Fire resistance solutions, Protection of roofing and/or/facade elements

Global Building solutions for the protection of roof and/or façade elements are designed to support the installation of photovoltaic systems when the project also needs to address passive fire protection.

Why it matters in design

The guidance referenced in the catalogue states that a photovoltaic installation may increase the existing fire risk. For this reason, the safety condition is considered fulfilled when the modules are installed:

• on non-combustible roof or façade elements

• or with the interposition of a material layer providing at least EI 30 fire resistance and A1 reaction to fire. 

Global Building solutions

The catalogue presents two main systems:

• FIREGUARD BASE EI 30, an insulated metal panel certified EI 30, with an A1 non-combustible layer and a low weight of 11 kg/m²

• UNIPAN® 16, a board made of Portland cement and aggregates with glass fibre mesh and polymer coating, also indicated for the protection of photovoltaic systems and classified A1 for reaction to fire. 

Practical installation points

For designers, the key points are:

• FIREGUARD BASE EI 30 can be used either as a single element or as a continuous layer

• panels can be joined using 30×30×0.6 mm metal angle profiles

• photovoltaic modules can be fixed directly to the FIREGUARD BASE panel

• the UNIPAN® 16 solution is shown in the detail together with an omega profile and fire exposure, as a support solution with EI 30 performance

• the referenced test standard for these systems is EN 1364-1. 

For architects, engineers and designers

These systems are useful when the project requires:

• integrating photovoltaic modules on roofs or façades without overlooking fire protection requirements

• working with a lightweight support already defined in the catalogue

• specifying a solution supported by technical documentation and fire classification. 

On this page you can find 3D and BIM models for Global Building solutions used to protect roof and façade elements supporting photovoltaic systems. Project resources are available in BIM, Revit and IFC formats, together with DWG files for AutoCAD and content compatible with SketchUp, as well as the official catalogue and technical data sheets.