The Dutch startup said it is developing markets in France, Sweden, and Belgium after completing more than 50 solar rooftop projects in its home market based on its east-west oriented, self-supported mounting system.
Rable rooftop project with 5,000 panels
Image: Rable
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Netherlands-based Rable, a developer of lightweight mounting solutions for flat rooftops, said it is targeting low-load roof structure projects in France, Sweden, and Belgium, after completing more than 50 installations in its home market.
Rable sees the French, Swedish, and Belgian markets as “mature markets where demand is evident,” although it does offer its solutions in other parts of Europe, according to Nikki Hoexum, Rable Commercial Manager.
“As demand shifts from strong roofs to more challenging, low-capacity structures, the very cases Rable is designed for, Belgium and Sweden are natural next steps,” Hoexum told pv magazine, adding that France has the largest potential, with its combination of weak roofs, strong corporate demand, and clear government sustainability mandates.
The six-year-old company’s ballast-free, prefabricated, east-west oriented, mounting system is based on a truss design with a substructure that weighs just 3 kg/m². The total load with standard panels is between 10 and 13 kg/m², and with lightweight panels it is between 5 and 8 kg/m², according to the company.
The system is compatible with roofs made of bitumen, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM), as well as steel and concrete roof panels.
Rable has grown through strategic partnerships. “We work directly with engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) companies and installers to support projects with technical expertise and training,” said Hoexum, adding that distribution partnerships are being established to make the products more accessible and scale the business.
It recently raised €2.5 million ($2.9 million) in financing from a group of investors based in the Netherlands to support expansion.
Its products include RABLE4Roofs for spans up to 10 m and RABLE8Roofs for spans up to 25 m. Each has an east-west orientation and supports slopes up to 10 degrees. A third product – RABLE10Carpark – was conceived for carports with customizable column-lean layouts.
All solutions have an all-metal construction that relies on a truss principle with longitudinal and transverse supports to provide rigidity, stability, and an even load across the field, according to the company.
The company’s largest project to date is a 5,000-panel rooftop plant sold to Reginox, a Dutch kitchen cabinet company. The installation was preceded by a pilot with 240 panels.