To maximise energy production for your solar panel system, your system should be installed where the panels are most exposed to sunlight. This is why solar installations are so popular on the rooftop home. When your roof is not ideal for solar panels, the panels can be mounted on the ground too.
Your home would have a large, sunny, south-facing roof with a pitch of 30 degrees at an ideal home solar installation. You don't need perfect conditions to take advantage of solar power though. Solar panels can be mounted on most of the roofs to save on the energy bills as well as benefit the climate.
Also if you don't live in a very sunny area, solar panels may still be an intelligent investment. The amount of money you save by going to solar depends largely on two things: your electricity rates, and the solar rebates and incentives available in your area.
As a result, the country's sunniest areas don't always offer the greatest long-term solar savings. Consumers located in the Northeast will potentially have considerably higher savings from solar power systems than homeowners in sunnier states like Florida.
Most roofs can have solar panel systems installed. Solar installers will look at: to determine whether a roof is suitable for solar,
Driving the roof
South-facing roofs are perfect for solar, because they get the most sunshine during the day. Nonetheless, a solar panel system will still generate enough energy on an east or west-facing roof to minimise your power costs, save money and reduce your carbon footprint. Read more on how roof orientation affects generating electricity.
Roof tilting angle
Solar panels with a pitch between 15 and 40 degrees may be installed on roofs. Also if your roof is flat, so long as you instal your panels in a good angle, you can still go solar. Read more about the effect of roof angle on producing electricity.
Your Roof's scale and shape
Panels on a large square roof are easiest to mount. A general rule of thumb is that you'll need about 100 square feet of roof space for every kilowatt of panels you choose to install. To instal solar panels, a standard home system would need approximately 500 square feet of space.
Things like skylights, dormers, and chimneys will affect how much space a home solar installation has to offer. Solar installers will usually design the layout of your panels around these obstructions in a way that maximises your power generation.
Shading to the roof
It 's vital your roof gets enough sun throughout the day to optimise the output of electricity. Tall trees or neighbouring buildings will block the light, cast shade on your roof and reduce the amount of electricity generated by your panels. You can cut trees so that more sun hits your panels – in fact, doing so will bring environmental benefits, though it may not seem like that.
Your Roof Age
Solar panels can last for more than 25 years, and can be expensive to remove them to repair your roof a few years after installation. Ensure sure your roof is in good condition before building your panels and won't need to be replaced in the near future.
Your Roof Material
Solar panels are compatible with most materials for roofing, including plastic , wood, asphalt, slate, tar and gravel, or metal. Although solar can be installed on slate, cedar, and clay tile roofs, they are more likely to break during installation of solar panels. If your roof is made of these materials, make sure that you deal with an experienced installer.
