Geographic location of your home

When thinking about solar power, many homeowners fail to consider the fact that the amount of energy the solar system generates directly depends on the amount of sun light the panels are exposed to. If you live in a geographic area that has a lot of overcast days, your solar system will be generating a lot less electricity than one that is located in regions that get sunny days year round. If your solar system will generate less electricity that is needed to power your home, then you will still continue to be dependent on the electricity from the grid, plus you would have incurred the high cost of purchasing the solar system in the first place. Also, you the need to take into account the fact that solar energy only generate electricity during daylight hours. This means for about half of each day, solar panels are actually not producing energy for your home.

Position of your house in relation to structures that obstruct sun light

Even if you live in a region that gets a lot of sun, you need to evaluate whether your house itself gets adequate sun exposure. Do you have any tall trees around your house that me blocking or obstructing sunlight? Is your house located in an area where it is surrounded by taller buildings or other structures that also obstruct sunlight during the day? If any of these are the case, then you may not be generating the amount of electricity that you are expecting and therefore may not be saving as much money as you were expecting to save. If you are planning to build a brand new house and would like to equip it with solar panels, consult your architect to choose a location where the rooftop of your house will get maximum sun exposure.

Size of your home

In figuring out whether solar panels will actually save you money, its important to consider the size of your home. The bigger your house, the more electricity will be required to power it. This means that if your home is large, you will need to install a a large solar system to power it, which will be very expensive, and most likely will take many years for you to see a return on your investment. For an average house, it may take between ten to fifteen years to reach the break-even point, where you are actually making pure profit from selling electricity back to the grid, once your solar system has been paid off.

Government Rebates and incentives

If you are leaning toward purchasing a solar system for your home, the good news is that you may be able to get some help from the government. Both federal and state governments are actively promoting the use of green energy sources for homeowners by offering financial assistance with the initial purchase and installation of expensive equipment, such as the solar system. The Federal government offers a 30 percent tax credit on solar panels, and some states offer a 25 percent rebate, as well as a property tax exemption. You should contact your state and local agencies to find out exactly what types of incentives you may be able to take advantage of. These savings can really add up, putting the ownership of a solar system within your reach.

Other Financing Options

If you are building a new home from scratch, you may be able to bundle the cost of your solar panel system into your mortgages payments. As a result, the total solar PV system cost will be split into monthly payments over a number of years, which will make it much easier to afford. If you are looking to outfit an existing home with a solar system, you can look into refinancing your home loan to add in the solar panel cost or take out an equity line of credit.

Leasing vs Buying a Solar System

Companies like Solar City and AP Solar can install solar panels on your home for FREE! In return, you will buy discounted electric power from them. See the promo video of Solar City and Google, partnering up to provide inexpensive solar power to masses:

Many homeowners want to switch to solar power to see immediate savings on their energy bills as well as make a positive contribution to the environment, without necessarily looking for long term profit. In this case, leasing solar panels may be a better option then purchasing solar panels. This is also a viable option for people who cannot afford to pay the upfront cost of purchasing a solar system, which can cost between $15,000-30,000 and up, depending on the size of the home. Leasing gives you the benefits of reduced energy bills right from the start, and the solar system is free along with free installation, maintenance and repairs. The down side is that because you do not own the panels, you are not eligible for any government tax credits and also you do not make any money on the extra electricity that the panels generate. You need to research the specific leasing terms of conditions of different green energy companies to figure out if this option suites your needs.

When you purchase a solar system, you get the immediate benefit of reduced electricity bills, along with a number of long term benefits of going solar. These include, tax incentives, government rebates on purchasing and installing the system, positive cash flow from selling extra electricity back into the grid, and increased resale value of your home, as many prospective homeowners are willing to pay more money for homes that are already outfitted with solar panels. If you can afford to purchase a solar system, and have no problem waiting for a few years before seeing a return on your investment, then buying may be the way to go.

How solar works:

Solar panels are made from photovoltaic cells or PV for short. Simply broken-down, photo means light and voltaic relates to the production of electricity. Photovoltaic technology enables the creation of electricity using light. PV cells have at least two layers of semiconductors – one that’s positively charged and one that’s negatively charged.

When the light shines on the semiconductor, the electric field across the junction between these two layers causes electricity to flow. The greater the intensity of light, the greater the flow of electricity.

There are many sorts of PV panels including PV tiles which replaced normal tiles and simplify the install. They can be installed on for domestic house easily and work very simply – any south facing roof is suitable. The light that hits the panels is converted into clean electricity. There are no moving parts so this is a silent operation.

