The question of whether or not to invest in solar energy for your home is a question that most homeowners struggle with or fail to know how to determine the correct answer. The most important thing to remember while pondering this is, are solar panels not only right for me, but for my home? A large factor — and arguably the most important factor — when making the move to solar energy for your home will be the external factors of your house. While most houses will have some type of suitable condition for a panel or two, it would be ideal to know prior to installation just how impactful they will be on your home energy dynamic.
When determining if your home if ready for solar panels there are a few things to consider, but the first should definitely be your roof. This is ideally where your solar panels would reside and will most likely be the deciding factor in your investment. We are not all roof experts, but there are some ways to get a better understanding of the condition of your roof before going through the hassle of hiring an inspector to do an official check — although, this should most definitely be a step you take throughout the solar panel purchasing process. The three things to look for as a homeowner are the direction, slope, and age of your roof. To be more specific:
Is the direction of your roof west or south facing? If not, that’s ok, but these are generally the ideal directions for most homes in the US considering the position of the sun throughout the year.
Is the slope — or pitch as it’s called in the roofing world — at a 30-degree angle with no obstructions of view? No need to go breaking out the protractor, most homes have a 30-degree angle at some point on their roof and if the entirety of your home’s is not, there will still be plenty of panel space if there are not obstructions such as chimneys or skylights.
If your roof has not been maintained in a long time or is an older home with possible damage or deterioration, it would probably be best to go right ahead with an inspection. The quality and condition of your roofing tiles is not entirely dependent on age, but material and location as well. These factors can have a major impact on the longevity of your roof as well as your solar panels.
If you are seeing a large increase in the amount of homes around town that are wearing solar panels on their roofs and think you might want to join them, but are still asking yourself, what does their house have that mine doesn’t, it may be their roof. Odds are, if many homes in your area or neighborhood have made the switch to solar, it could be a very good option for you house as well based on location factors and possibly similar ages or original construction throughout the homes. While all of this may be true, every home is unique and could vary in candidacy for solar panel installation.
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Solar Opportunities is a Full-Service Solar Consultation, Design and Install company services Pennsylvania. Our cutting edge design platform enables inquiring minds to access all the information they need to know in a clear, transparent fashion in a short amount of time. Systems can be designed from satellite imagery for residential, commercial and agricultural properties. For more information, visit us at https://www.solaropportunitiesllc.com, email us at info@solaropportunities.com or call us at 570-637-6384.
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