Is Your House Good for Solar? How to Find Out
If you want to install rooftop solar panels, evaluating your home’s solar potential is the first step. You can put solar panels on almost any roof, but factors like roof direction and shading will affect your generating capabilities.
A professional solar consultant is the best way to find out if your roof is good for solar, but you can get a good idea by taking a close look at your roof and your utility bills.
In this guide, we share tips that will help you determine your home’s solar potential.
What Makes a House Good for Solar
Roof Direction
South-facing roofs receive the most sunlight, which makes them ideal candidates for solar panels. But that doesn’t mean solar isn’t worth it if your roof doesn’t face south. Solar panels can also generate plenty of solar electricity with an east or west-facing roof. Roofs that are primarily north-facing are not ideal, but with a creative system design, it’s possible to maximize your sunlight access and make solar worth it.
No Shade
Houses with unobstructed sunlight access are the best candidates for solar. Trees, surrounding houses, and even chimneys can throw shade on your solar panels and block their sunlight access, reducing output. Trimming branches and taking down trees can make a huge difference if you live in a shady area, but you don’t always have control over obstructions. If neighboring trees or structures are blocking most of your sunlight, your house might not be the best fit for solar panels.
Good Roof Condition
Your solar panels need a strong foundation to support them. If your roof is old or damaged, you should look into replacing it before you install a solar panel system. Otherwise, you’ll have to remove and reinstall your panels when the repairs become unavoidable, which will be expensive.
Electricity Usage
The more electricity you consume, the more you will save with solar panels. Reviewing your past electricity bills will give you a good idea of how much electricity your household consumes in a year so you can decide whether solar panels make sense for your home. But remember that financial return is not the only benefit of solar power. Going solar also gives you freedom from your utility company, makes you more independent, and when paired with battery storage, gives you backup power for outages.
Energy Efficiency
Energy efficient houses are the best candidates for solar power! Making your home more energy efficient with insulation and air sealing is a low-cost, high-impact way to reduce energy usage. The less energy you use, the fewer solar panels you need, allowing you to install a smaller and more affordable system that will pay for itself faster. Plus, in an energy efficient home, you’ll know your house isn’t wasting the energy your solar panels generate.
At Sustainergy Cooperative, we take a unique approach to solar installation that combines energy efficiency upgrades with solar system design and installation. The result is a highly efficient house, lower overall costs, and a higher return on investment. We call our approach Smart Solar, because it’s the smartest way to go solar!
Get an Expert Opinion for Free
Sustainergy Cooperative is a highly experienced, worker-owned solar company that is committed to providing the highest quality service to our customers. That means giving you our honest opinion about whether solar panels make sense for your home. We offer free solar assessments and will tell you how much you can expect to generate, how much you’ll save, and when you should break even, so you can make an informed decision about going solar
