof area. A rooftop solar canopy is a structure attached to the building that carries the panels above the roof equipment, which lets it use roof area that ballasted layouts cannot.

It depends on the system. The Flush Mount System sits up to 1–2 ft above the roof, the W System and Elevated Flush Mount System stand 3–7 ft on the low side, and the High Tilt System reaches up to 20 ft.

Our systems are engineered to protect roofing integrity, with flashing in line with roofing manufacturer requirements, preserving roof warranties where applicable.

Our completed projects are built on concrete and cement slab, wood joist, wood truss, I-beam and bar joist roofs. Each project gets location-specific stamped drawings from our engineering team.

Yes. Our internal engineering team provides location-specific stamped drawings covering local building codes, wind loading and structural requirements.

Yes. Because the array is elevated, bifacial panels can capture light reflected from the roof on their underside, which adds to production.

Projects shown on this site range from 125 kW to 725.7 kW.

Because the systems are made in the USA, there are no long import wait times or tariff-related delays, which makes delivery faster and more predictable.

Yes. Racking is sold direct from the manufacturer, with stamped engineering, installation manuals and install support.