S-5! Donates Products For Student-Led Design-Build Project

The latest design-build project by the University of Kansas' Studio 804 solar panels and snow retention on its metal roof. Both the snow retention system and the the mounting devices for the solar panels were generously donated by S-5!

Colorado Springs, CO – S-5! announces its new partnership with the University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design to provide a donation of snow retention and solar attachments for its annual student-led, design-build project.

The 432 Indiana Street House is the 16th consecutive LEED Platinum project completed by Studio 804, a hands-on learning program at the University of Kansas for graduate students in their final year of studies seeking a Master of Architecture degree. Founded in 1995 by Professor Dan Rockhill, each year students design, procure and execute a complete house in just nine months.

The 1800-square-foot home and adjacent 500-square-foot accessory dwelling unit is located in the historic Pinkney Neighborhood, one of the oldest in the city of Lawrence, Kansas. It is a short walk to parks, the Kansas (KAW) River and the cultural vibrancy of downtown Lawrence. It is a perfect location to appreciate the history of Lawrence while addressing the future of sustainable living.

S-5!'s PVKIT^® direct-attach ^TM solar mounting system was used to attach the solar panels to the metal roof while a specially engineered version of the company's ColorGard^® snow retention system mitigates the potential for snow slides off the steeply pitched roof. 

“Each year, we complete a house or a university-related commercial building, alternating between standing seam roof and flat roof projects,” said Rockhill. “For each metal roof project, we incorporate S-5! Normally, we prefer a pitched roof form and a high gable roof to take advantage of the full interior height without interruption to the floor plan, so directly attaching the PVKIT to the standing seams makes our job quite easy in comparison to the alternative flat roof system, which requires a fairly expensive support system. Integrating into the standing seam saves us thousands of dollars, and S-5! is quick and easy to install.”

The students had clearly defined sustainability goals and set out to achieve LEED platinum status with a solar PV mounting system that provided a simple, economical and penetration-free method for attachment of modules to the roof. The students reached out to S-5! as they were familiar with the products utilized on previous Studio 804 metal roof projects. 

S-5! donated its PVKIT^® direct-attach ^TM solar mounting system to mount a 16-panel solar array of Q-Cell Q.Peak Duo 400W modules to the 24-gauge matte black standing seam metal roof. The system is expected to offset approximately 85% of the homeowner’s energy consumption.

After the solar system installation was completed, Studio 804 again turned to S-5! for a fully engineered snow retention system that would both match the roof and last the life of the roof. S-5! donated its ColorGard^® snow retention system—custom-designed and engineered for this project to mitigate any potential rooftop avalanches which could cause harm to residents or property below.

“We are happy to support such an impressive program that provides significant educational value to students and teaches them early on in their careers about the importance of utilizing quality products and best practices for installation,” said Rob Haddock, CEO and founder of S-5! “The students will be able to take that knowledge with them when entering the workforce.”

About S-5!®

Founded by a veteran metal roof expert, S-5! has been the leading authority on metal roof attachment solutions since 1992. S-5!’s lifetime zero-penetration clamps and brackets attach ancillary items to standing seam and exposed-fastened metal roofs respectively, while maintaining roof integrity and warranties. Made in the U.S.A., S-5! solutions are engineered for a variety of roof-mounted applications and are now installed on more than 2.5 million metal roofs in 70+ countries worldwide, providing strength and longevity never before seen. For more information, visit  s-5.com.