Is your roof suitable for solar?

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Outside of shade and availability of sunshine, there are a few factors to consider when evaluating the solar potential of your roof:

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Age

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Solar panel systems last a long time (often more than 30 years!) If your home’s roof is towards the end of its life, you should replace it prior to any solar installation. This will add to the upfront cost of the project, but replacing your roof prior to installing solar certainly has its advantages: for one, you avoid the trouble and costs associated with uninstalling and reinstalling your solar panel system in order to work on the roof. Additionally, solar panels will help extend the life of the portion of your roof that they cover, as they’re durable and protect the roofing material from the elements.

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Material

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Thanks to continuing innovation and variety in solar mounting equipment, you can install solar panels on most roofing materials, including standing seam metal, clay tile, asphalt, and rubber. 

Two of the more difficult roofing materials to install on are slate and wood: given how brittle both materials are, the installation process is more delicate than with other materials and requires specialized equipment (which can be costly). Because of this, most installation companies do not install solar panels on these types of roofs, so it may be difficult to find a company to work with.

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Space

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Solar panels come in a fixed, rectangular shape, and most residential installations use at least 10 solar panels. In order to maximize your solar savings, you’ll need adequate space on your roof. With more uniquely-shaped roofs, different structures such as dormers, chimneys, vents, or widow’s walks may cut off certain portions of your roof from installation, making it more difficult to fit enough solar panels for a viable installation.

 

Tilt

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You can install solar on a flat roof, but installing solar panels on a flat roof typically requires more space since you need to tilt and stagger the rows of panels for optimal electricity production. Tilted solar panels are also important for the self-cleaning of the equipment. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, panels that are installed on a steep roof generally produce less electricity and are more difficult to install. As a rule of thumb, anywhere between 30 to 45 degrees is the optimal tilt for most solar panel systems.

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Orientation

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Your roof’s orientation, or the direction your roof faces, will impact how much electricity your solar panel system generates. Generally, solar panels that face due south receive the most exposure to sunshine (note: this is the opposite for properties located in the Southern Hemisphere.) However, while south-facing is ideal, it’s certainly not a necessity for going solar: panels facing east and west can often receive more than enough sunshine to make your installation a worthwhile investment.