Solar panel installation has become increasingly popular for residential roofs across the United States. This can be a wonderful investment for your home, especially if you are looking for energy-efficient roofing material.
There are multiple benefits associated with solar panels, including lowered utility bills and earned tax credits. While a more expensive purchase, most solar panels come with 20-25 year warranties, which means you’ll have made a long-term investment.
However, there are some factors to take into consideration, as solar panels require certain environments to be successful. Solar panel installation is a big decision that shouldn’t be made lightly. Let’s walk through the major factors to consider before installing solar panels on your home.
10 Factors to Consider Before Solar Panel Installation
Before you decide on solar panel installation, a thorough roofing inspection needs to happen. In addition to this, there are other details that will factor into having solar panels. These questions should be discussed with your roofing company to help you prepare for solar panel installation.
Does Your Roof Need Repairs?
It’s important that you consider your roof’s age. If your roof is old or damaged, it’s not a good idea to have solar panels installed. If your roof needs to be repaired, it should happen before the solar panel installation. The solar panels will add extra weight to your roof, which can make the damage worse. Also, if you need repairs after, the solar panels will have to be removed, which is more expensive.
Roof Surface Area
Solar panels take up a lot of space and they’ll need to fit on your roof well. If you have a smaller roof, we may recommend that you don’t install solar panels. However, solar panels do come in different sizes, which can be customized to best fit your roof.
What is the Direction of Your Roof Slope?
Solar panels need to face the right direction to receive the maximum amount of sunlight. Most solar panels are set up to face south or west. If you have a roof slope not conducive to solar panels, it’s best to not begin the installation process.
Roof Weight
Solar panel installation will increase the weight on your roof. If you have an older roof or one that’s not strong enough, solar panels could collapse the roof. This is why it’s crucial to have a professional evaluation of your roof before installing solar panels. Too much weight can be dangerous for many reasons, and we don’t want you in an unsafe situation.
Water Runoff
When water is running, it normally flows to the gutters and away from the home. Solar panels make water runoff a little more complicated. Equipment can prevent the water from draining properly, which creates leaks. When this happens, the solar panels will need to be repaired. You can discuss this with your roofing contractor to make sure solar panels won’t impact water runoff on your roof. Also consider other weather conditions, such as lightning, hurricanes, and hail which hold the potential to damage solar-powered equipment.
Power Source
It’s important to consider how your solar system will connect to power. There may be fees associated with this and wait times to get a solar system hooked up. This depends on city and state regulations.
Choosing a Roofing Contractor
Make sure you do your research before signing a contract with a roofing contractor. Get various estimates on your roof and ensure you’re going with a reputable company. Also, check out past work and online reviews to ensure you’re trusting a well-established business. Before you sign a contract, go over financing and performance expectations.
Solar Panel Installation Cost
Solar panel installation isn’t cheap but can be a great investment. Talk about different costs with companies around you. You can also discover financing options and other loan packages. Ensure you go over all of this with your roofing contractor so you feel comfortable.
Insurance Coverage
Having the right insurance package is important to solar panel installation. If you experience weather damage or other accidents, it’s crucial to have the correct insurance.
Solar Panel Maintenance
If you want to keep your solar panels in good condition, it’s important to establish proper maintenance protocols. Discuss this with your roofing contractor beforehand to ensure you’ll be able to keep up with maintenance requirements.
Offering Solar Panel Installation Near You
Perimeter Roofing is proud to offer solar panel installation near you! If you’re considering the benefits of solar panels for your home, we’re happy to conduct a free inspection of your roof and discuss the above factors with you. Contact us today for more information!
Offering solar panel installation in Athens GA, Alpharetta GA, Columbus GA, Gainesville GA, and Lawrenceville GA.