For those who’re a house owner, you could be fascinated with putting in photo voltaic panels on your house. Photo voltaic panels have many advantages. A research carried out in Australia throughout a one-year interval confirmed that homes with photo voltaic panels saved cash on vitality payments and decreased CO2 emissions. They’re a good way to economize and assist the planet, they usually additionally improve residence worth.
Nevertheless, earlier than you make any massive selections or purchases, you might have some questions on them, and with the quantity of knowledge yow will discover on the market, it’s straightforward to get confused or misplaced. This text covers a few of the most necessary questions you need to take into account earlier than putting in photo voltaic panels in your house.
Is my roof appropriate for photo voltaic panels?
You may need requested your self this query while you first considered putting in photo voltaic panels in your house, and the excellent news is that the majority roofs are appropriate for photo voltaic panels. However some could be higher than others, as it’s simpler for professionals to put in photo voltaic panels on sure varieties of roofs than on others.
The age of your roof additionally performs a task. Photo voltaic panels can last as long as greater than 20 years, so it’s endorsed that your roof is lower than 15 years outdated, putting in them on a roof that can quickly get replaced doesn’t make a lot sense. Additionally it is advisable that you just do any essential repairs earlier than putting in the panels.
Take a look at the checklist beneath to seek out your roof materials.
| Sort of roof | Set up | Is it appropriate? |
|---|---|---|
| Steel standing seam | One of the suitable with photo voltaic panels and certainly one of the best to put in, because it options vertical ribs on the panel edges, the panels can be put in with out making any holes in your roof. |
Sure |
| Normal clay tile | Because the installer must bolt the ft of your photo voltaic racking tools on to your roof, clay tiles are often eliminated throughout the the set up course of, however as soon as the panels are put in, the tiles will be slid again into place. |
Sure |
| Asphalt | For one of these roof, the installers will drill studs into They are going to connect panel mounts at that location, then they may seal the area across the brackets with flashing. |
Sure |
| EPDM rubber roof | For one of these roof, installers often don’t need to make holes in your roof, which might make it cheaper. |
Sure |
| Thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) |
Any such roof is often flat and makes use of ballast methods to mount the photo voltaic panels. |
Sure |
| Slate tiles | It may well break simply throughout the set up course of. |
No |
| Wooden | Similar to slate tiles, this sort of roof can break simply throughout the set up course of. |
No |
What number of photo voltaic panels can I match on my roof?
All properties are totally different; some have more room than others. Likewise, some will want extra panels than others if there’s a massive tree or constructing close by obstructing the daylight. Fortunately, there’s a strategy to calculate what number of panels will match in your roof.
You’ll must know the realm of your roof. You’ll want three measurements to calculate this:
- The peak of the best level of your roof to the joists. (A)
- The space from the apex horizontally at joist stage till the eaves of your roof. (B)
- The size of your roof’s apex. (C).
Step 1
After getting the measures, you’ll want to make use of this method: A² + B² = X²
X is the gap from the apex to the sting of your roof.
Step 2
After you get your outcome, you should use it to calculate the accessible roof area to your panels
utilizing this method:
C x X = space of roof
Step 3
Lastly, deduct 30 cm for the sting of your roof, since that space can’t be used. And if you happen to don’t really feel like climbing as much as your roof, there’s a neater strategy to know the realm of your roof. Merely go to Google’s Challenge Sunroof and enter your tackle. It’ll let you know the roof space accessible for photo voltaic panels primarily based on 3D mannequin of your roof.
Then, to calculate what number of photo voltaic panels will match in your roof, you’ll must divide the realm of your roof by the realm of a photo voltaic panel. On common, a photo voltaic panel is 3 ft by 5 ft, which suggests you’ll must divide the realm of your roof by 15 to get an concept of what number of panels your roof can match.
How lengthy do photo voltaic panels final?
Your photo voltaic panels can final for many years. On common, their life span is 25 to 30 years. This doesn’t imply they may cease working; it simply means they may begin to degrade and their capacity to soak up daylight will cut back, producing much less vitality. If after these years you see your vitality invoice rising once more, it may imply that it’s time to spend money on new panels.
Additionally it is necessary to take excellent care of your panels to ensure they final so long as potential and likewise work in one of the best ways potential. This contains cleansing them as suggested earlier than, and checking for particles weekly, as it may generally break the panels.
How typically ought to photo voltaic panels be cleaned?
One other benefit of photo voltaic panels is that they require low upkeep, however protecting them clear is necessary. Like most issues, they may work higher and be extra environment friendly in the event that they’re stored clear. How typically you need to clear them relies upon largely in your atmosphere. For those who reside in an space the place it doesn’t rain a lot, you’ll want to wash them extra typically than if you happen to reside in an space with heavy rain, as rain tends to wash them.
It’s suggested to wash them not less than as soon as each six months, and you need to name an expert when it’s time to take action. You must also examine for particles each week, and if there’s any, take away it gently.
Written by Billy Guteng. September 10, 2023
Billy was born in France, and has lived in a number of cities around the globe ever since. He loves artwork, design and structure and he helps the KUKUN group as a content material supplier.