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Check MY Roof

So you’re thinking about going solar?​

Maybe you’re wondering if it makes sense for you. A big part of answering that question has to do with your roof. It’s not so much about the roof material... solar can be installed on asphalt shingle roofs, metal roofs, and concrete tile Spanish-style roofs. (The most challenging roofs are torch down and foam membrane). It’s more about the shading, orientation, and shape. Let’s take a look at what makes for a good roof for solar.

Shade

Solar panels make energy from sunlight, and if your roof is shaded, they’ll make less. If you have a lot of tree cover, you may need to remove some of those trees in order for solar to make sense. You may want to anyway as they put your home at risk during a hurricane. Do you have to cut down all your beautiful trees? No. In many cases installers can work around a little bit of shading. Or they can place panels in areas that get more sun during the day. A good solar company will build your system on a software platform that takes shading into account so you can see what your system would make with and without the tree cover.

Orientation​

The direction your roof is facing plays a huge role in how much power your solar system will make. South facing areas are the best for solar. In Florida, east and west work well, too. These areas will make 85% to 90% of what a south facing roof will. Typically, it’s not a good idea to install on north facing areas.

Shape

The pitch of your roof affects your solar system’s performance. Lower pitches work best (22 tov24 degrees). If your roof has a higher pitch, it is less sun-facing. Extra hardware may be needed to adjust it to a better pitch so it can receive and process more sunlight.

Off Roof Solar

If your roof isn’t a good fit, you can still go solar. If you have land, you can have solar installed on a ground mount. Solar panels can also be installed on pergolas, sheds, or other structures. Talk to your solar consultant. Not all companies do this, but many are happy to work with you to help you go solar with a non-rooftop system.

Solar energy isn't the right fit for​ everyone, 

let's see if it makes sense for you.

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