The electricity generated by the panels is direct current by installing an inverter, its converted to alternating current so it’s in sync with the mains electricity in can be used normally. The clean electricity is then fed into the mains by the fuse board. Using meters the amounts of electricity generated and used can be recorded and any spare electricity is sold back to the electricity supplier.

The amount of energy available from the sun differs depending on your location. For example, Edinburg receives eight hundred kilowatt hours per square meter. In London it’s one thousand and Madrid one thousand five hundred. Although the UK is considered to have a wet and cloudy climate eight hundred kilowatts hours per square meter is enough energy to power and energy-efficient home. You would need just ten square meters of PV to provide enough electricity to power such a home entirely from solar energy.

Solar photovoltaic are simple and practical way of powering in buildings with clean energy. We believe a sustainable future is within our reach in this generation.

Why is solar energy not being used to its full potential?

Main reason why solar still has a very small adoption rate, is because of of cost of solar solar panels, and total installation cost of solar PV system, which right now is about $7.50 / watt installed, including installation labor, cost of solar panels, DC / AC inverter, wiring, mounting hardware, and other miscellaneous costs associated with solar PV system.

Even though solar panel prices have been going down steadily, and efficiency of solar panels has been going up, solar energy will not become wide-spread until selling price of solar PV panels goes to $1 per watt or less. The payback period for a typical residential solar PV system is too long at current prices, and even with government incentives, many people are waiting on the sidelines, before jumping into the whole solar game.

Bright side of current solar PV market

On the positive side, prices of solar panels will keep going down, and new thin film solar PV panel technologies that are being developed right now, or are in production already are looking to break that that $1 / watt barrier on a massive scale.

Also as more and more solar integrator (installers of solar PV systems) open up shops, and with huge government incentives and subsidies for renewable energy (including solar and geothermal energy) more and more homeowners and businesses are getting into solar or are seriously considering installing a solar PV system.

Speaking of geothermal energy, which uses thermal energy of the earth to heat and cool your house, and requires relatively little electricity to operate, combining geothermal heating / cooling system with a solar PV system to power it, you can completely eliminate your heating and cooling expenses, once you pay off the initial investment. However if you look at it from a purely financial perspective, average energy costs for heating and cooling are so high, and will continue to rise, and if you finance both solar PV and geothermal systems, for a medium term (about 10-15 years), your monthly bill would be about the same as current cost of heating and cooling, averaged throughout the year. This means that instead of paying for wasteful and polluting carbon-based flues, you are paying off a completely green source of renewable energy.

Photovoltaic (PV) cells are created from at least one layer of a semiconducting material such as silicon. These cells are placed in panels, which are then attached to the walls or a roof of a house. Light hits the panel and an electric field is created across the layer.

PV cells are available in many shapes and strengths. Color ranges are offered to match the look of the roof tiles. some PV cells even come in transparent panels to be used on glass. The strength of the panels is measured in kilowatt peak, which is the energy output of a cell when exposed to a direct, full sunlight.

Is a Direct Sun Light Required in Order to harness solar energy?

It is a common misconception that a direct sunlight is required in order to create solar energy. The fact is that some solar power can still be generated even on cloudy days. The brighter the sunshine, the more energy can be generated. Most people will find that placement of the solar roofing panels on a rooftop that faces south will produce the most electricity by means of obtaining the best possible exposure to the sunlight.

Place to Install Solar Panels:

Solar panels can be installed during a new house construction, or on an existing home. The solar integrator contractors you hire to place your solar panels will examine your home’s layout and properties in order to recommend the correct placement of the panels. In order to take advantage of the greatest amount of potential solar energy, correct placement is critical.

There are many benefits to installing solar panels onto your home. Solar power is completely green and renewable. There is no harmful carbon dioxide release into the atmosphere, and no other pollutants are being released with the installation of solar panels, either. Many tax incentives exist for decreasing your reliance upon fossil fuel and participating with green energy initiatives, so check to see how much you might be able to save come the tax time.

The cost effective electricity source of solar panels can also be felt in the reduction of your utility bill each month. While it is difficult to produce enough electricity to power a home completely, about 40% of your home’s energy needs can be met with a typical home solar panel system.

In the event your solar panels create more energy than you use at the time, excess energy can be stored in batteries to use on days that are cloudy. Some areas promote an initiative to solar panel users in which they are allowed to sell their excess energy. Check with your local government agency to find out.

The initial cost of installing solar panels can be quite expensive, so it is important that you do a bit of research into the materials and the construction company you hire to install them. Solar panels are very fragile and fitting the panels along a treacherous tiled roof can be dangerous. Talk with friends and neighbors who have solar panels to find out how theirs were installed.

