There are a few questions that must be answered if you decide to put solar on your house. The main question you might have is this, "Is my house right for solar?" Let's take a look at some of the answers.
1. Your house should have a south facing roof and be free of shade for the solar panels. The structural integrity of the roof needs to be checked too.
2. The amount of roof space you need for the solar panels is important. For every kilowatt(KW) installed on a residential home, you need about 100 square feet of roof space. The average residential KW need is 3 to 6 so you need around 300 to 600 square feet of roof space.
3. The solar panels can be installed on most types of roof types but slate and clay tile roofs do not work. Wood shake roofs, flat roofs, and concrete tiles are a bit more difficult to install and could drive the expense up a little.
4. If your roof is not optimal for installation of solar panels, you might want to consider ground mount panels.
5. You really need to make sure your roof is new or that it has many years of life left in it before installing solar panels. Panels will last about 25 to 35 years so it is nice to have a roof that will last accordingly because of the difficulty of replacing a roof after the panels are up.
6. Solar panels are pretty much maintenance free since there are no moving parts. Dust and debris can drop solar production from 5% to 15% so it is important to keep the panels clean. Of course, typical wind and rain will take care of that for you.
Solar energy on your home can help you cut your electric costs and can pay for the unit in a few years. Since most solar panels will last anywhere from 25 to 35 years, so you should see significant savings over the life of your system.
