SolarVert System

ZinCo SolarVert® is an integrated bio-solar system designed to combine photovoltaic installations with extensive green roof build-ups. The system uses the green roof layers themselves as ballast, enabling penetration-free solar installation while maintaining the ecological, hydrological, and protective functions of the green roof.

SolarVert® is suitable for flat roofs and gentle slopes up to 5° and forms part of ZinCo’s certified green roof system build-ups. By integrating solar base frames into the drainage, protection, and substrate layers, the system avoids concentrated loads, supports even water distribution, and allows vegetation to thrive beneath and between solar arrays. Structural design is carried out in accordance with Eurocodes, with project-specific calculations determining ballast and layout requirements.

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ZinCo SolarVert® “Butterfly” Layout – Overview

The SolarVert® Butterfly layout is an east–west oriented configuration where two solar base frames meet at their lower edges, forming a shallow “V” shape. Rainwater is directed towards the centre of the system and redistributed across the green roof, supporting enhanced water availability and more vigorous vegetation growth beneath the panels.

This layout provides increased clearance at the outer edges of the panels, improving access for inspection and maintenance and allowing plants to establish more easily in the shaded zones. The Butterfly layout is often selected where biodiversity performance and even water distribution across the roof are key design drivers .

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ZinCo SolarVert® “Saddle” Layout – Overview

The SolarVert® Saddle layout is also an east–west oriented configuration, but with the higher edges of two solar base frames meeting at the centre. This arrangement directs rainwater, snow, and debris away from the centre and towards the outer edges of the roof, reducing accumulation beneath the panels.

The Saddle layout maintains sufficient clearance between the substrate and the lower edge of the modules to allow vegetation growth while improving performance in regions with higher snowfall. It is commonly specified in colder climates or where snow management is a key consideration.

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ZinCo SolarVert® Vertical Layout – Overview

The SolarVert® Vertical layout uses vertically mounted, typically bifacial photovoltaic modules integrated into the green roof build-up. This configuration combines the benefits of east–west and south-facing orientations, producing energy peaks in the morning and late afternoon when electricity demand is often higher.

The vertical arrangement allows increased light and water penetration to the vegetation below and is particularly well suited to regions with heavy snowfall, as snow accumulation on the panels is minimised. The system integrates with ZinCo Solar Base frames and maintains penetration-free installation while supporting long-term green roof performance