SUNBEAM INNOVATIONS
Cedar and wood shake roofs offer a rustic mountain charm that fits perfectly in Colorado. However, installing solar panels on a wood shake roof requires incredibly careful consideration regarding structural integrity, heavy snow retention, and, most importantly, modern fire codes.
Colorado faces extreme wildfire risks, particularly in the foothills and Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) zones. Wood shake roofs are highly flammable. Adding high-voltage electrical equipment on top of dry, aging cedar often violates modern municipal fire codes. Many local fire marshals and HOAs now strictly prohibit solar installations directly over wood shake shingles.
If a Colorado homeowner with a wood shake roof is determined to go solar, SunBeam Innovations must often utilize a "comp-out" method. This involves removing the wood shake shingles entirely in the exact square footage where the solar array will sit. We then lay down fire-rated underlayment and standard Class-A asphalt shingles in that specific area to create a safe, waterproof, and fire-compliant mounting surface for the solar panels.
Before installing solar, our engineering team conducts a rigorous structural assessment. If the cedar is aging or you live in a high-fire-risk zone, the absolute best financial and safety move is often to replace the roof entirely with fire-rated asphalt or metal prior to the solar installation. In many cases, the roof replacement can be financed alongside your solar array.
Our engineers will build a custom solar blueprint engineered for your operation — backed by 30-year linear warranties and Tier-1 equipment.
