Will Your Panels Be Secure In Severe Weather
Yes, your solar panels will be secure in most severe weather. Solar systems will be designed and installed to withstand winds based on your local code wind loading requirements. Most systems are designed to take winds of 90-120 mph.
Your solar system will have to be installed according to local building codes, which are based on your local weather patterns. These codes will dictate a specific speed of wind that solar systems need to be able to withstand
Partnering with a reputable, well-experienced solar installation company will ensure you get a quality system thats backed for years and even decades. Youll be sure to get a solar system that works properly and safely and generates free electricity for 30+ years.
Conventional Alternatives To Solar Shingles
If aesthetics is what draws you towards shingles, well, a few different choices can give the conventional solar panels a better look. You can opt for standard solar panels that are sleeker and dont stand out too much.
The plus point of doing this is that since the product is more mainstream, youll have a lot of options to choose from.
Here are some of the factors that you may want to look into to make your panels look more aesthetic:
- Color of the back sheet, the layer of the silicon cells
- Check to see if polycrystalline or monocrystalline silicon is used
- Color of the frame, or if the panels are frameless
Replacing Roof With Solar Panels: Money Matters
Imagine for a minute that youve already installed solar panels without changing your roof, and suddenly after some time, your roof starts sagging.
Not only will you have to pay an additional price for removing and then reinstalling the panels, but you might even risk damaging your solar panels in the whole process.
Plus, while the panels are off, you wont be generating any electricity. This means your electricity bill will also go up during this period.
So, while replacing roof with solar panels may seem quite costly initially, but in the long run, its saving you from a lot of trouble. There are plenty of different solar panel funding options, which will make your decision a bit easier.
You can find an option that makes the most sense for you.
We also suggest you sit down and do a cost analysis before you call in the solar/roof installation team. This will help you get a better idea of how much it will cost and how beneficial it will be for you in the long run.
See Related: Solar Panel Insurance Guide
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How To Get Your Roof Ready For Solar Panels
Roof-mounted solar panels are a great way to harness the power of the sun and save on your home energy bills. A roof offers an ideal location for solar panels as it typically gets a great deal of sun exposure, which is good for maximizing your home solar energy production. Even on cloudy days, high-efficiency solar panels installed on your roof can generate power in low light as they capture direct and indirect sunlight.
Whats The Next Step In Installing Solar Panels
If youre interested in having a new roof installed or have questions about installing solar panels on your current roof, contact the roofing experts at Sunshine Contracting Corp. We rank in the top two percent of roofing contractors in the nation and have been recognized through multiple certifications and awards for the outstanding work we consistently deliver.
We offer roofing services in Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun, Stafford County and the surrounding areas. We are happy to answer your questions online, over the phone at 703-935-4663, or in person through a free consultation at your home.
If you decide not to install solar panels but are looking for other ways to improve your homes energy efficiency, ask us about installing new doors and windows that could help lower your energy costs and reduce your homes carbon footprint. And if you are interested in having solar panels installed, its still worth considering new windows and doors to maximize your homes energy efficiency. Whatever your contracting needs, Sunshine Contracting Corp can get the job done.
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Can Solar Panels Be Used As A Roof
Yes, solar panels can be used as a roof. The location of installation is very important. The solar panels direction and the location are important for all kinds of solar installation systems.
For solar panels to serve the purpose of a roof, you need to arrange them in a way that prevents leakage. You also need to check your wallet and consider the cost. If you can afford enough solar panels to serve the purpose of your rooftop, it is a wise decision to be nearly energy independent altogether.
If there is enough access to the sun and the direction is perfect, you are good to go with installing them on your roofs. You can also make use of solar shingles as the building material for siding or roofing.
Monocrystalline And Polycrystalline Solar Panels
Both monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar panels have cells made of silicon wafers. To build a monocrystalline or polycrystalline panel, wafers are assembled into rows and columns to form a rectangle, covered with a glass sheet, and framed together.
While both of these types of solar panels have cells made from silicon, monocrystalline and polycrystalline panels vary in the composition of the silicon itself. Monocrystalline solar cells are cut from a single, pure crystal of silicon. Alternatively, polycrystalline solar cells are composed of fragments of silicon crystals that are melted together in a mold before being cut into wafers.
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Other Questions To Help You Evaluate Your Roof
The material your roof is composed of plays a large part in your homes suitability for solar, but it isnt always the deciding factor. There are a few more questions you can answer to determine whether your home is built for solar.
