Is Your Home Suitable for Solar?

If you’re tired of high energy bills, now is the perfect time to switch to solar. Not only is this better for the environment, the cost of adding panels is a lot lower than most Indiana homeowners realize. Plus, there’s currently a massive federal tax credit that allows you to deduct a huge portion of your solar panel installation costs.

However, we agree that not every structure is a good candidate for this sort of home upgrade. That’s why our Morton Solar team has put together this quick guide to help you out. Here are a few questions to ask to decide if your home is suitable for solar panel installation and why those factors might not be a barrier.

Which Direction Does Your Roof Face?

Generally, we design our solar panel systems to be positioned for maximum exposure, which allows you to get the highest level of power. Usually, we’re looking for southern, western, or eastern exposure to the sky. However, if your home faces a different way, we can still work around this.

When we look at whether a home is a good candidate for solar, we don’t solely rely just on the position of the roof. Each residence is unique, so our trained team of professionals looks at various options, such as positioning panels on the ground if we cannot achieve optimum sun exposure.

Is Your Roof Big Enough for Solar Panels?

While solar panels are much smaller than in the past, they still take up a fair amount of space on your roof. If yours is on the small side or has multiple levels due to years of add-ons, then we might have to get creative as to how they are positioned. Even small homes can enjoy the benefits of solar panels, as they typically take much less energy to heat and cool to begin with.

Do You Have a Lot of Trees or Is Your Roof Typically Shaded?

This is a really good question that a lot of Indiana homeowners ask. Shade is the enemy of solar panels and having a lot of trees in your yard or shading your roof definitely isn’t ideal. However, this is one of those things that needs to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. We might be able to position your panels in a way that still sees full sunlight during a large chunk of the daytime most of the year.

Does Your Roof Need to Be Replaced?

While solar panels aren’t too heavy, they do take up space on a roof. That’s why it is important to ensure yours is in decent shape before installation. If your current roof is on the way out, needs significant repairs, or is heavily damaged, we highly recommend that you get that taken care of before investing in solar panel installation. Solar panels can last an average of twenty-five to thirty years, so making sure they have a good foundation prior to installation is key. Likewise, solar panels act as a barrier between roofing material and the elements. This means that a new roof installed prior to solar panel installation could last longer than one without.

Do Solar Panels Have to Be Installed on a Roof?

Typically, your roof is the ideal place for solar panels to achieve maximum sun exposure. However, there are circumstances where doing this isn’t ideal. In that case, we can position them on the ground. This does increase the chances of damage and definitely isn’t ideal, but it is an option in certain cases.

What About Winter in Indiana?

This is a really good question that a lot of Indiana homeowners have about solar panel installation. Solar panels are installed at an angle, which helps reduce or eliminate ice and snow buildup. When we get a big storm or poor weather during the winter months, your solar panels should not be affected at all. The same is true for summer hail storms or large amounts of rain.

Are You Still Unsure If Your Home is Suitable for Solar?

If you’re still unsure if your home is suitable for solar panel installation, that’s okay. Our team of experts at Morton Solar can give you tips and hints on whether or not your current roof condition is ideal for panels or not. We can also offer additional recommendations on how to prepare your home for the switch to clean energy and help you determine your cost savings by doing so.

Ready to get started? Please get in touch with us today to discuss adding solar panels to your home.