Which Roofs Are Best For Solar Panels?
So you've decided that you want to get a quote for solar panels, so that you can make an informed decision in terms of a cost-benefit analysis.
Firstly, any good company ought to be prepared to come out to your property in order to give you a quote.
The reason why you should expect them to do this is so that they can have a look at your roof specifically to give you the most accurate estimate possible for the earnings.
These earnings, from the Feed In Tariff - a government scheme that pays you a set amount for each unit of electricity that you generate and it pays extra for each unit that you sell back to the main grid - depend on several things.
Firstly, the amount of space available is vital - a bigger system, assuming it is unshaded and the panels are of a similar quality, ought to generate a directly proportionate increase in power relative to the area of solar panels of another system.
The other factor which is important is the pitch of your roof.
This means the angle at which your roof points towards the sky.
The optimum angle depends on the geographic location of your property.
If your house is further North, then a more steeply-pitched roof will be more optimal, because the sun will sit lower in the sky, hence the roof needs to be at a flatter angle.
The orientation of the roof is also a decisive factor in terms of how much power your system will be able to generate.
The orientation is which direction your roof faces - North or South, for example.
Assuming you're in the UK, the closer to south facing the better.
This is because the Sun is will move across the sky from the South East in the morning to the South West in the evening, so a south facing property will be able to receive direct sunlight all day.
Obstructions are another important consideration.
A lot of people think that they've got a large property, hence this won't be an issue.
However, if you have an unusual roof then it may have lots of skylights, or chimneys, aerials or similar.
This means that they may not be enough space to install a solar panel system, or at least it may mean that the size that you go for has to be a bit smaller than you originally thought.
Shadows can be a major problem for the installation of solar power systems.
If the panels are shaded for even a tiny percentage of the day, when they would otherwise be in direct sunlight, then the efficiency will be decreased massively.
For example, let's say that a third of your roof is covered in shadow through the day.
Given the approximate earnings of generating solar power, this means you could lose out on roughly £400 per year in income from the Feed In Tariff.
Therefore, keep those trees trimmed!
Firstly, any good company ought to be prepared to come out to your property in order to give you a quote.
The reason why you should expect them to do this is so that they can have a look at your roof specifically to give you the most accurate estimate possible for the earnings.
These earnings, from the Feed In Tariff - a government scheme that pays you a set amount for each unit of electricity that you generate and it pays extra for each unit that you sell back to the main grid - depend on several things.
Firstly, the amount of space available is vital - a bigger system, assuming it is unshaded and the panels are of a similar quality, ought to generate a directly proportionate increase in power relative to the area of solar panels of another system.
The other factor which is important is the pitch of your roof.
This means the angle at which your roof points towards the sky.
The optimum angle depends on the geographic location of your property.
If your house is further North, then a more steeply-pitched roof will be more optimal, because the sun will sit lower in the sky, hence the roof needs to be at a flatter angle.
The orientation of the roof is also a decisive factor in terms of how much power your system will be able to generate.
The orientation is which direction your roof faces - North or South, for example.
Assuming you're in the UK, the closer to south facing the better.
This is because the Sun is will move across the sky from the South East in the morning to the South West in the evening, so a south facing property will be able to receive direct sunlight all day.
Obstructions are another important consideration.
A lot of people think that they've got a large property, hence this won't be an issue.
However, if you have an unusual roof then it may have lots of skylights, or chimneys, aerials or similar.
This means that they may not be enough space to install a solar panel system, or at least it may mean that the size that you go for has to be a bit smaller than you originally thought.
Shadows can be a major problem for the installation of solar power systems.
If the panels are shaded for even a tiny percentage of the day, when they would otherwise be in direct sunlight, then the efficiency will be decreased massively.
For example, let's say that a third of your roof is covered in shadow through the day.
Given the approximate earnings of generating solar power, this means you could lose out on roughly £400 per year in income from the Feed In Tariff.
Therefore, keep those trees trimmed!
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