For persons with a bit of construction experience, self-installation of the solar panels is quite possible. Construction firms who install solar panels are often hard to locate, and when you do, they can be extremely expensive. Evaluate your experience level against the cost of hiring a contractor, as the breaking of a solar panel from a lack of expertise will result in additional cost.

It is a significant first step to assess your home’s energy efficiency and potential energy return from the installation of solar panels before deciding on the placement of the solar panels. In order to place solar panels on a rooftop, the roof does not have to be flat. Steep roofs can be used for the installation of a solar pane through the use of special solar panel mounting brackets. In case of PV solar laminates, a standing seam metal roof system can be used for a seamless integration of solar roofing panels with metal roofing. Installing solar panels over slate tiles can be quite tricky as the surface of a slate tile is very slick, like ice. Thus, a set of special mounting brackets, and expert installation will be required. Any time there is a penetration made in your roof, it can void the manufacturer’s roof warranty. Therefore, a professional installation will be required for any solar roofing system installation that requires roof penetrations.

Do not forget to check local city ordinances about the need of a building permit in order to attach the solar panels to your roof. Even though the property belongs to you, many local governments require a permit before undertaking any type of construction project on your property.

Preparation must be undertaken so that the installation process goes as smoothly as possible. Tree branches and other obstructions that are in the way of the solar panels should be cleared away before the installation. You should also note any permanently fixed objects that might obscure your solar panel. If there is an object that cannot be moved, reconsider placement.

Installation Tips:

Make sure that you have some assistance available during the installation process. Solar panels are bulky, heavy, fragile, and very expensive. If possible, find someone who has experience in installing solar panels or working upon roofs, but if you cannot, then at least make sure the person performing the installation is strong and capable.

Regardless of the steepness of your roof, always follow safety guidelines. Wearing a safety harness is always advised when working upon a roof, but it is doubly important, as you will be holding thousands of dollars worth of equipment while walking about on the roof.

If your roof is fairly flat, installation should be relatively easy. While solar panels differ among manufacturers, the installation procedures are considerably similar. Normally, you will lay the solar panel mounts out along the roof and then align the panels perpendicularly.

A metal rail is then slid onto and attached to the solar panel mounts. Brackets are typically supplied for this purpose. Finally, the actual solar panels that contain the photovoltaic cells are attached to the base you have fashioned. Always ensure the panel mounts, rails, and cells are securely fastened to the roof.

After the installation process of the solar panels is complete, it is necessary to monitor the amount of sunlight you are collecting. Many websites can assist you in learning how to angle your solar panels correctly. It is amazing how the slight adjustment of a solar panels position can affect the energy output. By continually maintaining awareness of your solar panels positioning, you will be able to maximize the solar energy output.

Also, remember to maintain tree branches and other items that can block sunlight from hitting the solar panels. Keeping them relatively clean is another way to maximize your energy generation output.

There are many ways to install solar panels on a flat roof, as well as many types of flat roofing materials. In our opinion, the best flat roofing system to install solar panels on, is a PVC roofing membrane, which is a Cool Roof, that offers great flexibility, easy roof repair (in case roof gets damaged during installation or maintenance of the solar system), and very long life span, often exceeding 25-30 years.

There are multiple ways to install solar panels on flat roofs. Some include thing-film solar panels which are integrated into roofing system, while others are installed the traditional way, using rack mounting systems.

Roof integrated solar PV systems:

One of the best ways to install solar panels on a flat commercial roof (which offers a lot of space to host large scale solar systems), is to integrate solar panels into the roofing material. This eliminates additional wight and numerous roof penetrations, which can cause roof leaks or even roof collapsing, if the structural support is not in place.

Thin-film roof integrated solar panels for flat roofs:

Using roof integrated solar panels will also reduce overall installation cost of your solar system, as it completely eliminates racking systems. Typical saving you can expect from using roof-integrated solar systems is about $1 per watt, or an average of 10-15% of total solar cost.

Non-integrated solar PV systems for flat roofs:

If you can’t use a roof integrated solar system, your choices are limited to using some type of rack-mounting system, which is either mounted to the roof deck or uses ballast, to hold down the solar panels and prevent wind uplift. If the rack system is attached to the roof deck, it can create multiple roof leaks, because the fasteners would go right through the roof. This is where PVC flat roofing is once again an excellent choice of a roofing material, as it offers a wide range of roof flashing accessories, that can waterproof the mounting poles of a rack system, and conceal all through roof fasteners.

