CertainTeed® PowerMax® Solar Roofing Installation in Portland Marks Significant Milestone

VALLEY FORGE, Pa., Feb. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- With multiple innovative photovoltaic roofing products on the market, CertainTeed Corporation continues to take an ambitious foray into the solar roofing industry. In addition to a powerful product portfolio, extensive contractor training programs, and comprehensive technical support, the company has now installed CertainTeed® PowerMax® photovoltaic modules on its manufacturing facility in Portland, Ore.

"Installing the PowerMax system at the Portland plant was a logical step in reducing the overall environmental impact of our operations and strengthening our position in the solar roofing market," said Tom Smith, president of CertainTeed Roofing. "It sends a clear signal that we fully stand behind our solar roofing products."

Offering the most efficient cost-to-power ratio in the industry, PowerMax features an innovative Copper-Indium-Selenium (CIS) thin film technology developed by CertainTeed's parent company, Saint-Gobain, the world's largest building materials company, and its subsidiary, Saint-Gobain Solar, the worldwide leader in solar energy products and services. Approximately 3,100 square feet of PowerMax modules were installed at the Portland facility by EC Electrical Construction Company. The ultra-efficient, 26 kilowatt (kW) system is comprised of 216 photovoltaic modules that are estimated to produce enough clean energy to offset approximately 500,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions over 20 years.

In terms of performance, PowerMax continues to generate electricity even in partial shading. Additionally, while all PV products perform at their best on clear, sunny days, PowerMax, with its CIS technology, works longer and harder, making the most out of any sunlight conditions thereby further lowering property owners' electric bills and reducing carbon emissions. The modules offer a high snow load capacity, Class C fire rating, and are covered by 20-year performance and 10-year product warranties. The product qualifies for a 30 percent federal tax credit and may be eligible for state rebates and incentives listed at www.dsireusa.org.

In addition to PowerMax, CertainTeed also offers the Apollo® photovoltaic roofing system that leverages next generation technology to generate unrivaled performance without compromising aesthetics. For more information, visit www.certainteedsolar.com.

About CertainTeed
Through the responsible development of innovative and sustainable building products, CertainTeed, headquartered in Valley Forge, Pa., has helped shape the building products industry for more than 100 years. Founded in 1904 as General Roofing Manufacturing Company, the firm's slogan "Quality Made Certain, Satisfaction Guaranteed," quickly inspired the name CertainTeed. Today, CertainTeed® is North America's leading brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, fence, decking, railing, trim, foundations, pipe, insulation, gypsum, ceilings and access covers.

A subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, the world's largest building products company, CertainTeed and its affiliates have more than 6,000 employees and more than 65 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada. Recognized as a 2009 and 2010 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, CertainTeed earned the 2011 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award, the highest level of recognition for outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through energy efficiency. The group had total sales of approximately $3.2 billion in 2011. www.certainteed.com

For more information contact:
Michael B. Loughery, CertainTeed 
(610) 341-7328
[email protected]
www.certainteed.com/pressroom

SOURCE CertainTeed Corporation