1. Which way does your roof face?
Solar PV panels are most effective on a broad, south facing roof . Ideally, they should face true south, which is a slightly different direction from the magnetic south you would find with a compass. An easy way to find out if your roof, and thus your property, is good for solar is to look it up on Google Maps. If you show the grid, it will tell you which direction true south is. If you arent able to orient your panels to true south, southeast and southwest facing panels will also work and using a rack will help you to get the best orientation. If you arent able to manage a southern exposure on your roof, east and west exposures are still possible depending on shading. Even when solar panels arent facing directly south, they can still produce significant amounts of electricity, even in locations that dont receive abundant sunlight. Also, if your roof orientation isnt the best, you still have the option of mounting your panels on the ground or on another building like a shed or garage.
2. How much shade is there on your roof?
3. How old is your roof?
Solar panel systems can last for 25-40 years so youll want to make sure that your roof is in good shape and wont need to be replaced in the near-term.
Metal Standing Seam Roofs:
- The best roof type to install solar.
- The standing seams make attaching the solar array very easy.
- Easy installation means cheaper cost.
- No holes being drilled into the roof.
- Durable and can last over 30 years.
- Eco-friendly because it is made of recyclable material.
- When selecting a metal standing seam roof, make sure to coordinate with your solar installer to insure the gauge of the metal is rated for the roofing clamps.
- An engineer should be consulted to confirm that the roof is sufficiently attached to the structural trusses or rafters. The solar panels often are only connected to the roofing panels. Because the panels are raised off of the roof, there is additional uplift forces that if not properly accounted for could lift the panels and the roof off of the structure.
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What Are The Best Roofing Materials For Solar Panels
It is fair to say that although most roofs can cope with solar panels some materials are considered more suitable than others.
Asphalt shingles, also referred to as composite roofing, are generally considered one of the most suitable of all the typical roofing materials available. The reason for this is down to how durable it is and its reliability to stand the test of time. That is important when you are investing in solar panels to go on your roof as you want to know the surface will stay in place and last so that it doesnt cause any problems with your panels.
If you have a metal roof that is also a very suitable material for solar panel installation purposes. It can often be the case that fitting your panels is relatively easy when you have a metal roof. That could mean your installation costs are lower when you have this option.
A plain tile roof, made from concrete, for instance, is easy to work with from an installation perspective. However, these types of tiles tend to be brittle and some older tiles might not be felted underneath. An installer will usually fit an on-roof system for this type of tile to reduce the prospect of movement and breakages.
Your chosen installer will identify any of these issues and suggest a suitable option. Some of these options are more labor-intensive than others and that is why the type of roofing material you have can dictate the installation cost.
Manufacturers Making Panels With Half
Despite the tradeoff of higher manufacturing complexity, with companies fighting to gain an advantage in a very competitive marketplace, more and more manufacturers are using half-cut cells.
One another benefit is that half-cut cells can be combined with other technologies to improve cell efficiency even further. For example, you can find PERC, heterojunction and bifacial solar panels that use half-cut cells.
This is a partial list of manufacturers and their products that feature half-cut cells:
The industry is fast-moving, so ask your installer if their preferred manufacturer has a product line featuring half-cut cells.
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What Are The Best Solar Panel Brands
Anyone in the market for solar panels has probably seen a reference to solar panel tiers, with tier 1 representing the best panels and tier 3 being an inferior product.
Tiers are often used to spruik the sale of certain panels, but there are some important things to note. Firstly, theres no single universal ranking system. Several organisations, usually banking and financial analysis firms, rank solar panel brands individually. While these organisations generally share a similar assessment, when someone tries to sell you a tier 1 panel, its worth asking who says?
Secondly, the tier system usually refers to the investment potential of a brand of solar panel and not the actual quality of its solar panels. The tier rankings often take account for large scale projects that the company has supplied panels for, the manufacturing capacity of the company and its level of R& D. To even be considered as a tier 1 brand, it must also be vertically integrated and have been operating at least five years.
Some of the brands you will most commonly see appear in tier 1 solar panel lists include:
- Aleo
- Solarwatt
- Winaico
Tier 1 brands are usually a safe bet for quality solar panels, but you should have a healthy skepticism when someone tries to sell you panels on that fact alone. To ensure youre making a good purchase, be sure to ask questions about the panels life cycle, efficiency and warranty.