Ballasted solar panels for flat roofs

There are many types of ballasting systems for flat roof solar panels, ranging from simple metal cages with cinder blocks or sand bags used as ballast, to specially designed systems which integrate the wight and adjustable angle, which allows you to position your solar panels anywhere on the roof, and adjust the angle of the solar panels depending on the season, to maximize the efficiency of your solar PV system.

Major concern for commercial building owners with flat roof, who want to install ballasted solar panels on the roof, should be the wight of these solar panels, and making sure that the roof will support the additional wight, and the snow load.

One of the newer solar PV systems for flat roofs is a light-weight rack-mounted solar system from Solyndra. These solar panels consist of thin flexible PV modules wrapped in a clear tube. The principal by which the work is this. The passing sun shines onto these “solar tubes” from the top, and the light that is reflected off the white roof surface “shines” onto the underside of these solar panels, which maximizes sunlight that is captured.

Tubes with solar panels are spaced about 2″ apart, which eliminates wind uplift (according to the manufacturer). The solar panes consist of multiple solar tubes and have a durable, yet light weight aluminum frame, holding them together. These modules are then installed onto 2 feet high stands and locked in together to maintain system integrity. The installation of this solar system is very quick and easy, and does not require any through-roof penetrations.

Solyndra flat roofing solar panels installation video:

Although Solyndra solar panels are very light-weight, commercial flat roof building owners should still be cautious, if your roof is located in the Norther US or Canada, and a snow load is a major concern for you. Cleaning snow off your roof will be problematic in the areas where these solar panels are installed and you could easily have a few feet of snow under and over these solar panels. Ice formation around the tubes could also be an issue for you. If you are considering installing these solar panels, we recommend you consult with an engineer about potential snow load problems that could result in a roof collapse.

Another thing you should consider about Solyndra solar panels – they work best with white roofs, such as PVC cool flat roofing systems. On a black rubber roof (EPDM), your efficiency would drop significantly.

Related solar roofing articles:

Solar roofing systems for flat and sloped roofs.

Solar metal roofing for sloped roofs, using standing seam metal roof panels and Uni-Solar thin-film solar PV panels.

Solar power works by converting solar radiation into electrical energy. Like the batteries you use to power up your mobile devices, they produce direct current, which can be used to power up any number of items.

Sunny areas and locations where there is little cloud coverage will have the most luck harnessing the power of the sun’s rays. However, you can increase your ability to capture this energy by installing a larger solar system.

When installing a system for your home, you will need to install an array of panels. Each of these panels will contain cells that are used to collect the solar radiation that will then be converted into electricity. These panels will need to be placed in locations that receive the most sunlight, such as the south facing side of your home.

Your panels will need to be kept out of shady areas. This will ensure that a good amount of radiation is captured by the panels. You should also expect to provide between 100 and 600 square feet for your panels. However, it is generally recommended that 400 to 600 square feet be used in order to produce 4kW of energy to power your home.

The average solar system will cost around $7 to $9 per watt produced, or rather, $20,000 to $25,000 for a 3kW system, depending on different factors, such as region where you live, solar panels you choose to use, inverter, and general difficulty of installing the solar panels on the roof of your house. This cost also includes installation and you should keep in mind that larger houses or those that require more electricity will require larger systems. Calculate solar panel prices with Solar Calculator and estimate you ROI, payback period and monthly payment if you finance the total purchase price of your PV Solar system.

Before you start shopping for a new Residential Solar PV installation, you will need to understand how to plan and design solar system, how solar panels should be aligned to the sun, while not being blocked by shade from trees and nearby buildings, which inverter to choose, etc.

You should also consider installing a solar roofing system which integrate PV solar panels with roofing materials which will usually last a lifetime. There are different types of solar roofing systems for both flat and metal roofs. You can choose between different roofing materials such as standing seam metal roofing, solar shingles and solar flat roofs.

You should always hire a reputable company to do this work for you. They will be able to provide guidance on how large of a system you need for your home. They will also get the job done right and be able to provide you with a more efficient system.

Depending upon where you live, you may be able to save a fair amount of money on your system. For example, some states and cities provide grants to people who install solar panels on their homes. Additionally, the Federal Government may provide tax credits to certain people who qualify.

Over time, your system may be able to pay for itself. This is because it will save you from having to pay for electricity from the electric company. Additionally, you may be able to hook your system up to the grid and get paid for the excess amount of electricity that you do not use. This is because it can then be used by other people.

To help you pay for your residential system, be sure to look into all of the government programs in your area. Also, contact the electric company to find out if you can sell your electricity to them once your system is up and running.

