S-5! Announces the Completion of the Emirates National Bank Dubai Solar Installation
Bringing rail-less solar mounting technology to the MENA Region
(Colorado Springs, Colo. – May 17, 2023) S-5!, the original inventor of engineered, manufactured, solar metal roof attachments, announces the completion of the Emirates NBD (National Bank Dubai) solar project. Emirates NBD is a leading banking group in the MENAT (Middle East, North Africa and Turkey) region with more than 28,000 employees representing 70 nationalities. As part of the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) ongoing sustainability strategic initiative Net Zero by 2050, a national drive to achieve sustainability through energy-efficient building technologies, NBD wished to construct a multi-story parking building to meet the parking requirements for its head office building.
An iconic project and the first of its kind in Dubai, this new eight-story building is located near the palace of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, the ruler of Dubai. It has a built-up area of approximately 33,800 square meters (364,000 square feet) for 1,000 parking spots and is poised to achieve Gold Park Smart Certification.
The car park features an architectural double-folded standing seam metal roof with a 236kW solar array secured in place utilizing the non-penetrating PVKIT® direct-attach™ rail-less solar mounting solution specifically designed, engineered and load-tested for this architectural profile.
“Traditionally, we are a rail-based installer," said Ayaz Alware, Senior Manager – Engineering, Sharaf DG Energy. "We wanted to use S-5! for a long time because we understand the mechanics of S-5! products are top quality. With imitation products, you can literally put your finger under the panel and lift them right off the roof. That doesn’t happen with S-5! The design of the building is robust and quite impressive so utilizing an aesthetic solar mounting solution was of utmost importance. The PVKIT was easy to assemble and fix around. Everything fell right into place.”
Project Challenges
The goal for the car park was to create a structure 100% powered by solar utilizing the entire rooftop space allotted. The system would not only need to power the structure’s elevators, EV charging stations and lighting throughout, but would also need to supplement the office building nearby.
Additionally, the deflection of the roof was between 20-30 mm (3/4 to 1.2 inches), which made installing and aligning the solar modules challenging. Installers needed a lightweight solution to secure the solar modules to the standing seam roof.
This was a premium project for installer SDG Energy (Sharaf DG) Contracting LLC so they sought a premium solar mounting solution to meet all of the requirements for the project.
The Solution
Extreme hot weather conditions in Dubai (reaching up to 48 degrees Celsius during the summer months/118 degrees Fahrenheit), and the available sun energy of 2200 kWh per KWp presented the optimal opportunity for rooftop solar.
The solar installer selected the PVKIT direct-attach (rail-less) solar solution paired with the S-5-V™ clamp to provide an aesthetically pleasing, low-profile mounting system, allowing the maximum use of space on the roof.
Featuring just three components, the U.S.-made PVKIT enabled solar installers to fix solar panels directly onto the metal roof. The PVKIT’s pre-assembled components considerably reduce installation time and cost for PV mounting by eliminating the need for an elaborate rail system, while also providing better load distribution into the roof and substructure. Using the S-5! mounting gear was also a mere 15% the weight of rail mountings, and the only system recommended by the roof system manufacturer, Aegis Roofing Company.
Long-Term Outlook
The Emirates NBD parking garage project was able to utilize the maximum roof space for its 236kW solar array by utilizing the lightweight PVKIT solar solution, in line with its goal to achieve sustainability through energy-efficient building technologies.
Project Team
Architect: BURO LINK Architectural Engineering consultant
General Contractor: Naresco Contracting LLC
MEP Contractor: Al Madaen Electromechanical Works
Solar Contractor: SDG Energy (Sharaf DG) Contracting LLC
Solar Installer: Sharaf DG
Module manufacturer: 545 Jinko Solar
Inverter manufacturer: Sungrow
Roofing Contractor: Aegis Roofing Company
Solar Mounting Manufacturer: S-5!
Project Stats:
- Roof Profile: Aegis 50 architectural standing seam metal roof, 1 mm
- Roof Measured: Approximately 1250 square meters (13,500 square feet)
- Roof Pitch: 330 mm (13”) standing seam @ 7 degrees
- Project Size: 236kW
- S-5! Products Supplied:
PVKIT® MidGrab (830)
PVKIT® EdgeGrab (410)
S-5-V™ Clamp (quantity 2160) used for cable trays, walkways, fall protection systems
About S-5!
Founded by a veteran metal roof expert, S-5! has been the leading authority on metal roof attachment solutions since first inventing the standing seam clamp in 1991. S-5!’s zero-penetration clamps and lifetime brackets attach ancillary items to standing seam and conceal-fix 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 worldwide, including 6 GW of photovoltaics, providing strength and longevity never before seen. For more information, visit www.S-5.com.