Replacing Your Roof With Solar Panels: What Are Your Options
Have you finally decided to switch to solar with your home? Not only are solar panels environmentally friendly, but you can also save on your electricity bill.
You might be wondering about the options you have when replacing roof with solar panels. Were here to help you figure it all out.
There are a few things that you need to take into consideration before you go on to replace your roof with solar panels. Assess the condition of your roof, look into the different solar options, and dont forget to do a proper cost analysis beforehand.
This may seem like a lot, but dont stress out. Well run you through the details, step by step.
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Factors To Consider Besides Solar Panel Type
There are two things we here at SolarReviews think are more important than solar PV cell type when choosing panels for your home: the brand of solar panels and finding the right solar installer.
Going with a high-quality solar panel manufacturer ensures that youre installing a great product on your roof, regardless of the type of panel it is. Our official ranking of the best home solar panel brands of 2021 can help you find what solar panels will work best on your roof, without sacrificing quality.
Perhaps the most important thing to consider when going solar is the installer. A solar panel system will be on your roof for at least 25 years, so you need an installer you can trust for two-plus decades! We recommend local, reputable solar installers with high customer review scores as they give the most personalized customer service on solar projects.
See what local solar installers are charging for solar panel installations
What Are Solar Shingles
Solar shingles, or solar roof tiles, are made of slim photovoltaic sheets that either overlay or replace the existing shingles on a roof. They absorb sunlight and convert it into electricity. By relying on this method of energy as opposed to electricity, for example, homeowners will save money on monthly bills and eventually recoup their initial investments.
Like regular roof shingles, solar shingles protect your home from the weather and other elements. These shingles are not only energy-efficient, but they also offer a more attractive aesthetic to a home than do the large, bulky panels normally associated with solar-powered energy.
Read Also: What Do You Do If Your Roof Is Leaking
The Size Of Your Roof
Lastly, it is worth mentioning that the size of your roof area can be a factor with regard to suitability for a solar panel installation.
To give you a rough idea, a typical installation needs about 28 square meters of available roof space. Even if you dont have this much available, you can look at flexible solar panels as a way of fixing that particular problem.
The bottom line is that whatever type of roofing material you have and however your property is situated in relation to the sun, it is feasible that there is a solution available that will let you fit solar panels to your home.
Roofing Services At Roofer Uk
As market leaders in the industry, here at Roofer UK, we provide our customers with an array of different roofing services and comprehensive, cost-effective solutions. We guarantee fantastic results and consistent quality care throughout the process. As well as roof replacements and re-roofing, we also offer:
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Different Types Of Roofing: Are All Of Them Suitable For Solar Panel Installation
If you have made the decision to fit solar panels to your roof there are a couple of key considerations to take into account.
You will want to find the best solar company so that you get the right solution for your needs, and you will also want to be sure that your roof is suitable for solar panel installation.
There are different types of roofing available and the obvious question is does your roof fit the bill when it comes to being ready for solar panels?
Here is a look at the different types of roofing so that you can identify what you have covering your home and an overview of their suitability for a solar panel installation.
What Roof Type Is Best For Solar Panels
Solar panels can be installed on almost any roof style with a few exceptions. The roof on your home, garage, shed, or barn could all be potential candidates for roof-mounted solar panels. Whether its a gable, hip, or a combination roof, a solar installer can figure out the best way to mount panels.
Solar engineers and installers can split up solar arrays into multiple sections to follow the rooflines and work around roof components, such as skylights, box vents, or pipe boots.
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Do I Need A New Roof Before I Put Solar Panels On
Whether you need a new roof for your solar panels depends on a few factors, but the main factor to consider is the condition of your current roof. Your roof should be fairly new and in good condition if youre going to install solar panels on it.
According to the National Association of Home Builders , asphalt shingle roofs by far the most popular roofing material last about 20 years. Of course, condition does not always directly correlate with age, so its important you know not only how old your roof is but also what sort of shape its in currently. Especially if your roof is more than five years old, you should consider having a professional evaluation done on your roof to help determine whether it is holding up well and is ready for solar panels.
If your roof is nearing the end of its projected lifespan or is in poor condition, then you are typically better off replacing it before installing solar panels. This ensures your roof will be able to support the solar panels, which weigh about the same as adding a second layer of shingles, and keeps you from having to pay to take down the panels when it comes time to replace the roof and reinstall them after the new roof goes on.
