Solar energy is not meant for mass! You may go to question mark after listening to this statement, but holy heaven, it’s true! Before deciding whether you are prepared for installing solar energy or not you need to know some facts, or else you may end up doing some mistakes like some roofers may recommend replacing your roof before installing solar but remember it is needed only when the roof is in bad condition. There are four things that you should know:
- The area roof space or ground space- space is the most important thing that you need to consider. It is installed either as a ground mounts on the ground or at the roof as a roof mount. Certain interpellation that you need to keep in mind are as follows:
- Size of your roof- the efficiency of the solar panel is leading to the increasing demand for it but you need to understand that it requires a certain amount of space to get installed. For installing a 5kw system, you need 290 square feet of space. You need to check the direction in which the roof is facing as it informs the amount of sunlight the roof will get. A south-facing roof is considered to be the best one for this purpose.
- Pitch of the roof- 30-45 degree roof pitch is best but you can manage by doing some minute changes on the pitch like by tilting the panel slightly.
- Position of Infrastructures like other buildings, poles, etc, or natural things like tall trees that cast shadows should be known to you as that decides the amount of sunlight you receive.
- Condition of the roof- you need to refurbish the roof if the structure of the roof is not up to the mark. Some holes will certainly be made in your roof but by ensuring that the element of the solar panel will not harm your roof. This panel also adds more life to your roof. Check the solar panel you are installing with the roofing contractor. Remember the solar panel can be put on any type of roof floor, marble, tiles, cemented or, anything else.
- Ground space- the biggest advantage while mounting a panel on the ground is the fact that on the ground you can optimize it as per your requirement but it is more expensive and space-consuming on the ground.
- Budget- before fixing the budget you need to get acquainted with the fact that if you are paying federal tax or not? If yes then you get a tax credit from the government, approx 22% of the total cost. In case if you own a business then you will also be benefitted from accelerated depreciation through which you can push the depreciation savings to the base year of installation. So enjoy it with great returns! Sometimes state government may help you too with different aids for installing it!
- Your electricity utility- first you need to answer if you are using too much electricity! If yes, then it is the ideal one for you as well as for the environment. Electricity rates keep on increasing and in case if your electricity bills are high then you will always end up paying more. A solar panel is a good choice then! Even if you are paying less then also remember free items are always better than paid ones!
- Geographical area- check the weather condition of your area as the amount of solar energy depends upon the location. The amount of solar production is essential to know before installation. Better solar production is always suggested but with optimum solar production availability, you can install it. Net metering should also be checked as it gives you the option to store excessive energy which can be later used when needed. You need to check if net metering is available in your city or not. You always get a better ROI if you buy a good solar panel. Remember this one-time investment will help you in long run for sure!
Wrapping up
Solar panels are the new spark and the environment is going to be benefitted from them. It saves your money, energy, and environment. It is going to be a popular opinion in a decade, though we can see its presence now only in some big cities but surely it will be an essential item in future!