Solar roofing allows to solve some of the major problems that haunt the roof-top solar installations such as roof leaks, attachment of solar panels, snow load management and wind blow-off, which can simply lift the solar panels and blow them off the roof.

Solar Metal Roofing video:

Benefits of Solar Roofing

Most solar integrators hate roofing, and roofers are too afraid to touch solar panels, due to their high cost and relatively fragile design. Integrating solar panels with roofing materials, allows to eliminate roof penetrations which are usually required to hold down the rack mounting hardware which hosts the solar panels. The roofing system is usually designed to withstand the winds in the given climate, while a solar system needs to be properly attached to the roof as it is more exposed to winds, and prone to blow-offs. When you integrate solar panels with the roof, this eliminates two weak spots – potential roof leaks due to roof penetrations and wind uplift, as solar panels now lay flat with the roofing system.

Most widely used roof-integrated solar panel today is a Uni-Solar thin film PV laminate, which is just 3/16 inch thick and adheres to either standing seam metal roofing or a flat roofing membrane. Besides the two roof systems above, many specialty roof manufacturers created ways to integrate Uni-Solar PV panels with other roofing materials such as simulated synthetic tiles, which work directly with with existing clay tile roofs, concrete tiles, etc.

Another major benefit of solar roofing is the reduced total installation cost. The price of solar roofing system now excludes all the mounting hardware, which usually costs about $1 per watt. Additionally a Solar Roof will “wholly” qualify for the 30 percent renewable energy Federal Tax Credit – not just the Solar System part. This will further reduce the total cost of solar system.

Also the roofing materials used in solar roofing are of a much higher quality than conventional roofing materials – especially in residential solar, where asphalt shingles are the dominant material used on roof tops across US and Canada. Residential solar roofing usually consists of a steel standing seam metal roof, that easily lasts 40-50+ years. This eliminates the need to replace the asphalt shingles roof 15-20 years down the road, which would require complete removal of the solar panels and then installing them back. Such removal and re-installation of the solar system will require the services of the solar integrator, which will cost the home owner at least $2.50 – $3.00 per watt, before any inflation that may happen in 20 years.

Solar Flat Roofing:

Solar panels on flat roofs are even more prone to roof leaks than those on steep roofs due to roof design where water either slowly runs to the drain or just simply sits on the roof. Every roof penetration of a mounting rack that holds houses the solar panels, will probably leak at some point. That’s why light-weight thin-film solar panels integrated into the flat roof just make sense, as compared to traditional solar systems. The PVC flat roof solar systems such as IB SolarWise are an excellent example of integration of a flat roofing membrane with Uni-Solar thin-film PV laminates.

Despite the great design of solar PV flat roofs, there are certain limitations involved. First of all, solar flat roofs work best in the southern states, where sun sits higher in the sky and there is no snow load in the winter. Not only snow blocks the solar panels from sun-light, virtually eliminating all solar electricity production until snow either melts away or is cleaned off the roof, in the norther states like NH, Maine, Vermont, Montana, etc., (near Canadian border), the snow may sit on the roof 9-12 month out of the year, so using solar flat roof there is useless. Solar panels on the flat roof located in the snow country my also get damaged if snow removal in necessary. When a massive snow storm hits and snow load exceeds the specifications of the roof construction, special roofing crews that are on standby for 6 months out of the year will come in to remove the snow, in order to prevent roof from collapsing. These crews may easily damage the solar panels or cut off the contacts.

Aside from limitation of the north, the Solar Flat Roof is excellent choice for homeowners and businesses in the sun-belt to go green and generate clean, renewable energy, while reducing the load on their HVAC equipment, ac cool roof will reflect up to 90 percent of solar heat. Solar flat roofs are very easy to maintain, and can be cleaned by simply washing them. There are virtually no roof penetrations for solar mounting racks, as solar panels are attached to the roofing membrane. The wast free space of an average flat roof allows to install massive solar arrays on warehouse building, shopping centers, production facilities, etc.

The overall cost of solar roofing systems is considerably less than if you were to install a roof and a solar system separately. Thin-film solar panel prices are comparable to the price of crystalline silicon solar panels, and elimination of extra system components as well as simplified installation will reduce per watt cost by as much as $2-3, making solar roofing the most cost efficient solar system.

As we are constantly working on improving our solar price calculator, we will soon be introducing Solar Roof Calculator which will estimate the cost of different roofing systems, such as standing seam metal roof, and flat roof systems, and calculate roof replacement cost for the based on roof area and solar system size. In the mean time you can use the Roof Calculator to estimate roof replacement cost. Check back soon – we plan to roll out the Solar Roof Price Calculator soon, as well as more helpful tools to estimate solar prices.