(MELBOURNE – Sept. 7, 2020) S-5!, the world’s leading authority on metal roof attachment solutions, today announced it has doubled its distribution channel in Australia and New Zealand, driven by regional market growth in both solar and HVAC markets.
A proven technology, S-5! has a global portfolio of more than 2 gigawatts of metal-roof solar arrays and can be found on some of the world’s largest buildings, such as the corporate headquarters for Apple, Google, IBM and NATO and NREL. S-5!’s Australian installations include five Costco stores in Australia.
With inventory now conveniently held in-region through its Melbourne and New Zealand based warehouse, S-5! has established distribution partnerships with Solar Partners NZ, Tradezone and RFI Technology Solutions, in addition to existing wholesalers MAK Fastener Specialists, Pty Ltd and Rapid Systems Solutions (RSS), owned by No. 1 Roofing and Building Supplies.
S-5! identified a gap in the market and the opportunity to scale within the Australia and New Zealand metal roofing, solar and HVAC industries. Commercial and residential owners are realising the benefits of metal roofing (long-term service life and low maintenance) and understand the ease and cost benefits of metal roofing as a platform to mount solar PV, as well as other essential rooftop equipment and ancillary mechanicals – HVAC equipment, screens to hide it, piping to fuel it, scuttles to access it and walkways to service it. With S-5!’s attachment technology, nearly anything can be mounted penetration-free directly to the seams or ribs of the roof, eliminating the need for a traditional rail or racking system.
Australia and New Zealand’s harsh weather conditions, ranging from strong winds, extreme temperatures, snow and salt air, compound the need for such attachment solutions. Earlier this year, S-5! introduced its PVKIT 2.0 solar rooftop solutions to the region. Backed by a limited lifetime warranty, the PVKIT 2.0’s pre-assembled components enable solar installers to “direct-attach” PV modules to a metal roof.
The system cuts labour costs by 30+ percent by eliminating the assembly and installation required by traditional rail methods and by lowering the number of components. In addition, the S-5! mountings weigh roughly 1.4kg/kWp compared with 8-10 kg/kWp for a railed mounting structure (an 85 percent reduction), with a 25 percent improvement in the uniformity of load distribution on the roof and structure. Packaged, S-5! takes up a fraction of the space required for rails. These factors drastically cut freight, logistics, hoisting equipment and labour associated with long sections of rail.
S-5! also introduced its GripperFix mounting solution to the region, used to attach roof-mounted utilities, such as split system condensing units, duct supports, communication equipment and service walkways, ensuring a secure and dependable attachment solution that preserves the integrity of the roof and avoids destructive algae, corrosion and rust.
“In addition to the competitive material costs, installers benefit from lower overhead expenditure on freight, warehousing, onsite labor and the brand association that comes with offering high-quality rooftop mounting solutions for metal roofs,” said Bernie Dombroski, managing director of Solar PartnersNZ.
“Rail-less systems are the way of the future and will revolutionise the way in which rooftop ancillaries are installed in APAC. Railed systems will always have their place and will not disappear; the S-5! rail-less revolution is simply a changing of the guard.”
“Our products are on the shelves, our distributors are trained, and we are ready to serve the Australian and New Zealand marketplace,” said S-5! CEO & Founder Rob Haddock. “We are excited to welcome these new partners to our S-5! family of distributors as we continue to expand our presence throughout APAC.”
S-5! products are available now through authorised distribution and come with a limited lifetime warranty.
- Solar PartnersNZ, [email protected] or 0800 7769776
- Tradezone, [email protected] or 1800 092 778
- RFI Technology Solutions, [email protected] call 1300 000 734
- Rapid Systems Solutions (RSS), [email protected] or 0421 559 464
- MAK Fastener Specialists, Pty Ltd, [email protected] or +61 (0)3 9078 9119
S-5! at the Smart Energy Conference:
- 30pm AEST on Thursday, Sept. 10 – Featured alongside 5B, Jinko and LONGi and as one of the rising innovations disrupting the solar industry, S-5! Vice President of Research & Development, Dustin Haddock will present Rail-less Revolution – Unleash the Potential of any Metal Roof
- Visit the S-5! booth here for the chance to WIN an S-5 54L can-shaped esky, complete with beer and S-5! merchandise!
- Chat with Dustin Haddock and the team at our booth or have a Zoom meeting to discover how S-5! can help you grow your business.
Solar Installer Training
S-5! is launching its complete Metal Roof Mastery Webinar Series in September/October, specifically tailored to the Australia/New Zealand market. Installers who are looking to grow their businesses by becoming S-5! specialists can sign up to for our quarterly newsletter here to ensure they are notified when dates are announced.
Installer Resources
Sales materials and training videos can be obtained by contacting [email protected].
About S-5!
Since 1992, S-5! has been the leading authority on metal roof attachment solutions. S-5!’s zero-penetration clamps attach ancillary items to standing seam and conceal-fix metal roofs without violating roof integrity or warranties. Clamps, RibBrackets™ and CorruBrackets™ are engineered for a variety of applications: fall protection and wind performance systems, satellite dishes, solar arrays, signs/banners, light fixtures, stack/flue bracing, walkways, air con, lightning protection, equipment screens, conduit, condensate lines and more. Made in the U.S.A., S-5!’s products have revolutionized the metal roofing industry and are now installed on more than 2 million metal roofs worldwide, providing strength and longevity never before seen. For more information, visit www.S-5.com.
Contact
Olivia Smith on behalf of S-5!
Positive Good
+61 402 044 811
